merrion street

• 11% reduction in the numbers waiting longer than 10/12 weeks (Sláintecare targets)
• one-third reduction in those waiting over 12 months
• average waiting time for outpatients reduced to 7.5 months in 2023 from 9.7 months
• 2023 is the second year in row that national hospital waiting lists fell

"One of my highest priorities remains tackling our waiting lists. Today I am able to confirm that 2023 is the second year in a row that waiting lists fell. The core target of achieving a 10% reduction in the number of patients waiting longer than agreed times was exceeded in 2023.

"Significant progress was made during 2023 in reducing the length of time people are waiting for care. We had an 11% reduction in the numbers waiting longer than 10/12 weeks meaning that 57,000 less people are waiting longer than the agreed Sláintecare targets than at the end of 2022. At the end of December 2023, almost 86% of patients were waiting less than the 2023 National Service Plan maximum wait time targets, which represents an improvement of 6.3% since the end of 2022. Without the intervention of the 2023 WLAP, it is estimated that waiting lists would have increased by 54% to almost 1.1 million people."

"While this government recognises that acute hospital scheduled care waiting lists are far too long, and that many patients are waiting an unacceptably long time for care, it is important to acknowledge that significant progress has been made this year, particularly since we moved to a year-round approach to Urgent and Emergency Care in the latter half of last year. A critical metric to measuring progress towards achieving this goal is not the total number of people waiting, but rather the total number of people waiting longer than the Sláintecare times."

"I would like to thank all our healthcare staff who have worked tirelessly to reduce our waiting lists. It is thanks to the huge efforts of all the frontline staff and management that 2023 was the second year in a row that national hospital waiting lists fell. With the 2023 Waiting List Action Plan, my department, the HSE and the NTPF took the next steps in the multi-annual approach towards achieving our vision of a world-class public healthcare system. This work will continue under the 2024 WLAP where everyone has timely and transparent access to high-quality scheduled care, where and when they need it, in line with Sláintecare reforms."

Notes

• the core target of achieving a 10% reduction in the number of patients breaching the Sláintecare waiting times was exceeded, with an 11% reduction achieved. This covers inpatients, day case, outpatients and GI scopes. It equates to 57,000 less people waiting longer than the 10/12 week targets than at the end of 2022
• since the pandemic peaks there has been a 27% reduction in the number of people waiting longer than the Sláintecare targets, which equates to nearly 170,000 people
• there was a 32% reduction in the number of patients waiting longer than one year for appointments/care during 2023. This equates to 54,000 patients
• 2023 is the second year in row that national hospital waiting lists fell
• the 2023 Waiting List Action Plan included a focus on patients waiting the longest (that is, those waiting currently or at risk of waiting over four years). An 85% reduction in patients in this category was achieved in 2023. This equates to more than 29,000 patients. There are now less than 5,300 people outside that target, with the aim of bringing this to zero in 2024
• similarly, the number of patients currently or at risk of waiting over three years was reduced in 2023 by 81%. This equates to 57,000 patients
• the target of removing approximately 1.66 million patients from waiting lists in 2023 was exceeded by 5%, with around 1.74 million patients removed. This equates to an additional 77,000 patients
• over 177,000 more patients were removed from the acute hospital waiting lists last year compared with 2022. This is an 11% increase year on year
• the rate of waiting list additions in 2023 significantly exceeded projections and previous years. Additions for 2023 were 12% (c. 188,000) higher than in 2022 and almost 23% (c. 322,000) higher than in 2019. Almost 130,000 (c. 8%) more patients were added to the waiting lists than was projected last year
• while the core Sláintecare waiting time target was exceeded, the significant increase in additions to the waiting lists impacted on the total waiting list figures, such that our overall waiting lists fell by 3%, versus a 10% targeted reduction
• outpatient (OPD) attendances were nearly 8% (c. 82,000) higher than projected in 2023. In spite of this, the overall OPD waiting list still decreased by 4%. Importantly, the average OPD waiting time reduced from 9.7 months to 7.5 months. This represents a 23% reduction in 2023
• under Budget 2023, €443 million was allocated to help address waiting lists in 2023. Building on progress made in the 2021 and 2022 Waiting List Action Plans (WLAPs). €363 million was provided to the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) through the 2023 WLAP, as the next stage of the multi-annual approach to sustainably reduce and reform hospital waiting lists and waiting times. €80 million was allocated to progress various primary/community care related initiatives