Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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336. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children waiting for outpatient appointments in each hospital; and the number waiting over 12 and 18 months, respectively. [7745/19]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I am conscious that waiting times are often unacceptably long and of the burden that this places on patients and their families. Improving waiting times for hospital appointments and procedures is one of my top priorities and is a key commitment in the Programme for Government.

The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) advise that as of the end of January 2019, there were 85,632 children waiting for an outpatient appointment, of which 34.5% (29,558) were waiting more than 12 months, and 21.9% (18,767) were waiting more than 18 months. A breakdown by hospital, as requested by the Deputy, is supplied.

I hope to publish the joint Department of Health, HSE, NTPF Scheduled Care Access Plan 2019 soon. The plan reflects activity targets from the HSE, in line with the National Service Plan, to reduce waiting times across specialities and improve access to appointments and procedures. The plan also sets out activity levels for the NTPF in line with their increased allocation of funding of €75 million in 2019. The commitments in the plan are aimed at improving access for patients waiting for hospital operations or procedures, as well as patients waiting for a first Outpatient appointment.

A key element of this Plan is the stabilisation of the Outpatient Waiting List which remains a significant challenge. The HSE, in line with the National Service Plan 2019 will provide 3.3 million outpatient appointments, more than 1 million of which will be first outpatient appointments.

In addition, the NTPF will, as part of their increased allocation in 2019, fund additional first outpatient appointments through weekend and out of hour’s clinics and ‘see and treat’ clinics.  The NTPF will deliver this additional activity by working with hospital groups and individual hospitals as well as private health providers to maximise the number of patients treated in both a public and private capacity.

Total Outpatient Waiters and the Number Waiting Over 12 and 18 Months, Respectively, by Hospital as at 31/01/2019