asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he is aware that the Cottage Hospital at Schull, County Cork, has been completed for several months, that it is still unstaffed and unoccupied, that proposals by the West Cork Board of Health and Public Assistance for the adequate staffing of the hospital have not been agreed to by his Department and that a request by the board for a conference with an inspector of his Department on the subject has not been acceded to, or the amended proposals of the board for a suitable staff answered, and if he will state what steps he has taken to end this most unsatisfactory position.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Schull Cottage Hospital.
I am aware that the hospital was completed about July, 1940. In August, 1940, the board of health and public assistance submitted the following staffing proposals:—one medical officer, one head nurse (nun), one day nurse (nun), one lay nurse with midwifery qualifications, one wardsmaid, one cook, one wardsman and general man.
On the 6th November, 1940, the Department suggested that a smaller staff should suffice for a 12 bed hospital. It was contemplated that the duties of the medical officer of the hospital might be entrusted to the dispensary medical officer in consideration of a small addition of, say, £50 to his salary and it was intended to reconsider the whole matter when more definite information would be available as to the nature of the work which would be done in the hospital and the extent of the duties. It was also contemplated that the services of the local dispensary midwife would be availed of, when necessary, to attend maternity cases at a fee per case. All these considerations were set out in the Department's letter of the 6th November, 1940, and it was also intimated that the approved plans for the hospital did not provide accommodation for nuns.
Following consideration of the Department's letter by the board, a request was made on the 20th November, 1940, that one of the Department's inspectors attend the next meeting of the board to discuss the question, but the Department in reply (18th December, 1940) intimated that any further representations which the board might desire to make at that stage might be conveyed to the Department in writing.
The matter was further considered by the board at a meeting on the 20th January, 1941, when they submitted the following amended proposals for staff:—one medical officer (post to be offered to the dispensary doctor at £50 per year), one head nurse (nun), one lay nurse with midwifery qualifications, one wardsmaid, one cook (nun), one wardsman.
Where nuns are employed it is usual to have a community of at least three in the staff. The Department's view is that the Schull Cottage Hospital should not be so elaborately staffed.
It is proposed to send a medical inspector to Schull to discuss the matter with the representatives of the hoard at an early date.
Congratulations.