asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that it has become increasingly difficult to obtain a cot in a Dublin hospital for an acutely ill child; if he will state in respect of each hospital with children's cots the number of such and the rate of occupancy; and what steps will be taken to substantially increase the number of children's cots in Dublin hospitals to cater for the increased demand.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Children's Cots in Dublin Hospitals.
178.
I am aware that at times during the winter months the demand for admission of children to Dublin hospitals is liable to rise and so cause difficulty in meeting requests for admission. I do not accept the suggestion in the Deputy's question that the need generally in Dublin for in-patient treatment of children is of such proportions that it is necessary to increase substantially the accommodation for children in the City hospitals. The more reasonable approach to the problem, and it is the one I am pursuing, is to secure more effective use of the diagnostic and treatment facilities which are available, both out-patient and in-patient. The short-stay hospitals generally have been asked to study ways of improving their capability of dealing with the growing demand for consultant care in the light of an analysis of the position which had been made in my Department. In relation specifically to children's accommodation in Dublin a census of long-stay patients was taken in December and it is hoped when the results have been studied, to arrive at a better integrated organisation of the care of such patients with consequential improvement in the availability of accommodation in short-stay acute hospitals. In association with the Irish Medical Association a detailed study is being undertaken shortly of the out-patient service in the Dublin hospitals including the children's hospitals. This should provide the basis for an improvement in the arrangements for out-patient services and contribute to an easement of the demand for in-patient care.
As regards the Deputy's request for information on children's accommodation and occupancy in the different hospitals, I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to circulate the statistics with the Official Report.
Following are the statistics:
DUBLIN GENERAL & MATERNITY HOSPITALS
PERCENTAGE & OCCUPANCY OF CHILDREN'S COTS — (CHILDREN UNDER 12) 1967
|
Bed Comp |
January |
February |
March |
April |
May |
June |
July |
August |
September |
October |
November |
December |
|
|
DUBLIN GENERAL: |
|||||||||||||
|
Adelaide |
14 |
73.7 |
78.1 |
76.1 |
55.1 |
82.6 |
84.5 |
116.3 |
107.1 |
112.1 |
76.6 |
78.3 |
70.7 |
|
Jervis Street |
14 |
90.7 |
100.5 |
91.4 |
87.2 |
74.7 |
91.8 |
103.4 |
106.3 |
81.4 |
55.9 |
95.9 |
73.9 |
|
Sir Patrick Dun's |
16 |
118.5 |
100.0 |
98.4 |
106.5 |
99.6 |
101.3 |
101.3 |
101.1 |
90.4 |
100.0 |
100.9 |
114.1 |
|
Mater |
19 |
60.4 |
81.9 |
65.3 |
60.7 |
60.7 |
61.4 |
72.1 |
72.6 |
85.9 |
69.5 |
53.6 |
59.0 |
|
Meath |
16 |
78.3 |
75.0 |
59.8 |
84.4 |
63.8 |
63.8 |
72.5 |
66.9 |
65.7 |
65.2 |
77.7 |
76.5 |
|
Mercer's |
9 |
60.0 |
55.4 |
56.9 |
67.9 |
68.6 |
49.7 |
57.1 |
30.0 |
40.0 |
66.4 |
71.8 |
52.9 |
|
Baggot Street |
20 |
45.6 |
78.3 |
45.2 |
56.3 |
57.5 |
53.7 |
36.5 |
45.8 |
57.3 |
60.4 |
58.9 |
50.6 |
|
St Laurence's |
27 |
71.4 |
89.8 |
75.4 |
86.7 |
80.2 |
71.7 |
98.0 |
69.8 |
79.8 |
85.1 |
76.5 |
93.9 |
|
St. Vincent's |
3 |
55.9 |
77.4 |
49.5 |
76.2 |
91.7 |
60.6 |
72.6 |
73.8 |
75.2 |
83.3 |
77.4 |
82.5 |
|
Stevens' |
41 |
54.6 |
70.6 |
60.5 |
70.5 |
66.6 |
63.1 |
63.9 |
41.4 |
61.0 |
41.4 |
58.2 |
57.1 |
|
St. Michael's |
14 |
59.7 |
68.4 |
90.2 |
98.9 |
83.4 |
93.9 |
86.7 |
78.1 |
78.1 |
95.4 |
92.6 |
86.2 |
|
MATERNITY: |
|||||||||||||
|
Coombe |
25 |
18.5 |
42.5 |
61.4 |
48.1 |
64.6 |
63.9 |
50.2 |
57.0 |
47.5 |
64.0 |
63.5 |
64.0 |
|
Holles Street |
31 |
123.3 |
143.0 |
123.6 |
113.0 |
112.4 |
125.6 |
113.2 |
80.1 |
69.0 |
85.4 |
75.8 |
93.4 |
|
Rotunda |
51 |
77.9 |
56.0 |
60.3 |
84.0 |
92.7 |
64.6 |
61.3 |
67.6 |
59.9 |
70.1 |
65.5 |
67.3 |
CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS (ALL PATIENTS)
|
Beds |
January |
February |
March |
April |
May |
June |
July |
August |
September |
October |
November |
December |
|
|
Temple Street |
231 |
101.4 |
101.8 |
101.9 |
100.9 |
105.8 |
100.8 |
101.9 |
95.9 |
99.5 |
* |
* |
* |
|
Harcourt Street |
91 |
88.6 |
97.8 |
96.9 |
97.3 |
96.8 |
94.6 |
93.6 |
90.7 |
89.5 |
96.5 |
99.8 |
81.6 |
|
Crumlin |
320 |
91.2 |
92.4 |
91.8 |
94.2 |
94.1 |
92.6 |
93.7 |
88.6 |
95.2 |
97.2 |
99.4 |
83.6 |
|
Teach Ultain |
93 |
77.5 |
81.1 |
80.2 |
78.5 |
78.9 |
73.3 |
79.4 |
79.6 |
78.3 |
86.4 |
94.7 |
85.5 |
*Not available.
DUBLIN HEALTH AUTHORITY HOSPITALS
|
Cost |
Percentage occupancy 1967 |
||||||||||||
|
January |
February |
March |
April |
May |
June |
July |
August |
September |
October |
November |
December |
||
|
St. Kevin's |
50 |
84 |
91 |
67 |
69 |
66 |
78 |
68 |
67 |
72 |
78 |
94 |
96 |
|
St. Columcille's, Loughlinstown |
23 |
47 |
46 |
43 |
39 |
47 |
47 |
72 |
57 |
75 |
66 |
76 |
69 |
|
Cherry Orchard |
151 |
estimated occupancy between 95% and 100% |
|||||||||||
|
Vergemount Fever Hospital |
36 |
do. |
Note: Older children are accommodated in bed accommodation in these hospitals.