asked the Minister for Health if he will elaborate on his recent statement that he intends to open a part of Beaumont Hospital in December, 1986.
44.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Beaumont Hospital.
30.
asked the Minister for Health the reason he intends to open only a small part of Beaumont Hospital in December; if he has now completed negotiations with the representatives of the various staff who will be transferred to Beaumont; the date on which it is proposed to open the out-patient department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to answer Questions Nos. 30 and 44 together. The modern purpose built facilities at Beaumont have been unused for some time. During that period patients and hospital staff have had to endure a service provided in old and unsuitable accommodation at St. Laurence's Hospital and Jervis Street Hospital. To alleviate some of this inconvenience it is intended to provide out-patient services on a limited basis at Beaumont Hospital by the end of the year. The Medical Board at St. Laurence's Hospital have agreed to transfer some of the out-patient clinics presently held at St. Laurence's to Beaumont. The management of the hospital are examining the situation with a view to identifying which clinics could be transferred to Beaumont. The Beaumont Hospital Board are to request the Board of Jervis Street Hospital to undertake a similar exercise at that hospital.
Negotiations with the trade unions representing staff transferring to Beaumont have been taking place since early this year and are continuing.
Has the Minister completed any negotiations with any of the staff who will be moving out to Beaumont? Does he seriously expect that patients will go to Beaumont Hospital for their outpatient treatment and then come back into St. Laurence's Hospital for X-rays, blood tests and everything else? Does he not think this is ludicrous and that it would be much better to continue planning to open the hospital at the earliest possible time as a proper major teaching hospital for the north city?
I will draw an analogy which might be welcomed by the Deputy. The private hospital in Blackrock ran its outpatient's facilities for a substantial length of time——
The Minister was always complaining about it.
——before the hospital opened. As the Deputy well knows as a member of the medical profession, only a fraction, probably not more than 5 or 6 per cent, of those who present themselves at outpatient clinics require acute admission and those who do would be immediately transferred to the acute hospitals. There is no problem and I wish to thank the board of St. Laurence's and the consultant staff in Jervis Street for their co-operation on the other issue, which was that of the consulting rooms. That matter has been resolved. I am quite hopeful that we will get Beaumont Hospital running and that other facilities such as the dialysis done in St. Mary's Hospital and the pathology work from the Richmond and several other facilities will be transferred. At the moment Beaumont Hospital has a staff of 37 people employed and a good secretary manager. We can bring over library and X-ray facilities from the Royal College, open the hospital and appoint a new board in January.
It could have been done two years ago. Judging by the Minister's analogy of the problem, he has no concept——
That is not a question, Deputy.
——of what it means to some of the very poorest people to have to go to Beaumont for their outpatient appointments and then come into St. Laurence's Hospital and the Richmond Hospital for their X-rays.
That is not so.
He thinks their case is exactly the same as that of people going out to the Blackrock Clinic where charges are exorbitant and where patients are able to drive around in their cars.
That is not a question, Deputy. A question, please.
I am asking the Minister to open Beaumont Hospital as a major teaching hospital. He has told us that he has not completed any negotiations with any group of people who are going out there.
I have.
The only negotiations that were completed were wrecked by the Minister and that is why the hospital has not been opened.
I cannot accept that at all. I have been extremely successful with substantial co-operation on the opening of the hospital. For example, we have now reached agreement with the Eastern Health Board and the psychiatric consultant staff of both Jervis Street and the Richmond hospitals. There has been full agreement on the new psychiatric appointments for the board which will enable us to open 44 psychiatric beds in Beaument in the near future. These posts have now been advertised.
Question Time is now concluded. We must move to the next item.
As the Deputy well knows regarding outpatients and other patients——
I must move on, Minister.