Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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801. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting for elective surgery with addresses in north central areas of Cork. [14270/20]

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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802. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons on a waiting list for elective surgery in each hospital in County Cork. [14271/20]

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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803. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons on a waiting list for elective surgery in Cork University Hospital. [14272/20]

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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805. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons on a waiting list for elective surgery nationally. [14274/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 801 to 803, inclusive, and 805 together.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE had to take measures to pause all non-urgent elective scheduled care activity with effect from the end March 2020. This was to ensure patient safety and that all appropriate resources were made available for Covid-19 related activity and time-critical essential work. This decision was in line with the advice issued by National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) and in accordance with World Health Organisation guidelines, and the National Action Plan.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has approved a number of recommendations relating to protecting and maximising the delivery of essential time-critical non-Covid-19 care alongside Covid-19 care. On 5 May, NPHET agreed that its recommendation of 27 March, in regard to the pausing of all non-essential health services should be replaced, in relation to acute care, with a recommendation that delivery of acute care be determined by appropriate clinical and operational decision making. Application of the essential risk mitigating steps set out in the guidance developed under the auspices of the NPHET Expert Advisory group will have operational implications, which will impact on throughput.

Where possible, hospitals are working to find innovative ways to enable service provision, which include virtual clinics for some outpatient department appointments. The HSE website provides details on services currently available and operational in each hospital on its website. This information is reviewed frequently and provides up-to-date announcements on services available at each site ().

To ensure services are re-introduced in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, the HSE launched its Strategic Framework for ‘Service Continuity in a Covid Environment’ on 24 June. Its implementation will ensure service resumption is done in an integrated way. This will involve a phased approach to ensure community services are strengthened. The Framework will also consolidate new ways of working and build on international knowledge. The HSE is currently developing a Service Continuity Roadmap for the resumption of services across the health system.

As the system continues to deliver Covid-19 and non-Covid 19 care side-by-side over a more prolonged period, my Department and the HSE will continue to work closely together to protect essential non-Covid 19 acute care and progress the provision of more routine non Covid-19 care.

The number of patients nationally waiting for an Inpatient/Daycase procedure as of end of May 2020 is 86,946. The data requested concerning Cork hospital waiting lists is outlined in the attached documents. National waiting list data is available on the NTPF website, and is available by hospital site as well as specialty (.)

In relation to the requested information concerning the number of persons waiting for elective surgery with addresses in north central areas of Cork, the NTPF have advised my Department that area of residence coding cannot differentiate between North/South Cork. However, they have provided this information by city/county.

Total Waiters for Elective IPDC Surgery with an Area of Residence in County Cork as at 28/5/2020

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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804. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons on a waiting list for elective surgery in the Bon Secours public hospital, Cork. [14273/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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A major part of the Government's Action Plan in response to Covid-19 was to substantially increase the capacity of public healthcare facilities to cope with the anticipated additional demand. In order to urgently ramp up capacity for acute care facilities, an arrangement was made with the private hospitals to use their facilities as part of the public system on a temporary basis, to provide essential services. A Heads of Terms of Agreement between the HSE and the Private Hospitals was agreed at the end of March 2020 and all 18 of the acute private hospitals signed up to it. Under the arrangement, all patients in the private hospitals were treated as public patients and their treatment was prioritised based on clinical need.

The agreement was reviewed at the end of May and the Government decided that the existing arrangement should not be extended beyond the end of June. It has however mandated the HSE to negotiate a new arrangement with private hospitals which would provide the HSE with full access to private hospital capacity in the event of a surge of Covid-19 and separately with ongoing agreed access, to enable the HSE to meet essential and elective care needs.

The Department of Health does not have a role in the operational functions of private hospitals and as such cannot provide information relating to the waiting list of the Bon Secours Hospital, Cork.