asked the Minister for Health if he will consider arranging for hospital out-patient department specialist facilities to be made available outside normal working hours, in order to facilitate the working public.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hospital Out-Patient Facilities
5.
The making of such arrangements would be primarily a matter for the hospital authorities concerned.
As far as I can understand, however, there does not appear to be any general demand for the facilities referred to by the Deputy.
Is the Minister aware that this suggestion among others, was made recently by the matron of a large general hospital in Dublin on the basis that many people who have to attend at out-patient departments now have to take a full day off work in order to attend? A great number of man-days are lost every year quite needlessly because of the need to attend in the morning at out-patient departments. Would the Minister consider from the point of view of the general economy as well as the health services that this arrangement should be introduced? Did the Minister say no?
The Ceann Comhairle is rushing me to go ahead with my answers. If I were to answer that in full it would take me some time. The short answer is what I have said in the reply. As far as I can understand, there does not appear to be any general demand for those facilities at present.
The Minister should ask people who have to wait hours in the waiting rooms of public hospitals.