Right to Information No.: RTI20223-014

Right to Information No.: RTI20223-014

Date of Decision: 26 August 2022

Information Requested

An application made pursuant to the Right to Information Act 2009 (‘the Act’), was received by the Department of Health (“the public authority”) on 28 July 2022 and accepted on 03 August 2022.

The information requested:

1. Current waiting time for patients requiring/seeking breast reconstruction surgery.
2. Number of patients waiting for breast reconstruction surgery

Application Fee

The prescribed application fee was waived in accordance with s16(2)(b) (the applicant is a Member of Parliament acting in connection with his or her official duty) of the Act.

Decision and Statement of Reasons

My decision is to disclose the information.

1. Current waiting time for patients requiring/seeking breast reconstruction surgery.

The patients are grouped on the elective surgery waiting list as ‘Breast Reduction / Reconstruction (non-cosmetic)’. ¹The median waiting time is 493 days as at 31 July 2022

2. Number of patients waiting for breast reconstruction surgery.

As at 31 July 2022 there were 73 patients

¹ This grouping includes reductions, as well as reconstructions. In addition, other people on the waiting list are listed separately for a different procedure, including General Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Mastectomy, Skin Grafts, Breast lesion Excision, may in some instances have breast reconstruction as part of their procedure and are counted separately.