Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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288. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children on waiting lists for a first outpatient appointment across all specialities in CHO area 8; and the number waiting three to six, six to 12, 12 to 18, 18 to 24 and more than 24 months, respectively, in tabular form. [43018/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Reducing waiting time for patients for hospital operations and procedures is a key priority for Government. In this regard, the Government is committed to improving waiting times for hospital appointments and procedures.

The latest published National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) figures show that there 12,527 children in CHO Area 8 waiting for an outpatient appointment in a public hospital . Of these, 60% are waiting 9 months or less and 68% are waiting 12 months or less.

More broadly, 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 National Treatment Purchase Fund since Budget 2017 reflect this Government’s priority to improve waiting times for patients to access hospital treatment.

My Department is working with the HSE and National Treatment Purchase Fund to develop the Scheduled Care Access Plan 2020. The National Service Plan 2020 will set out HSE planned activity level for the year ahead, while the NTPF will work with the hospital system to provide additionality to improve access to inpatient/daycase treatment and with a particular focus on hospital outpatient services.

In this regard, I would encourage all hospital groups and individual hospitals to engage with the NTPF to identify waiting list proposals for the remainder of this year and for 2020. 

The information requested by the deputy on the number of children in CHO Area 8, waiting for an outpatient appointment in a public hospital, is outlined in the following table. In relation to the number of children in CHO Area 8, waiting for an appointment in a community care setting, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.

Total Outpatient Waiters Children Only in CHO Area 8 by Area of Residence by Wait Time Band as at 26/9/2019