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Hospital Waiting Lists

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 January 2012

Wednesday, 11 January 2012

Ceisteanna (854, 855, 856)

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

860 Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the difference between the methodologies for calculating the length of time patients are waiting for more than 12 months using the maximum waiting time target versus the method used prior to July; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41050/11]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

861 Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the difference between the methodologies for calculating the length of time patients are waiting for more than 12 months using the maximum waiting time target versus the method used prior to July; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41051/11]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

862 Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of patients who are waiting for more than one year for surgery in each hospital according to the Health Service Executive methodology of calculating waiting lists in tabular form; the same figure for this time last year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41052/11]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 860 to 862, inclusive, together.

In July of this year I requested that public hospitals ensure that, by the end of 2011, they have no patients waiting more than 12 months for treatment. In order to achieve this target a new calculation methodology was introduced, the new method is described as the ‘Maximum Waiting Time Target'. The NTPF working on behalf of the Special Delivery Unit was first tasked with creating a comprehensive list of those persons — who if not treated — would be waiting for over 12 months by the 31st of December 2011.

The creation of such a list therefore had to effectively search into the future to estimate the number of people that might require treatment. In July of this year the NTPF established the list by ascertaining all the names of people who had been listed for treatment on or before the 31st of December 2010. The list contained approximately 14,000 names. It is clear that that data base had to include ALL of the patients who would have reached or exceeded a 12 month target on the 31st of December 2011. This list is referred to as the Primary Targeting List (PTL).

This explains why the list being operated by the NTPF for the SDU is calculated on a different basis to the list offered by the HSE in its performance reports. The HSE list, also compiled by the NTPF, is a snapshot and relates to those who had already been waiting longer than 12 months on a specific day.

The number of patients who are waiting for more than one year for surgery in each hospital now and this time last year are set out in the table below. The figures are from the Patient Treatment Register and show the numbers of patients waiting 12 months or more as of 30th December 2011. Forty one hospitals reached this target with 2 hospitals (University College Hospital Galway and Merlin Park) failing to do so. The NTPF will continue to work in 2012 to both maintain the 12 month maximum waiting time and to further reduce waiting times by the end of 2012.

30th December 2011

Hospital Name

Dec-10> 12 mths

Dec-11> 12 mths

Variation

AMNCH (Tallaght)

37

0

-37

Bantry General Hospital

0

0

0

Beaumont

155

0

-155

Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital

12

0

-12

Cavan General Hospital

5

0

-5

Childrens University Hospital, Temple Street

54

0

-54

Connolly (Blanchardstown)

0

0

0

Cork University Hospital

183

0

-183

Kerry General Hospital

0

0

0

Kilcreene Orthopaedic

25

0

-25

Letterkenny General Hospital

20

0

-20

Louth County Hospital

2

0

-2

Mallow General Hospital

0

0

0

Mater Misericordiae Hospital

79

0

-79

Mayo General Hospital

0

0

0

Mercy University Hospital

42

0

-42

Merlin Park Hospital Galway

25

4

-21

Midland Regional at Mullingar

24

0

-24

Midland Regional at Portlaoise

1

0

-1

Midland Regional at Tullamore

34

0

-34

Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Croom

2

0

-2

Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Dooradoyle

55

0

-55

Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Ennis

0

0

0

Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Nenagh

0

0

0

Monaghan General Hospital

0

0

0

Naas General Hospital

0

0

0

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda

4

0

-4

Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children Crumlin

139

0

-139

Our Lady’s Hospital Navan

12

0

-12

Portiuncula General Hospital

0

0

0

Roscommon County Hospital

0

0

0

Royal Victoria Eye and Ear

1

0

-1

Sligo General Hospital

10

0

-10

South Infirmary — Victoria University Hospital

8

0

-8

South Tipperary General

0

0

0

St. Colmcille’s Loughlinstown

0

0

0

St. James’s Hospital

0

0

0

St. John’s Hospital Limerick

1

0

-1

St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny

2

0

-2

St. Michael’s, Dún Laoghaire

0

0

0

St. Vincent’s University Hospital

11

0

-11

University College Hospital Galway

94

368

274

Waterford Regional Hospital

46

0

-46

Wexford General Hospital

0

0

0

Grand Totals

1083

372

-711

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