John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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1066. To ask the Minister for Health the number of patients currently on orthopaedic outpatient and inpatient waiting lists in all hospitals in Cork; the average and longest waiting times; the steps being taken to reduce these lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61822/25]

John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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1067. To ask the Minister for Health if she will provide a breakdown of orthopaedic waiting lists in Cork by procedure type (hip, knee, spinal, etc.); and her views on the measures to address long delays in elective surgery. [61823/25]

John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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1068. To ask the Minister for Health the reason Cork continues to have some of the longest orthopaedic waiting times in the State despite repeated commitments to reduce waiting lists; if she will outline a timeline for improvement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61824/25]

John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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1071. To ask the Minister for Health the number of orthopaedic procedures cancelled in Cork hospitals in 2024 and to date in 2025; the reasons for these cancellations; the measures being taken to prevent a recurrence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61827/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1066, 1067, 1068 and 1071 together.

It is acknowledged that many patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments. I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families.

I published the Waiting List Action Plan (WLAP) for 2025 in February, representing this Government’s continued commitment to reducing waiting times for patients and improving access to hospital care.

With the multi annual action plan approach, we are progressing towards the ultimate vision of a public healthcare service in which everyone has timely access to high-quality scheduled care, where and when they need it.

My Department is engaging with the HSE and National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to develop the action plan for 2026, building on the progress delivered to date, renewing the focus on improving waiting times for patients, and considering the learnings from the challenges that arose in 2025.

Hospital waiting list information including information by specialty and time band is published monthly by the NTPF on its website:

The information is now being made available through an interactive visual tool which provides users with a much-improved way of accessing and analysing waiting list information.

In relation to the specific queries raised by the Deputy about orthopaedic waiting lists, the NTPF has provided my Department with the attached information which shows the orthopaedic waiting list for each hospital in Cork broken down by procedure type for IPDC, and mean & median average waiting times for OPD and IPDC. In respect of the average wait times, the NTPF collects data on patients on waiting lists at a point in time and the average time that these patients have been waiting is provided.

With regard to cancellations of appointments, while every effort is made to avoid cancellation or postponement of planned procedures, the HSE has advised that planned procedures and operations can be postponed or cancelled for a variety of reasons including capacity issues due to increased unscheduled care demand.

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 follow HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.

Cancelled hospital procedures/appointments are, where appropriate, rescheduled as early as possible with priority given to patients requiring time-sensitive and urgent treatment. Patients that are cancelled are rescheduled with the next available appointment based on their clinical prioritisation, with urgent patients prioritised for access.

In respect of the number of orthopaedic procedures cancelled in Cork hospitals in 2024 and to date in 2025 as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

IPDC patients on Orthopaedic waiting lists by procedure type in Cork Hospitals at the end of September 2025