David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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484. To ask the Minister for Health the mean, median and maximum waiting time across National Treatment Purchase Fund reported waiting lists for May 2022, by speciality and hospital in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31518/22]

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 Omicron variants.

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 National Treatment Purchase Fund (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 mean, median and maximum time that these patients have been waiting is provided in the attached document.