Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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158. To ask the Minister for Health the number of patients in each relevant hospital that have been waiting for an outpatient appointment since before 1 January 2017; and the number of patients in each that have been waiting since before 1 January 2016 for an outpatient appointment in tabular form. [3445/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Improving access to hospital treatment is a key priority for government. Budget 2019 announced a funding increase from €55 million to €75 million to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to provide treatment for patients.

My Department is working closely with the NTPF and the HSE to finalise a Scheduled Care Access Plan for inpatients/day case and outpatients for 2019. In this regard, the NTPF and the HSE will continue to work closely with Hospital Groups, inviting proposals to improve access for patients waiting for either Inpatient/Daycase or Outpatient procedures.  

The waiting list information requested by the Deputy is set out in the attached document published by the NTPF which shows the number of patients who were waiting 24-36months; 36-48months; and over 48months at the end of December 2018.