Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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225. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list for gynaecology appointments; the waiting times for urgent and routine referrals in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45530/21]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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230. To ask the Minister for Health the waiting times for gynaecological appointments in Letterkenny University Hospital for routine and urgent referrals in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [45535/21]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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231. To ask the Minister for Health the waiting times for inpatient and outpatient gynaecological appointments at each hospital across the seven hospital groups in tabular form; if this information will be provided specifically regarding those waiting for three, six, nine, 12 or more than 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45536/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 225, 230 and 231 together.

It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted in the last eighteen months as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently as a result of the ransomware attack. While significant progress was made in reducing waiting times from June 2020 onwards, the surge in Covid-19 cases in the first quarter of 2021 and the associated curtailment of acute hospital services, coupled with the ransomware attack of May 2021, has impacted waiting times. However, the HSE advise that acute services are now almost all fully restored to pre cyber-attack levels, and are operating in line with relevant Covid protocols.

My Department, the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) are focusing on improving access to elective care in order to reduce waiting times for patients. These plans 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, providing virtual clinics and increasing capacity in the public hospital system.

An additional €240 million has been provided in Budget 2021 for an access to care fund, €210m of which has been allocated to the HSE and a further €30m to the NTPF. This is to be used to fund additional capacity to address the shortfall arising as a result of infection control measures taken in the context of COVID-19, as well as addressing backlogs in waiting lists.

My Department, the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund are currently working on a Multiannual Waiting List Plan to address waiting lists and bring them in line with Sláintecare targets over the coming years.

My Department continues to work with the HSE’s National Women & Infants Health Programme to improve access and ensure a more sustainable gynaecology service. The Programme has developed an Ambulatory Gynaecology Model of Care which centres on the establishment of one-stop “see and treat” ambulatory gynaecology clinics. The roll out of the Model of Care commenced in 2020, and funding has been provided under Budget 2021 to establish and/or expand services across additional clinics in 2021, including a clinic at Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH).

The HSE has advised that the new ambulatory gynaecology clinic at LUH is operational. Building on progress made since 2020 and, subject to resource availability, it is envisaged that up to a total of 20 ambulatory gynaecology clinics will be rolled out across the country, on a phased basis, in the coming years.

The information requested by the Deputy concerning gynaecology waiting lists is outlined in the attached documents.

Gynaecology Outpatient Waiting List By Hospital

All Hospitals Gynaecology OP

Letterkenny Gynaecology OP

Note: These are Point-In-Time values.

They represent the Point-In-Time position for the three reference dates given.

They give no representation for any other time.

Gynaecology IPDC Waiting List by Hospital

*Due to the small volume of patients waiting in certain specialties, to preserve patient confidentiality, when the number of patients is <5, these have been included within broader time bands or aggregated into a 'Small Volume Specialties' and 'Small Volume Hospitals' cohort.