Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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84. To ask the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to reduce the time persons are spending on ophthalmology waiting lists in counties Cork and Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41368/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government commits to reducing waiting times for procedures in hospitals and has provided funding to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to deliver on this commitment. Budget 2019 announced that the Government had further increased investment in tackling waiting lists, with funding to the NTPF increasing from €55 million in 2018 to €75 million in 2019.

The joint Department of Health, HSE, and NTPF Scheduled Care Access Plan 2019 was published in March. Under the plan there has been a continued effort to improve patient access for certain high-volume procedures, including cataracts. The NTPF procures capacity for each of the procedures identified in the Action Plan, including cataract procedures, in both private hospitals or public hospitals. The Action Plan also strikes the appropriate balance between maximising the number of patients treated in both public and private capacity, as appropriate, and ensuring the best return for the taxpayer.

Under the Inpatient Day Case Access Plans for 2018 and 2019, cataracts were one of the specialties targeted by the NTPF, and by end of September 2019, the number of people waiting nationally for a cataract procedure had almost halved, from 10,024 in July 2017 to 5,074. In this same period, there has also been a reduction of 88% in the number of patients waiting over 9 months for a cataract operation.

In relation to the number of patients awaiting cataract surgery in Cork and Kerry, data provided by South South West Hospital Group (SSWHG) at the beginning of September, shows that of 499 patients waiting, 349 (70%) were waiting less than 6 months.

Furthermore, the SSWHG has advised that the NTPF has approved funding for 401 patients to receive cataract surgery with an external provider in 2019.

As part of the IPDC Action Plan 2018, a stand-alone high-volume consultant-led cataract theatre was opened by the University of Limerick Hospital Group in Nenagh Hospital, in November 2018. This initiative continues to have a positive impact in reducing waiting times for patients waiting for cataract procedures, especially in the mid-west. Given the central location of Nenagh Hospital it is envisaged that, in time, it has the potential to provide capacity for cataract surgery for patients on waiting lists in public hospitals in the surrounding geographical areas. The HSE has advised that University Limerick Hospital Group is working collaboratively with the South South West Hospital Group to review over 1,000 patients on Ophthalmology waiting lists that may be suitable for cataract procedures in Nenagh.

In addition, in line with the objectives of Sláintecare, I have asked the HSE and NTPF to work together this year with the objective of developing medium-long term improvement initiatives for patient access to hospital procedures. A Working Group comprised of representatives from the HSE, NTPF, and Departmental officials, has been established to examine ways of improving access for patients waiting for scheduled care. Part of this work included examining initiatives which would move care to the most appropriate setting, and at the lowest level of complexity, such as providing ophthalmology in the community.

Furthermore, Budget 2020 announced that the Government has further increased investment in tackling waiting lists, with funding to the NTPF increasing from €75 million in 2019 to €100 million in 2020. The year-on-year increases to the NTPF since Budget 2017 reflects this Government’s priority to improve waiting times for patients to access hospital treatment.

My Department is working with the HSE and NTPF to develop the Scheduled Care Access Plan 2020. In this regard, the HSE National Service Plan 2020 will set out a planned activity level for the year ahead, while the NTPF will work with the hospital system to provide additionality to reduce inpatient/day case waiting times, and with a particular focus on improving access to hospital outpatient services.

In 2020, the NTPF will further expand its list of targeted inpatient and daycase procedures to support further significant reductions in wait times as well as increasing funding towards supporting full packages of care for patients on the outpatient waiting lists, to include surgery or treatment where required.