asked the Minister for Health the services which will be available in the proposed mini-hospitals at Portlaoise and Mullingar.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Portlaoise and Mullingar Hospitals.
15.
I do not accept that these hospitals should be described as "mini-hospitals". They will be general hospitals as in other areas. At present, as regards Portlaoise and Mullingar hospitals, each has departments of medicine, surgery and obstetrics with one clinical consultant in each department. The planned developments will expand these into two-consultant departments in each case and, in addition, departments of paediatrics and gynaecology will be established in each hospital. The question of providing other specialties, such as acute psychiatry, geriatric assessment, ophthalmology and ENT will be considered. Support services such as radiology, pathology and anaesthetics will continue to be provided and will be expanded as required.
These developments will require a considerable expansion in size of both hospitals, possibly doubling their existing number of beds. They will result in substantial improvements in the range and quality of hospital services available in the health board area.
Will there be an eye, ear and throat surgeon in these hospitals?
Yes. I said the question of providing other specialties, such as ENT, will be considered. There will be a surgeon in either one of the two hospitals, Portlaoise or Mullingar.
Is it the Minister's intention to build extra accommodation?
If it is necessary it will, of course, have to be built.
The Minister is about to close the county hospital in Tullamore and therefore he will have to provide extra accommodation.
There will be extra accommodation in Portlaoise and Mullingar.
How many extra beds will be provided?
In Portlaoise at the moment there are 125 beds. It is visualised that there will be 252 when the hospital is developed. In Mullingar there are 109 beds and they will be increased to approximately 203. These figures are not definite, but they will be there or thereabouts.
Will that be adequate to meet the needs of the region?
Yes. At the moment there are in the county hospitals in Portlaoise and Mullingar a total of 234 beds. The projected number will be 455 between the two hospitals.