Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1160. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons removed from waiting lists through the outpatient waiting list management protocol in 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively; the number of those removed that were adults; the number that were children; to provide a further breakdown by hospital, and by type of appointment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2692/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Periodic validation forms an essential part of best practice in relation to the management of hospital waiting lists.

Validation is a process whereby hospital administration contacts patients on waiting lists at pre-planned intervals to ensure that patients are ready, willing, suitable and available to attend a hospital appointment, or if they wish to be removed from the waiting list.

For a number of years validation was conducted at individual hospital level in Ireland but in 2018, the Minister for Health approved the establishment of a validation function within the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). The establishment of a centralised function has facilitated the introduction of a standardised approach to validation of waiting lists across all hospitals and across Inpatient, Day Case and Outpatient waiting lists.

In relation to the data requested by the Deputy, the NTPF has provided the figures in the table at the following link, which outlines the number of patients removed from outpatient waiting lists through validation in 2022, 2023 and 2024. The NTPF has advised that the information it currently collates in respect of validation does not include a breakdown by adult and child, or information about the type of appointment.

National Waiting List Validation 2022 to 2024 - Removals Outpatient Summary by Year