Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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695. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons currently on a waiting list for a mastectomy in each of the years 2018 to 2022, by each waiting time period, in each hospital, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8812/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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696. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons currently on a waiting list for breast reconstruction surgery in each of the years 2018 to 2022, by each waiting time period, in each hospital, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8813/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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697. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons currently on a waiting list for an oophorectomy in each of the years 2018 to 2022 by each waiting time period, in each hospital, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8814/23]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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698. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting on genetic testing in each of the years 2018 to 2022, by each waiting time period, in each hospital, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8815/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 697 and 698 together.

It is recognised that waiting times for many scheduled appointments and procedures were too long before and have been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant work continues to positively impact on waiting times and improve pathways to elective care, acute hospitals are still impacted by operational challenges arising from the pandemic and the current pressures on Emergency Departments.

The Health Service Executive (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.

The 2022 Waiting List Action Plan set targets to reduce both the number of people waiting for care and the length of time they are waiting. Positive progress was made in 2022 in relation to both targets, despite negative impacts throughout the year on scheduled care from continued COVID-19 surges, emergency department pressures and other operational factors, including staff hiring. In 2022, there were c.1.56m patients removed from the Waiting list and c.1.53m patients added to the waiting list – a net reduction of c.30k (4%). Long waiters were significantly reduced in 2022: the number of patients exceeding the 18-month maximum wait time target for new outpatient (OPD) appointments target decreased by c.59.0k (38.5%) and the number of patients exceeding the 12-month maximum wait time target for in-patient day case (IPDC) procedures and GI Scopes has decreased by c3.8k (22.6%) and c.3.5k (86.5%) respectively.

Through the 2022 Plan, €350m funding was allocated to the HSE and the NTPF to provide additional public and private activity to reduce the waiting list backlogs that were exacerbated during the Pandemic, but also as the first stage of an ambitious multi annual approach, to lay the foundations for important reforms that will deliver sustained reductions in waiting lists.

For 2023, funding of €443 million is being allocated to tackle Waiting Lists, some €360m of which is targeted at acute hospital waiting lists. The plan to utilise this part of the funding is being developed by the Department of Health in conjunction with the HSE and NTPF. This will include details of new capacity planned for 2023 as well as important reforms that will improve capacity in the public hospital system.

In regard to the information requested by the Deputy concerning Genetic Testing, the NTPF have provided the document attached which outlines the outpatient waiting list in the requested years. The NTPF has advised that IPDC numbers for Genetic Testing are too small to report. In regard to the information requested concerning oophorectomy, the NTPF have also provided the waiting list for this procedure by hospital. This document is also attached.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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699. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons who have previously been diagnosed with breast cancer who are currently recommended to undergo regular follow-up mammograms; the number currently waiting for a follow-up mammogram appointment, by each waiting time period, in each of the designated centres, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8816/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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700. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons who have been previously diagnosed with bowel cancer who are currently recommended to undergo regular follow-up colonoscopies; the number and proportion of this group currently waiting for a follow up colonoscopy appointment, by each waiting time period, in each of the designated cancer centres, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8817/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.