Press release
Minister for Health welcomes the publication of three research papers in the ‘Acute Hospital Waiting Lists and Times’ series
From Department of Health
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Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly welcomed the publication of three Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES) research papers as part of the ‘Acute Hospital Waiting Lists and Times’ series to improve the evidence base for policy decision making.
The aim of this series is to further inform discussions on structural causes of, and solutions to, acute hospital waiting lists in Ireland.
- the first paper examines the determining factors of when the number of patients referred for elective care (the inflow) is greater than the number of patients assessed or treated and removed from the list (the outflow) and how Ireland compares internationally on these determinants
- the second paper examines the range of interventions used internationally to try to reduce waiting lists/times and summarises conclusions from four previous literature reviews on the effectiveness of these interventions across Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries
- the third paper examines how Ireland compares internationally on wait times and analyses trends in waiting lists and long waits in Ireland. (The analyses includes the pre- COVID-19 pandemic period of 2014 to 2019 and the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic to end 2021)
The full research papers are available below:
Acute Hospital Waiting Lists and Times - International Comparison of Determinants of Inflows and Outflows
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Acute Hospital Waiting Lists and Times - An Umbrella Review on the Effectiveness of Interventions to Reduce Waiting Lists and Times for Elective Care
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Acute Hospital Waiting Lists and Times - International Comparisons and Trends in Ireland to end 2021
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Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly welcomed the publications saying:
"Reducing waiting lists and times is a key priority for me and for this government. Publication of the ‘Acute Hospital Waiting Lists and Times’ research papers follows the launch of the 2023 Waiting List Action Plan which sets out the government’s ongoing work to continue to address waiting lists this year. Activity funded under the 2023 Plan, that commenced in January, continues the work initiated in the 2021 and 2022 Action Plans. In 2023, €443 million has been allocated in the Budget to continue this work. These research papers help to develop an understanding of how Ireland compares internationally as well as trends in waiting lists and times in Ireland to end 2021. I welcome these papers as part of the expanding evidence base to support policy making in this area."
Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES) papers are produced by staff in the Research Services and Policy Unit, Research, Development, and Health Analytics Division, Department of Health.
- public health systems prioritise access to specialised healthcare based on need, and not on ability to pay, and because of capacity constraints waiting lists for elective care occur
- reducing waiting lists and times are a priority for Government, a central focus of the Sláintecare Reform Programme, and of increased policy focus. In addition, the level of government funding provided to tackle this area has increased in recent years
To inform discussions on structural causes of and solutions to waiting lists by answering the questions:
How does Ireland compare internationally on determinants of waiting lists inflows and outflows?
- what interventions are used internationally to try to reduce waiting lists for elective care?
- what is the international evidence on the effectiveness of interventions on waiting lists and times?
- how does Ireland perform on hospital waiting lists relative to other countries?
- what have the trends in hospital waiting lists in Ireland been to end 2021? Baseline pre 2022 Waiting List Action Plan (WLAP)