152. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken by the Health Service Executive and hospital management to improve waiting times for public patients seeking hip and knee operations in hospitals in the midlands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51104/13]

The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2013, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.

While waiting list numbers tend to increase in the first few months of any year, the increase in 2013 was much greater than expected, with a 16% increase in total numbers waiting. However, through the sustained intervention of the SDU, this trend is now reversed, with a 5% reduction in total numbers waiting and a 42% reduction in number waiting 8+ months. In relation to this particular query raised by the Deputy, I have asked the Health Service Executive to investigate the situation and respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.