Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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370. To ask the Minister for Health if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding a procedure; and the steps being taken to reduce the waiting time for same [39557/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The National Waiting List Management Policy, a standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, since January 2014, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.

Reducing waiting time for patients for hospital operations and procedures is a key priority for the Government and €50 million was provided to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) in 2018 to secure treatment for patients. The Inpatient/Day Case Action Plan, published last April outlines the combined impact of HSE and NTPF activity in 2018.

Figures from the end of August 2018 show that there are 9,757 fewer patients waiting for IPDC treatment compared to the same period last year.