Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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463. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting for spinal fusion and other spinal operations, respectively, waiting less than four, four to eight and more than eight months, respectively, in both Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin and Temple Street Children's University Hospital for treatment, in tabular form. [50917/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The long-term strategy to develop sustainable scoliosis services from 2018 has been prioritised by the Department and the HSE. The Children's Hospital Group, with the additional €9 million provided to the HSE in 2018, has continued to progress the move toward the implementation of a long-term sustainable and safe paediatric orthopaedic service, including scoliosis services for children and young people.

In terms of capacity, Children's Hospital Group (CHG) aims to deliver 446 procedures this year, compared to 371 in 2017, and 224 in 2016. This represents an increase in activity of 99.5% since 2016.

In relation to the number of patients waiting by specific time-band as requested by the Deputy, as this is a service matter I have asked the HSE to respond the Deputy directly.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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465. To ask the Minister for Health the number of public patients who have been removed from outpatient lists for each public and voluntary hospital each month in 2018 as a result of a validation exercise and not as a result of having an appointment with a consultant, in tabular form. [50919/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Good practice around the management of hospital waiting lists recommends periodic validation of waiting lists. Validation is the process whereby hospital administration contacts patients on waiting lists at pre-planned intervals during the year to ensure that patients are ready, willing, suitable and available to attend a hospital appointment or wish to be removed.

Importantly, the validation process allows for situations where, if requested by the GP/referring clinician, patients can be reinstated back to their original place on to the Waiting List.

In June, I approved the establishment of a Central Waiting List Validation function in the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). The NTPF advise that the National Centralised Validation Unit was established in September. The establishment of the new Centralised Validation Unit will put in place protocols and practices which will ensure a standardisation of approach to the validation of all waiting lists across all hospitals.

In relation to the specific breakdown of data as requested by the Deputy, I have asked the HSE to provide a direct response.