Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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509. To ask the Minister for Health the number on the dermatology waiting list in the midlands at the end of each of the past five years; the number waiting at each of the hospitals (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2606/20]

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.

Budget 2020 announced further increased investment in tackling waiting lists, with funding to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) increasing from €75 million in 2019 to €100 million in 2020. 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 this year.

In regard to the information requested by the Deputy, the number of patients waiting on the outpatient waiting list for dermatology over the past five years at Midlands Regional Hospital Mullingar is set out below:

Midlands Regional Hospital Mullingar Dermatology Outpatient Waiting list 2015 - 2019

The HSE advise that there is no dermatology service currently in either Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore or Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise. The service for the Midlands was traditionally delivered from Mullingar, and now the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group have the dermatology specialty services in Tallaght Hospital and St James's Hospital.

The table below sets out the total number of patients with an area of residence in Co. Laois and Co. Offaly waiting on the outpatient waiting list for dermatology over the past five years at Tallaght Hospital and St James's Hospital:

Total Outpatient Waiting List to Dermatology in Tallaght Hospital and St James's Hospital with an area of residence in Co. Laois and Co Offaly 2015-2019