Patient Treatment Register (PTR)

Data Collection Type
National data collections of health and social care in Ireland
Organisation

The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) in conjunction with the Department of Health.

Year established

2005 (formed)
2006 (rolled out)
2007 (December, in-patient/day-case completed)
2012 (October, outpatient data collection began).

Statement of purpose

To report on the waiting list for both in-patient/day-case and outpatient patients. Provide statistics and trends. Provide basis for treatment commissioned by NTPF.

Data is received from a number of public hospitals. Private hospitals are not included.

Coverage (geographical and temporal)

46 Irish public hospitals report to PTR.

Data Collection: Dec ’07 – Present.

Description/Summary

The Patient Treatment Register (PTR) is a register of surgical and medical patients on in-patient/day-case and outpatient waiting lists in Ireland. It provides up to date information on wait times for in-patient/day-case treatments and outpatient new appointments.

Data users

General Public, Department of Health, TD’s and Ministers, HSE, Hospital Staff, Hospital Group Leads, Clinical Groups, Researchers.

Data content

Patient demographics, procedure codes, hospital, consultant and specialty details.

Data dictionary

Data dictionary available at: www.data.gov.ie

National-level identifier variables

There is no National Health Identifier available, nor do we collect PPSN.

Equity stratifiers

Gender, Date of Birth, Area of Residence are all collected at hospital level, though not published externally from NTPF.

Data collection methodology

When a patient is placed on an in-patient/day-case or outpatient public hospital waiting list their details are submitted by secure encryption by the hospital to the NTPF and placed on the PTR.

Both Inpatient and Outpatient data is collected every week.

Clinical coding scheme

ICD 10–AM for in-patient/day-case. Not yet in place for outpatient data.

Size of national collection

26 million records.

Publication frequency

Reports published monthly on website.

Accessing data

There is on-line access available to waiting times in information by hospital. Monthly reports are produced. Hospitals receive weekly reports.

Open data portal access

Yes – Monthly Publication Data.

Email contact
Telephone contact