Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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364. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive a date for scoliosis surgery in UCHG; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43229/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

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.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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365. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive surgery as required in UCHG; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43230/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

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.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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366. To ask the Minister for Health the reason there has only been one scoliosis surgery carried out in UCHG in 2018 in view of the fact that seven persons are on the waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43231/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Saolta Hospital Group has advised that scoliosis surgery is currently carried out at University Hospital Galway (UHG). To date this year UHG has carried out one scoliosis surgery and there are currently seven patients awaiting scoliosis surgery at the hospital.

The Saolta Hospital Group advises that the waiting list for spinal surgery is a priority for UHG and work is ongoing to ensure that arrangements are in place in order to facilitate the level of complexity involved in relation to spinal surgery for patients with scoliosis.

At present, Saolta advises that UHG has limited capacity to undertake elective spinal procedures but is actively working on developing the elements required to support the service including inpatient beds, high-end equipment, theatre capacity, and staffing from within existing resources.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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367. To ask the Minister for Health the length of time the first person that is on the waiting list for scoliosis surgery in UCHG has been on the waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43232/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.