Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The latest hospital activity figures published by the HSE shows that the health service is treating significantly more patients than previously. The most recently available 12 months of data to May 2023, shows there were 3.5 million outpatient and c.1.8 million inpatient / day case attendances. In addition to this planned care, our hospital system also treated c.1.7 million patients during this same period in emergency care, which represents an 11% increase on 2019 (pre-pandemic) levels and reflects the ongoing pressure on hospitals, particularly amongst older people.

As of 25th August, the NTPF had made an offer of treatment to 39,160 patients on the IPDC waiting list, 19,388 on the G.I. Scope list and some 146,244 outpatient appointments were approved. In addition, 55,873 vouchers for diagnostics (EDANs) had been utilised across the hospital groups for scans including MRI, Ultrasounds, CT and x-ray. In the same period HSE activity resulted in the removal of 637,349 patients from the outpatient waiting list, 218,854 from the IPDC list and 90,624 from the GI Scope list. These increased levels of activity are having a positive impact, and at the end of August the number of patients waiting over the Sláintecare targets have fallen by 21% since the pandemic peaks.

Conscious of the numbers on OPD lists, the Minister has asked for increased focus on outpatient activity. Accordingly the HSE and NTPF are targeting 28,000 additional outpatient appointments beyond that targeted in the 2023 Waiting List Action Plan, through a range of measures. These measures are in addition to the longer term reform measures contained in the WLAP, including changing how we provide our services through modernised care pathways, and the development of surgical hubs.