3509. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive the operations they require; the current average wait for these operations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56663/26]

It is acknowledged that many patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments. I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families.

The multi-annual Action Plan approach initiated in September 2021 is focused on improving waiting times for patients, and the Waiting Time Action Plan (WTAP) 2026, embodies the Government’s commitment to reducing waiting times for patients, thereby improving access to hospital care. Significant progress has been made under this approach in reducing the length of time patients are waiting.

With the 2026 plan, we will continue to build upon the progress delivered to date under the multi annual action plan approach, moving towards the ultimate vision of a public healthcare service in which everyone has timely access to high-quality scheduled care, where and when they need it.

In respect of the specific information requested by the Deputy about average waiting times, the health system does not collect the data necessary to calculate the time to treatment of patients who have already received their care, which would be necessary to calculate the average waiting time for patients. The mean and median average waiting times provided to my Department by the NTPF and set out in the following table, are in respect of how long patients on lists have been waiting.

Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. The Minister for Health is prohibited from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

In relation to the particular query raised, regarding an operation for a patient in Croom Orthopaedic Hospital, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Mean/Median Wait time (Days) Hip/Knee Surgery in Croom Orthopaedic Hospital - June 2026

The health system does not collect the data necessary to calculate average wait times. In particular, the time to treatment of patients who have already received their care is not collected. The NTPF collects data on patients currently on the waiting list and the average time that these patients have been waiting is provided here.

In official reporting of hospital waiting times, the median is considered more accurate than the mean because it reflects the midpoint of all patients' wait times, minimizing the impact of exceptionally long or short waits that can distort the average and providing a more representative measure of typical patient experience.