Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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1022. To ask the Minister for Health if the HSE has issued any guidance to hospitals or community care teams regarding the management of appointments for elderly or incapacitated patients who cannot physically attend clinics; and her views on whether it is acceptable practice to remove such patients from waiting lists under these circumstances. [63097/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Acute hospital waiting lists are managed in accordance with the relevant National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) Waiting List Management protocols, for Outpatient (OP), Inpatient, Day Case, Planned Procedure (IDPP) & GI Endoscopy, and Radiology Diagnostics.

The aim of protocol development is to provide guidance to staff working in the area of waiting list management, and to ensure that there is a consistent and standardised user-friendly approach to the active management and scheduling of patients on waiting lists within each Public Hospital and across Health Regions. All protocols have sections specifically dealing with patients identified as having high clinical and or social needs.

In relation to the management of community waiting lists I have asked the HSE to respond directly to you on this matter.