Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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1334. To ask the Minister for Health if he will conduct a review of service and staffing levels across the mental health service and ensure that extra services and extra permanent posts are sanctioned to ensure that the mental health service can increase its capacity on a permanent basis to deal with the mental health crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2629/22]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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1335. To ask the Minister for Health the average wait time for orthopaedic treatment nationally; the average waiting for orthopaedic treatment for County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62937/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant work continues to positively impact on waiting times and improve pathways to elective care, acute hospitals have been impacted by operational challenges arising from surges in cases related to the Delta and Omicron variants.

At present the acute hospital system is prioritising unscheduled Covid-19 care and urgent time-sensitive work. The HSE has confirmed to the Department that 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 Department of Health continues to work with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to identify ways to improve access to care, including through increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services, providing virtual clinics, and increasing capacity in the public hospital system.

In addition, the Department of Health, the HSE and the NTPF are also working on a Multi Annual Waiting List Plan to bring waiting lists in line with Sláintecare targets over the coming years. This process will be overseen by a Ministerial Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Health and includes representatives from the HSE and National Treatment Purchase Fund.

For 2022 an additional allocation of €250 million, comprised of €200 million to the HSE and €50 million to the National Treatment Purchase Fund has been provided in respect of work to reduce hospital and community waiting lists. The €250 million will be used to fund additional activity in both the public and private sectors. The €50 million additional funding provided to the NTPF brings its total allocation for 2022 to €150 million, and as a consequence there will be a budget of €350 million available to support vital initiatives to improve access to acute hospitals and community health services.

The NTPF has advised that, the health system does not collect the data necessary to calculate average wait times. In particular, the time to treatment of patients who have already received their care is not collected. The NTPF collects data on patients currently on the waiting list and the average time that these patients have been waiting is provided here.

Inpatient Orthopaedic/Paed Orthopaedic Average as of 23/12/2021

Outpatient Orthopaedic/Paed Orthopaedic Average as of 23/12/2021