Increased activity and long waiting times in new HSE Performance Report

The August HSE Performance Report was published today and points to increased activity levels.

While scheduled inpatient admissions and outpatient attendances were ahead of target there were long waiting times for scheduled or elective procedures.

“However, despite the increased activity and better performance, we are acutely aware of the challenges we face,” the Minister for Health Leo Varadkar said in a statement today.

“For example, the August Performance Report points to continued issues with long waiting times for scheduled or elective procedures, and financial penalties have been identified for those Hospital Groups who have the most patients waiting in excess of 18 months. This is on top of the €51 million allocated to hospitals to tackle waiting times.

“The scale of the challenge was acknowledged as part of the Budget for next year where a sizeable portion of the almost €900 million allocated for health in 2016 will be required to address the ever-growing demand for health services.”

The Minister added that the proportion of all ED attendances who were discharged or admitted within six or nine hours of registration has increased slightly on the year to July. And while the August figure for delayed discharges was 577, a slight increase on July, the latest figures from 20 October show delayed discharges at 542, “currently at their lowest point for many years,” the Minister said.