asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the necessity for an increase in the number of radiologists in Wexford County Hospital; if it is his intention to increase the numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wexford County Hospital Radiologists.
4.
Requests for additional consultant medical staff have to be submitted to my Department in the first instance to clear the financial implications of the appointment and then to Comhairle na nOspidéal, which has the statutory responsibility for assessing the medical necessity for the posts.
The South-Eastern Health Board have applied for an additional post of radiologist at the General Hospital, Wexford. Should the board attach a sufficiently high priority to this post and the necessary support staff and submit a precise proposal for its funding by way of transfer of resources of some £80,000 from other areas, I will give it sympathetic consideration.
Is the Minister aware that because of the shortage of both radiologists and radiographers patients must be transferred to Dublin or Waterford from Wexford at an enormous cost to the taxpayer and great inconvenience to the patient? Will he appoint at least two extra staff — a scheme which I believe would be self-financing — to operate fully the ultra-sound equipment installed at Wexford County Hospital which at present is being grossly under-utilised?
There is a consultant radiologist in Wexford full time, but if there is to be another radiologist, it would cost £80,000. The health board will have to decide their priorities in this area. I have not heard from them as to how precisely they propose to fund the second post for the Wexford General Hospital. I await hearing from them in the matter.
Will the Minister accept that it is his responsibility to provide the funding for such extra staff? Is he aware of the stress on the present excellent staff who, because of their caring nature, often forego meal-times to accommodate patients and whose workload has increased substantially since the transfer of the medical unit at Brownswood to Wexford County Hospital and the appointment of an extra surgeon there? Will he immediately appoint two extra staff? I understand that is not asking too much in the circumstances.
The board have pointed out that there has been an increase in the workload in recent years and also an increase in the other consultant staffing requirements in the hospital. They are requesting also a paediatrician for the hospital. Basically, the health board will have to decide their priorities and give an indication to us as to how they propose to fund this post within their current budget.
I am amazed at the Minister's reply to Deputy Byrne's question. First is he aware that the South Eastern Health Board made application to Comhairle na nOspidéal in 1978 for a consultant radiologist post, which was then sanctioned by the comhairle. In the intervening seven years it has not been allowed to go ahead, because the Department of Health have not provided funding. As recently as in the last six months, they received another letter from the Department of Health to say that this post cannot go ahead due to lack of funding. Furthermore, when the Minister says that funding might be found within the board's allocation, in a similar situation when the South-Eastern Health Board offered to do just that, they were told by the Department that any funds they found would have to offset any overrun for that year, that any moneys they saved would have to go to correct the deficit.
That is hypocrisy on the part of the Minister.
That is not hypocrisy. Approval was given in October of 1979 at a time when, with respect to the previous Government, approval was given for just about everything.
Please do not give us that.
It had nothing to do with the previous Government. It was an approval by Comhairle na nOspidéal.
May I point out that when approval was given in 1979, no provision for funds within the Department was made?
The Government are crying on that tune since they got into office. It is about time they got off it.
There is not much point in approval being given by comhairle, which was given in October 1979, when there was no money provided.
That is not what the Minister said a moment ago.
That 1979 approval has now lapsed. The Deputy knows only too well, on a professional basis, that if the health board want to employ a back-up radiologist in that hospital they have to come up front with specific proposals for funding. So far they have not. I look forward to hearing from the health board and as a member of the board itself I am sure that the Deputy takes an active interest in it.
Can I get back to this question of——
We cannot have repetition.
I am not being repetitious. I have asked one question to date. Is the Minister aware that the workload in Wexford County Hospital has doubled since 1975, with in excess of 30,000 examinations in 1984? The recommendation is that there should be something in the region of 12,500 to 15,000 examinations per radiologist. The single-handed radiologist there is doing double the recommended workload. Furthermore, the ultra-sound service, which could now be regarded as a basic facility, cannot be provided in Wexford County Hospital because the Department of Health have refused to fund two sessions of attendance of a radiologist in order that the permanent radiologist could devote himself at some time to ultra-sound. Because the Department have refused to fund those two sessions, we are denied that basic service in the hospital.
I may be excused if I say that I am glad to note that radiologists on a personal basis do some 15,000 examinations, or, indeed, 30,000 for that matter. The position is that I shall treat the application with every sympathy when the health board come up with a specific proposal on the funding. It is pointless for comhairle or anybody else to make proposals when the cost of employing the radiologist, as the Deputy well knows, and the back-up staff who go with him or her, is between £80,000 and £100,000. That is the problem. I shall consider the matter as soon as I get a definite approach from the board.