A €40 million cut to the National Treatment Purchase Fund is raising concerns about the impact on hospital waiting lists and patient access to treatment.
The NTPF has extended the minimum waiting time for eligibility for outsourced procedures from three months to nine months.
The change means fewer patients may qualify for outsourced treatment at an earlier stage, raising questions about the knock-on impact on service delivery for those already on waiting lists.
The NTPF says its focus is now on prioritising the longest-waiting patients, with the aim of achieving the greatest possible reduction in delays under the Waiting Time Action Plan 2026.
Cllr Gerry McMonagle says it remains unclear if the deduction in the NTPF budget will remain in place indefinitely:
