The NTPF's Chairman John Horan presented the award to Nenagh hospital's Deirdre Whelan at the NTPF's inaugural symposium, 'Working Together for Patient Treatment'. Picture: Conor McCabe Photography.

Minister congratulates Nenagh hospital on waiting lists

Minister for Health Simon Harris has congratulated staff at St John’s, Ennis, Nenagh and Croom hospitals in meeting exacting standards on data quality for their day case and inpatient waiting lists.

The minister was speaking at the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) Conference in Dublin Castle, where he congratulated teams from 22 hospitals across the country – including four at UL Hospitals Group – in meeting all 23 standards measured under the NTPF’s Data Quality Project.

 

“The Data Quality Project has delivered tangible and sustainable improvements in data completeness, classification and waiting list management processes,” said Minister Harris.

 

“I would like to congratulate the teams at those hospitals for their effort and commitment to improving how waiting lists are managed. I would encourage you all to redouble your efforts, as better waiting list data and management procedures mean that we use hospital resources more effectively and efficiently for the benefit of patients.”

 

Among the standards met by the hospitals who earned NTPF Data Quality Awards were ensuring correct procedure codes were attached; that cancellations and ‘no-shows’ were accurately tracked; that duplication was minimised and that waiting times were accurately captured.

 

John Doyle, Day Case and Inpatient Waiting List Manager, UL Hospitals, commented: “Significant work has been done at UL Hospitals to ensure our day case and inpatient waiting lists are accurate so that best use can be made of our resources and so that patients can come in for their procedure as soon as possible. A steering group was formed at UL Hospitals to examine the quality of our data and this NTPF award for our staff in Ennis, Nenagh, Croom and St John’s is recognition for all their hard work.”

 

In 2016, UL Hospitals was the only hospital group in the country to meet all inpatient and day case waiting list targets as set out in the HSE national service plan.