Written answers

Thursday, 16 June 2022

Department of Health

Hospital Waiting Lists

Photo of Brendan GriffinBrendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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442. To ask the Minister for Health the reason that information in relation to endoscopy waiting times (details supplied) for patients at University Hospital Kerry has not been provided to this Deputy; if this is a deliberate change in policy by his Department, the HSE or hospital group; if not, if the current figures will now be provided; if the figures will be provided in respect of previously submitted parliamentary questions by this Deputy on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31542/22]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm to the Deputy that the HSE continue to report on the acute hospital key performance indicator (KPI) of the percentage of people waiting less than13 weeks following a referral for colonoscopy or upper G.I. endoscopy (OGD), with the KPI for 2022 set at 65%. This information is collected monthly and reported through the HSE Management Data Report (MDR). The Department oversees the performance of the HSE in relation to the delivery of services and KPIs set out in its National Service Plan. This is achieved through an on-going monthly performance management process where the HSE reports against the targets set out in the Service Plan. Monthly high-level meetings between management in both organisations are held to discuss on-going or emerging performance issues and to determine actions to resolve and improve areas of concern.

In addition, my Department also closely monitors the waiting list for G.I. Endoscopy services. This waiting list information is collected, collated, validated, and published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). This waiting list data is published by hospital and nationally in standardised time bands of 0-6, 6-12,12-18 and 18+ months. This information is used by my Department to monitor demand for G.I. Endoscopy services, with endoscopy services remaining a key component of the 2022 Waiting List Action Plan. The NTPF data is also a central source of waiting list figures used for answering parliamentary questions by my Department.

The waiting lists for G.I. Endoscopy consist of procedures for both colonoscopy and upper G.I endoscopy (OGD). In a recent parliamentary questions raised by the Deputy, it was this published total G.I. Endoscopy figure which was provided in respect of University Hospital Kerry, in the standardised time bands made available to my Department by the NTPF.

In response to the Deputy’s current request for specific waiting time bands for endoscopy by 13 week time bands, I have asked the NTPF to extract the figures for colonoscopy for UHK for each month in 2022 and in addition I have also requested the figure for OGD by month, both of which are provided in the attached table. The over-arching G.I. Endoscopy waiting list for University Hospital Kerry by standardised time bands remains available on the NTPF website.

Total Waiters for a GI Scope Procedure by GI Type by Wait Time Band for 2022

Row Labels 0-13 Weeks 13-26 Weeks Small Volume Time Band Grand Total
Jan-22 305 133 1 439
Colonoscopy 164 77 241
OGD 141 56 1 198
Feb-22 325 134 1 460
Colonoscopy 191 62 253
OGD 134 72 1 207
Mar-22 359 104 463
Colonoscopy 209 50 259
OGD 150 54 204
Apr-22 401 82 483
Colonoscopy 245 44 289
OGD 156 38 194
May-22 323 90 413
Colonoscopy 189 44 233
OGD 134 46 180

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