Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 24 Jun 2003

Vol. 569 No. 3

Written Answers. - Medical Staff.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

348 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the way in which the ratio of various therapists to 1,000 of the population here compares with the UK and France; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17821/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

Current information on the number of therapists in the UK or France, and consequently the ratios per 1,000 of the population as compared to this country, is not held by my Department. In the report, Current and Future Supply and Demand Conditions in the Labour Market for Certain Professional Therapists, prepared by Dr. Peter Bacon & Associates and published in July 2001, it is stated that international data on the ratios of therapists to the population are rare. The report also highlighted that definitions and means of measurement differ and consequently reliable measurements are difficult to obtain. However, the report did provide information on the ratio of therapists to population in England and Ireland at that time. This information is as follows:

Number per 100,000population	Physiotherapists	Occupational Therapists	Speech and LanguageTherapists
England	29.7	8.7	9.6
Ireland	35.0	14.9	8.1

The Deputy may wish to note the increase of almost 60% – 800 in wholetime equivalent terms – in the number of physiotherapists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists employed in the public health services since the end of 1999. These very substantial increases in employment levels, together with the increase of 175 – almost 100% – in the number of training places in these disciplines, arising from the implementation of the recommendations of the Bacon report, will continue to contribute to significant gains in population ratios for these therapy professions on an ongoing basis.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

349 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the way in which the ratio of var ious hospital consultants to 1,000 of the population here compares with the UK and France; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17822/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

According to the Comhairle na nOspidéal annual report, there were four consultants per 10,000 population in Ireland in January 2003. A decade ago this ratio was four consultants per 12,000 of the population. It should be noted that these ratios do not reflect the significant variations that may arise between different specialties. As the OECD and WHO statistics do not break down the ratio of consultants to population, my Department, therefore, does not have similar statistics for other European countries.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

350 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the ratio of general practitioners to 1,000 of the population here; the way in which this compares with the UK and France; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17823/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The total number of general practitioners in Ireland is about 2,580, which is 65.9 GPs per 100,000 of the population. The comparable ratio for the UK is 66.80 per 100,000 of the population and, according to the WHO, it is 162 per 100,000 of the population in France.

When comparing figures for Ireland and the UK with European countries, particular care should be given to the definition of a general practitioner as it includes, in many instances, specialists who work in both general practice and hospital settings.

Question No. 351 answered with Question No. 163.