Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 May 2026
1084. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health what assessment her Department or the HSE has undertaken of the impact of outpatient "did not attend" appointments on waiting list volumes and waiting times; and if she will provide any reports, modelling or analysis in this regard. [34532/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1085. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the proportion of outpatient appointments classified as "did not attend" that are subsequently rebooked; the average time delay introduced to a patient's care pathway as a result; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34533/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1086. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a national policy, framework or target exists in relation to reducing outpatient "did not attend" rates; if so, to outline same; and if not, whether such a policy is under consideration. [34534/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1087. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the measures currently in place to reduce outpatient "did not attend" rates, including SMS reminders, phone confirmation systems, digital check-in, or overbooking policies; and the evidence base or evaluation of their effectiveness. [34535/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1088. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health why outpatient "did not attend" data is not routinely reported on a weekly basis or at individual hospital level, as opposed to aggregated monthly regional reporting; and whether more granular reporting exists within the HSE but is not published. [34536/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1089. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the HSE has undertaken any benchmarking of outpatient "did not attend" rates against comparable EU or OECD health systems; and if so, to provide details of such comparisons. [34537/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1090. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health what governance, oversight or accountability structures are in place within the HSE to monitor outpatient "did not attend" rates; including whether these are reported to senior management, the Department, or the HSE Board. [34538/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1084, 1085, 1086, 1087, 1088, 1089 and 1090 together.
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.
I published the Waiting Time Action Plan (WTAP) for 2026 on January 30th, as part of this Government’s ongoing commitment to improving access to hospital care and reducing waiting times for patients.
Since the commencement of the multi-annual Action Plan approach in September 2021, significant progress has been made in reducing the length of time patients are waiting.
These improvements have been achieved against the backdrop of increased demand for planned care services. Addressing this increased demand, while also working to sustainably reduce waiting times will require the health service to deliver more core activity through improved productivity and efficiencies, ongoing reform and new enabling supports, and through targeted additional capacity.
The 2026 plan recognises the importance of managing “Did Not Attends” (DNAs), which in the context of planned care, is where a patient has been issued with an appointment and fails to attend. The Plan sets out that reducing the rate of DNAs improves efficiencies in the management of planned care and potentially creates additional capacity.
The standardised process for the administrative management of DNAs is set out in Section 7.2 of the OP Waiting List Management Protocol 2022 as published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF).
Under the 2026 Action Plan, there will be a focus on applying DNA management to fully comply with the NTPF waiting list protocol and a specific metric around compliance for outpatient DNA management is being developed in line with the National Service Plan.
The 2026 Plan also sets out that HSE Communications and Access Programme will research and scope a DNA Media campaign in 2026 to increase public awareness of importance of attending their planned appointment.
The Deputy may also wish to note that a number of papers setting out behavioural insights into DNAs have been published by the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES) and are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/collections/health-research-and-statistics-behavioural-insights/
In relation to the particular queries raised relating to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
