RCSI Hospitals undertaking ‘insourcing endoscopy initiative’

Under this initiative, some patients on the endoscopy waiting list at Beaumont Hospital can have their procedure carried out at other hospitals in the Group, such as Connolly or Cavan General Hospital. Beaumont will also participate in the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) Endoscopy Initiative formally announced this afternoon.

Under the NTPF Endoscopy Waiting List 2016 Initiative, funding of just over €1 million is being ring-fenced to outsource endoscopy procedures for patients currently waiting over 12 months or who would have been waiting over 12 months by the end of this year.

The target is to take 3,000 people off the endoscopy waiting list by the end of 2016.

The initiative has been developed by the Department of Health, NTPF and the HSE.

Speaking today, Minister for Health Simon Harris said the NTPF’s target is that, by the end of the year, no patient will be waiting over 12 months for an endoscopy procedure.

The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to a continued investment of €50 million per year to reduce waiting lists, at least €15 million of which will go to the NTPF in 2017 to address long-waiting.

Minister Harris commented: “In relation to this current waiting list initiative, the NTPF will now work with public hospitals to ensure that the hospitals validate their waiting lists; identify patients who will be continue to be treated by the public hospital; and then identify those patients who will be offered outsourcing of their Endoscopy procedure to a private hospital.”

He added that the Department of Health would regularly engage with the NTPF and HSE to “monitor progress”.