Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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153. To ask the Minister for Health the number of spinal fusion patients currently waiting less than four months for treatment; the number waiting four to eight months; the number waiting more than eight months; and if similar information will be provided for other spinal patients for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin and Temple Street Children’s University Hospital, respectively in tabular form. [3440/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The long-term strategy to develop sustainable scoliosis services from 2018 and into 2019 has been prioritised by my Department and the HSE.

In 2018 CHG delivered 418 scoliosis procedures. This represents an increase in activity of 12% against 2017 (371 procedures) and an increase in activity of 87% compared to 2016 when 224 procedures were carried out.

In terms of the numbers waiting for procedures, there was a reduction of 27% in the numbers waiting for a scoliosis procedure as of the end of December 2018 when 176 patients were waiting compared to the same period in 2017, when 224 patients were awaiting treatment.

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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154. To ask the Minister for Health the number of public patients that have been removed from outpatient lists in 2018 as a result of a validation exercise and not as a result of having an appointment with a consultant for each public and voluntary hospital in tabular form. [3441/19]

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. 

Last year, I approved the establishment of a Central Waiting List Validation Office within the NTPF. The new office delivers a standardisation of approach to validation across all waiting lists and all hospitals in line with the best patient-centred practices. The validation of waiting lists better informs the true demand for hospital services and enable improved efficiency and patient scheduling.

The data requested by the deputy is outlined in the attached document and sets out details of the number of patients who were validated off the Outpatient Waiting List through the HSE validation exercise undertaken in 2018.

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