€1m plan could benefit 3,000 on waiting lists

The Government has launched yet another initiative to tackle endoscopy waiting lists as figures show that almost half of the 19,850 people awaiting the diagnostic test are not being seen within the target time of 13 weeks for routine cases.

Yesterday Health Minister Simon Harris launched the National Treatment Purchase Fund’s (NTPF) €1m endoscopy waiting list 2016 initiative to outsource endoscopy procedures for patients currently waiting more than 12 months, or who would have been waiting over 12 months by the end of this year.

An endoscopy involves a flexible fiberoptic endoscope with a tiny camera attached being passed into the esophagus, stomach, and upper small intestine, allowing the doctor so see the inside lining of the digestive tract.