David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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787. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children on hospital waiting lists compared with the same period in 2018 and 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36783/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE had to take measures to defer most scheduled care activity in March, April, and May of this year. 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 the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) in accordance with the advice of the World Health Organisation.

Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.

The HSE continues to optimise productivity through alternative work practices such the use of alternative settings including private hospitals, community facilities and alternative outpatient settings.

In addition the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) is currently reviewing strategies to maximise activity and benefit for patients, to include, increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services where minor procedures are provided at the same time as outpatient consultations, funding hybrid services where public and private hospitals contribute to the treatment of patients, virtual clinics and clinical validation.

In relation to the number of children on hospital waiting lists compared to the same period in 2018 and 2019, the NTPF has provided my Department with the information requested in the table attached. The NTPF has further advised that within the Public Health System, children are generally classified as those under the age of 16, while the figures in the attached table also include patients between 16 and 18 years of age, to reflect patients who were under 18 at the end of October 2018, 2019 and 2020 according to the date of birth received from the relevant hospital. 

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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788. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children on the speech and language, occupational therapy and physiotherapy waiting lists; the length of time children are waiting compared with the same period in 2018 and 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36784/20]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, recognises the need to improve services for both children and adults with disabilities through better implementation and by working together across Government in a better way. 

The Government commits to prioritising early diagnosis and access to services for children and ensuring that the most effective interventions are provided for each child, to guarantee the best outcomes.

As this question relates to a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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789. To ask the Minister for Health the cataract surgery waiting lists and wait times for September 2018, 2019 and 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36785/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In recent years, my Department has worked with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to improve access for patients waiting for high volume procedures, including cataracts. Ophthalmology services are provided throughout all hospital groups in the country, with cataract removal one of the key procedures carried out as part of this specialty.

A key development in improving access to Ophthalmology services was the opening of a stand-alone high-volume consultant-led cataract theatre by the University of Limerick Hospital Group in Nenagh Hospital in 2018, with the intention that it would facilitate patients from surrounding geographical areas to avail of their treatment there. The impact of such initiatives can be seen in the reduction in the waiting times to access cataract procedures since 2018. At the end of September 2020 there were 5,013 patients waiting compared to 6,626 in September 2018.

In considering these figures it is important to recognise that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic this year. The HSE had to take measures to defer most routine scheduled care activity in March, April, and May. This was to ensure patient safety and that all appropriate resources were made available for Covid-19 related activity and urgent time-critical work. This decision was in line with the advice issued by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) in accordance with the advice of the World Health Organisation.

Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols. The HSE continues to optimise productivity through alternative work practices such the use of alternative settings including private hospitals, community facilities and alternative outpatient settings.

In addition the NTPF is currently reviewing strategies to maximise activity and benefit for patients, to include, increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services where minor procedures are provided at the same time as outpatient consultations, funding hybrid services where public and private hospitals contribute to the treatment of patients, virtual clinics and clinical validation.

The spreadsheet below provides the requested wait times for a cataract procedure by time-band for September, in the years 2018, 2019, and 2020.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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790. To ask the Minister for Health the scoliosis treatment waiting lists and wait times compared with the same period in 2018 and 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36786/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE had to take measures to defer most scheduled care activity in March, April, and May of this year. 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 the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) in accordance with the advice of the World Health Organisation.

Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.

The HSE continues to optimise productivity through alternative work practices such the use of alternative settings including private hospitals, community facilities and alternative outpatient settings.

In addition the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) is currently reviewing strategies to maximise activity and benefit for patients, to include, increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services where minor procedures are provided at the same time as outpatient consultations, funding hybrid services where public and private hospitals contribute to the treatment of patients, virtual clinics and clinical validation.

The Orthopaedic inpatient / day case waiting list, which includes scoliosis procedures, shows that there were 9,897 patients awaiting a procedure at the end of October 2020. This is slightly lower than in the same period in 2018 and 2019 when the number waiting was 10,705 and 10,033 respectively.

In relation to scoliosis treatment waiting lists and wait times, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly with the Scoliosis Inpatient and Day case waiting lists for adults and children in all hospitals nationally at the end of October 2018, 2019 and 2020.