Treatment Fund and hospital waiting lists

THE CEO of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), Pat O’Byrne, is reported as stating that the NTPF did not manage hospital waiting lists — that was a matter for the hospitals and the consultants (Irish Examiner, June 22).

I would refer Mr O’Byrne to page three of his own report, The Patient Treatment Register, which the NTPF launched last April: “The National Treatment Purchase Fund has statutory responsibility for the collation, management and publication of waiting list data from hospitals”.

It goes on to state “the guidelines developed by the NTPF are designed to ensure that all cases are placed on the waiting list and are tracked to the end”.