Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 May 2026
779. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health her assessment of the reasons for the increase in outpatient waiting times in most hospitals since the start of 2025; the main factors contributing to the increase; the actions being taken to address the increase; the targets in place for the end of 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36463/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt 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.
The multi-annual Action Plan approach was implemented in September 2021 to sustainably reduce and reform hospital waiting lists and waiting times. Significant progress has been made under this approach in reducing the length of time patients are waiting.
Notwithstanding the longer-term improvements achieved, waiting lists more recently have been impacted by the ongoing trend of higher demand and increased referrals, which has offset the significantly increased levels of activity that are being delivered in acute hospitals. Scheduled care demand has grown significantly over recent years, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and demographic expectations.
The HSE has attributed the increases in waiting list additions to both demographic factors (e.g. population growth, aging population), and non-demographic challenges (e.g. increased awareness of services, new service developments, chronic disease & pent-up demand post COVID).
Waiting list performance in 2026 to date has also been impacted by the anticipated multi-annual trend arising from the winter surge in demand for unscheduled and emergency care.
The WTAP sets out six overarching and interconnected targets, which will be achieved through the delivery of 36 actions under the themes of “Reforming Planned Care”, “Enabling Planned Care” and “Capacity Optimisation”.
The targets are:
• Sláintecare Wait Time Targets: 50% of patients to be waiting less than the Sláintecare wait time targets of 10 weeks for OPD appointments and 12 weeks for IPDC procedures; and 65% of patients to be waiting less than the Sláintecare wait time target of 12 weeks for GI Scopes.
• Weighted Average Wait Time: Reducing the weighted average wait time to < 5.5 months for OPD and IPDC and to < 3.5 months for GI Scopes.
• Patients waiting less than 12 months: 90% of patients to be waiting less than 12 months for first access to OPD services.
• OPD New to Return Ratio: To achieve an OPD new to return ratio of 1:2.0.
• Chronological Scheduling: To have 85% of routine elective appointments/procedures chronologically scheduled.
• Elective surgery same day of admission: 83% of inpatients to have their principal elective procedure conducted on day of admission.
The Department will continue to work to improve waiting list performance through ongoing engagement with the HSE and the NTPF. This will include engagement through the Waiting Time Task Force, which is responsible for the governance and implementation of WTAP 2026.
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.
