Government cuts funding to waiting list action plan despite growing numbers
Over 60% of patients on inpatient and day case list currently waiting longer than 3 months for treatment
877,700 people on some form of NTPF waiting list at the end of January 2024; an increase of 8,455 people (1%) in a single month;- €407m pledged for Waiting List Action Plan in 2024 is €36m (8%) less than allocation in 2023, despite record growth in demand for treatment;
- Target to offer treatment to all patients waiting longer than 3 months for one of 20 high-volume procedures not met in 2023;
- 61% (52,700) of patients on inpatient and day case lists currently waiting longer than 3 months for procedure;
- IHCA President Prof Rob Landers: “The Government needs to honour its pledge to fund treatment for any clinically suitable patient waiting more than three months on the inpatient and day case waiting list.”
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) says it is unacceptable that funding to tackle waiting lists is being cut in 2024 by €36 million (8%) compared with the allocation in 2023, despite record growth in demand for treatment.
The waiting list for hospital treatment has increased for each of the past three months, reflecting the significant impact that increased presentations to Emergency Departments and the resulting cancellation of surgical procedures is having on our acute public hospitals this winter. The outpatient waiting list has also risen for the first time since August 2023, increasing by 6,650 in January alone.
Consultants are urging the Government to increase funding and honour its pledge to provide treatment in 2024 to all clinically suitable patients waiting more than three months on the inpatient and day case waiting list.
The appeal comes as the latest National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) figures released today reveal that 877,786 people were on some form of hospital waiting list at the end of January, including 86,288 patients awaiting inpatient or day case treatment.1
In last year’s Waiting List Action Plan, the NTPF made a commitment that patients waiting over three months for 20 high-volume procedures including cataract surgery and hip and knee replacements2 would receive an offer of treatment before the end of 2023. However separate new figures confirm that this target was missed.3
A further pledge was made last year to expand this list of procedures so that all clinically suitable patients waiting more than three months on the inpatient and day case waiting list would be provided with treatment in the public or private systems in 2024. The IHCA warns that meeting this commitment will be a significant challenge given the reduction in waiting list funding from €443m in 2023 to €407m this year – a reduction of €36m or 8%.
At the end of January approaching two-thirds of those on the inpatient/day case waiting list (52,718 or 61%) were waiting longer than three months for treatment, exceeding the Sláintecare maximum wait time targets recommended in the 2017 report.
The Action Plan for 2023 set a target to reduce waiting lists for appointments and hospital treatment by 10% (-69,000) compared with the number waiting at the start of 2023. Despite treating significantly more patients than planned last year, the three main waiting lists only decreased by a modest 3% in 2023 due to a higher-than-expected level of patient demand. Furthermore, this modest reduction would not have been achieved had it not been for the fact that 105,000 people were removed from hospital waiting lists in 2023 without treatment through an NTPF ‘validation’ process.4
Commenting on today’s waiting list figures, IHCA President Prof Rob Landers, said:
“The Government needs to honour its pledge to fund treatment for any clinically suitable patient waiting more than three months on the inpatient and day case waiting list. This commitment must not be omitted from the Waiting List Action Plan for 2024 when published.
“In parallel, the Minster for Health must deliver on his previous pledge to open 1,500 additional rapid build hospital beds across 15 acute public hospital sites this year.5 The Government needs to implement that plan immediately and commit the promised €1 billion capital budget to open these beds as indicated.
“At the same time, delivery of the promised six surgical hubs and the long awaited four elective hospitals must also be accelerated in order to provide the capacity that is required to meet all of these reduction targets.
“Regrettably, in the short-term, waiting lists are likely to deteriorate further due to the cancellation of many outpatient appointments, inpatient admissions and day case procedures, including chemotherapy and dialysis, due to the record overcrowding we are currently experiencing at many hospitals.”
ENDS
1. Latest NTFP data: https://www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm
2. 2023 Waiting List Action Plan: https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/249526/8b203212-06b9-4ddc-96f7-9938b0707e19.pdf#page=null
3. Dáil PQ response from Minister Stephen Donnelly to Deputy James O’Connor, 18 January 2024: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2024-01-18/50/
4. Dáil PQ response from Minister Stephen Donnelly to Deputy Jim O’Callaghan, 12 December 2023: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2023-12-12/754/
5. Oireachtas Select Committee on Health, 19 April 2023: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/select_committee_on_health/2023-04-19/3/
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