Written answer
Hospital Waiting Lists
The Minister defended waiting-list validation letters, allowing 28 days to respond, with reinstatement at the original position and clinical safeguards for urgent patients.
3302. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to allow for more time for, or cease the sending of, confirmation to remain on waitlist letters or face removal from the waitlists for hospital appointment (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55722/26]
Comment on this
Best practice around the management of hospital waiting lists recommends periodic administrative validation. Validation is the process whereby hospital administration contacts patients on waiting lists at pre-planned intervals during the year to ensure that patients are ready, willing, suitable and available to attend a hospital appointment or wish to be removed from the waiting list.
Checking the accuracy of waiting lists on an ongoing basis is an important part of waiting list management as it will improve patient waiting times by:
• Identifying patients on waiting lists who are ready to proceed with hospital care
• Reducing the number of patients who do not attend for their appointments
• Allowing hospitals to better manage waiting lists by improving data accuracy
The validation process includes two letters. An initial letter is sent to patients to check their waiting list status and if there is no reply within 14 days, this automates a second letter (reminder letter) to the patient which provides a second opportunity and an additional 14 days to respond.
Patients who do not respond after 28 days are removed from the waiting list in line with National Waiting List Management Protocol. The removal correspondence must be sent to the patient or guardian, GP or source of referral. Removal correspondence must include the date and reason for removal from the waiting list and details of the reinstatement process and relevant contact details. If the patient or GP considers the procedure is still required, the patient will be reinstated, maintaining their original place on the list. Patients identified as urgent, with high clinical or social needs should be brought to the attention of the consultant and should only be removed under clinical guidance.