Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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222. To ask the Minister for Health the number of patients awaiting spinal fusion procedures; if the waiting lists have improved in recent times with a view to being in a position to offer the treatment within six months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21162/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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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. In this regard, I committed to improving waiting times for hospital appointments and procedures.

Budget 2019 announced that the Government has further increased investment in tackling waiting lists, with funding to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) increasing from €55 million in 2018 to €75 million in 2019. The joint Department of Health/HSE/NTPF Scheduled Care Access Plan 2019 was published in March and sets out measures to improve care for patients waiting for scheduled care in 2019 by reducing wait times for inpatient/day case treatment and outpatient appointments.

According to data provided by the NTPF, as of April 2019, there are 211 patients on the spinal fusion waiting list. This represents a decrease of 32% (-101) when compared with December 2017 and a decrease of 51% (-220) when compared to July 2017. Furthermore, in April 2019, the number of patients waiting over 9 months for a spinal fusion procedure decreased by 53% compared to December 2017 and decreased by 71% when compared to July 2017.

The data requested by the Deputy is outlined in more detail in the document attached. It should be noted that the waiting list as compiled by the NTPF is based on the collation of information for the following procedures:

- Decompression of cervical spinal cord with anterior fusion, 1 level

- Decompression of cervical spinal cord with anterior fusion, 2 or more levels

- Posterior spinal fusion, 1 or 2 levels

- Posterior spinal fusion, 3 or more levels

- Posterolateral spinal fusion, 1 or 2 levels

- Posterolateral spinal fusion, 3 or more levels

- Posterior spinal fusion with laminectomy, 1 level

- Posterolateral spinal fusion with laminectomy, 1 level

- Posterior spinal fusion with laminectomy, 2 or more levels

- Posterolateral spinal fusion with laminectomy, 2 or more levels

- Anterior spinal fusion, 1 level

- Anterior spinal fusion, 2 or more levels

Spinal Fusion IPDC Comparison

Table cntd...

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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223. To ask the Minister for Health when a spinal fusion procedure will be offered in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21163/19]

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.