National Outpatient (OP) Waiting List Management Protocol (2022) 
The protocol is intended to provide guidance to staff working in the area of outpatient waiting list management and its aim is to ensure that there is a consistent and standardised user-friendly approach to the active management and scheduling of patients on OP waiting lists within each public hospital and across hospital groups. This protocol is a refresh of the waiting list management component of ‘The Management of Outpatient Services 2.1, OSPIP 2014’ and incorporates recent changes in Outpatient (OP) Waiting List Management.

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View National Outpatient (OP) Waiting List Minimum Data Set (2022) >>

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) 
The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) provide answers to a list of questions raised during the Training and Development Programme, to support the rollout of the National Outpatient Waiting List Management Protocol 2022.

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Outpatient (OP) Waiting List Management Protocol

This programme aims to ensure learners understand the importance of adhering to the National Outpatient Waiting List Management Protocol 2022 and the positive impact that standardised waiting list management can have on patient journeys and outcomes.

Search words for whole programme:
Outpatient, OP, Protocol, waiting list management, NTPF, National Treatment Purchase Fund, HSE, DNA, CNA, HCAN, Suspension, new patient, return patient, adding a patient to a waiting list, wait time clock, validation, removing a patient from the waiting list, reinstatement.

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Successful Implementation of a Waiting List Reform 
A detailed case study of CHI Hospital Group’s approach to the implementation of the National Outpatient Waiting List Management Protocol 2022, as well as their internal Training & Development Programme.



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OP Protocol 2022 - T&D Part 1

• Section 1 -Introduction 00:00:00

• Section 2 - Fundamentals of Administrative Waiting List Management 00:02:54

• Section 3 - Audit & Quality Assurance 00:04:06

• Section 4 - Management of Outpatient Referrals 00:04:58

• Section 5 - Clinical Prioritisation (Triage) Process 00:21:23

OP Protocol 2022 - T&D Part 2

• Section 7 - Scheduling and Management of Outpatient Waiting Lists 00:00:00

o Scheduling an Outpatient Appointment 00:00:33

o Patient Did Not Attend (DNA) 00:07:24

o Patient Cancellation (CNA) 00:16:45

o Cancelling and Rescheduling an Outpatient Appointment 00:18:28

o Contacting Patients Idendified as Urgent and/or High Clinical and/or Social Needs who DNA or CNA 00:19:56

o Hospital Cancellation (HCAN) 00:21:00

OP Protocol 2022 - T&D Part 3

• Section 8 - Validation Process 00:00:00

• Section 9 - Insourcing and Outsourcing Initiatives 00:04:20

• Section 10 - Removing a Patient from an OP Waiting List 00:12:23

• Section 11 - COVID-19 Related Guidance 00:19:32

• Summary & Recap 00:20:01

• What's Next for 2022 00:23:53

• Reform Team Contact Details 00:25:23