Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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176. To ask the Minister for Health if plans are in place to alleviate the backlog of seeing patients at the pain clinic at Sligo University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24189/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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It is acknowledged that many patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments. As Minister I am conscious of the burden this places on those patients and their families.

As part of the multi-annual approach to reducing waiting lists, and just as importantly the length of time that patients are waiting, I published the 2024 Waiting List Action Plan on 27th March. Total funding of €360 million has been provided for the plan this year which sets out 19 Actions across three themes: Delivering Capacity, Reforming Scheduled Care and Enabling Scheduled Care Reform.

The Waiting List Action Plan multi-annual approach, initiated in 2021, encompasses a two-pronged approach of short-term actions to increase capacity and activity in the immediate term, and longer-term reform measures to sustainably reduce and reform hospital waiting lists and waiting times.

The 2024 Plan builds on the work of previous plans which have achieved significant progress in overall waiting list reduction and in addressing long waiting times, against a backdrop of significantly increased demand for scheduled care services. This year’s plan aims to achieve a reduction in the overall number of patients on waiting lists while three of the four overarching targets in the Plan are specifically focused on improving waiting times.

There are 341 patients on the Sligo University Hospital Outpatient (OPD) Pain Relief waiting list. Of these, 78% are waiting 6 months or less and 94% are waiting 12 months or less. There are 107 patients on the Sligo University Hospital Inpatient/Daycase (IPDC) Pain Relief waiting list. Of these, 61% are waiting 6 months or less and 98% are waiting 12 months or less.

The NTPF has advised my Department that 3 Pain Relief insourcing initiatives have been approved for Saolta Hospital Group (2 OPD and 1 IPDC), which will facilitate treatment for 580 patients on Pain Relief waiting lists.