Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, has published the Waiting Time Action Plan (WTAP) 2026 which identifies digital capability as a key enabler to reduce wait times.

The plan sets six national targets and 36 actions including changes to referral management, scheduling practices and performance monitoring.

Targets include having 90 per cent of patients waiting less than 12 months for a first outpatient appointment, reducing the average weighted waiting times for diagnostics and gastrointestinal scopes, and increasing the number of same-day admissions for elective surgery.

Minister Carroll MacNeill said: “This Action Plan sets out a clear roadmap to improve access and reduce waits right across our health service.

“It builds on progress already made, but it is backed by a stronger focus on performance and delivery, with an unrelenting emphasis on getting patients seen sooner.”

Implementation will be overseen by a waiting list taskforce involving the Department and the Health Service Executive, with progress tracked against national performance indicators.

The plan says “During 2026, the HSE will continue to develop capability across a range of digital solutions including the HSE Patient App, National Patient Administration Solution, Healthlink, and Robotic Process Automation and Telemedicine approaches will be upgraded.”