asked the Minister for Health the number of people who have been sent abroad for medical treatment in each of the past two years; and the reason and cost involved in each case.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Medical Treatment Abroad.
In 1987 the total number of cases referred abroad in accordance with the agreed criteria for such referrals was 102 at a total cost of £505,797. In 1988 the number of cases referred abroad was 114 and the total cost was £668,170. I should point out that the costs quoted in many cases are estimated as the final bills have not yet been received.
The information on the individual cases is set out in tabular form which I propose to circulate in the Official Report. If there is any particular aspect of this matter on which the Deputy requires information I will be glad to supply it to him.
1987
Health Board |
No. |
Reason |
Cost |
£ |
|||
Mid-Western |
1 |
Orthopaedic Treatment |
2,000 |
1 |
Cranio-facial assessment |
300 |
|
1 |
Interferon Treatment |
20,000 |
|
1 |
Ophthalmic Treatment |
100 |
|
1 |
Neurology Treatment |
7,500 |
|
1 |
Brain Tumor Treatment |
1,500 |
|
1 |
Orthopaedic Treatment |
4,700 |
|
7 |
Total |
36,100 |
|
Midland |
1 |
Stereotactic Radiosurgery |
2,000 |
1 |
Corrective Cardiac Surgery |
20,000 |
|
2 |
Total |
22,000 |
|
South-Eastern |
1 |
Ophthalmic Treatment |
1,500 |
1 |
Neurosurgery |
3,000 |
|
6 |
Irradiation Treatment @ £2,000 each |
12,000 |
|
8 |
Total |
16,500 |
|
North-Eastern |
1 |
Parkinson's Tremor Patient |
30,000 |
2 |
Luekaemia Treatment @ £10,000 each |
20,000 |
|
3 |
Total |
50,000 |
|
North-Western |
1 |
Heart Lung Transplant |
20,000 |
1 |
Irradiation Treatment |
2,000 |
|
1 |
Carcinoma of Tyroid |
n.a. |
|
1 |
Retina Blastoma |
n.a. |
|
1 |
Irradiation Treatment |
2,000 |
|
1 |
Retina Blastoma |
427 |
|
1 |
Severe facial deformity |
7,200 |
|
1 |
Orthopaedic Treatment |
4,500 |
|
1 |
Liver Transplant Assessment |
5,000 |
|
1 |
Axenfeldts Syndrome |
1,500 |
|
1 |
Heart Lung Transplant |
n.a. |
|
11 |
Total |
42,627 |
|
Eastern |
1 |
Fibrosis of the Lung |
9,500 |
1 |
Fibrosis of the Lung |
7,250 |
|
1 |
Osteopetrosis |
32,300 |
|
2 |
Distal Phocomelia @ £1,700 each |
3,400 |
|
1 |
Leukaemia |
350 |
|
1 |
Ophthalmic Treatment |
240 |
|
1 |
Spine Treatment |
1,400 |
|
1 |
Cardiac Treatment |
1,900 |
|
1 |
Ophthalmic Treatment |
2,350 |
|
1 |
Congenital Hypoparathyroidism |
5,600 |
|
1 |
Dermatology Treatment |
100 |
|
1 |
Cardiac Treatment |
18,000 |
|
1 |
Cancer Treatment |
4,700 |
|
1 |
Bi-lateral Wiles tumor |
11,600 |
|
1 |
Ophthalmic Treatment |
390 |
|
1 |
Aperts Syndrome |
20 |
|
1 |
Respiratory Treatment |
3,100 |
|
1 |
Severe combined immune deficiency |
15,000 |
|
1 |
E.N.T. Treatment |
200 |
|
1 |
Bladder Extrophy |
10,300 |
|
1 |
Facial Angioma |
400 |
|
1 |
Cancer |
4,000 |
|
1 |
Leukaemia |
60 |
|
1 |
Osteogensis Imperfecta |
600 |
|
1 |
Cardiac Treatment |
4,200 |
|
1 |
Juvenile Arthritis |
250 |
|
1 |
Complex Vascular Lesion |
5,500 |
|
1 |
Severe Pancreatic Condition |
120 |
|
1 |
Congenital Blackfan Diamond |
200 |
|
Syndrome |
|||
1 |
Hypertelorism |
200 |
|
1 |
Dermatology Treatment |
3,800 |
|
1 |
Onochocercal Filariasis |
1,300 |
|
1 |
Neurology Treatment |
500 |
|
1 |
Dermatology Treatment |
2,800 |
|
1 |
Lymphatic Problem |
3,500 |
|
1 |
Alpha—1—anti Trypsin deficiency |
1,000 |
|
1 |
Facial Angioma |
120 |
|
1 |
Facial Angioma |
nil |
|
1 |
Heart Lung Transplant Assessment |
nil |
|
1 |
Osteoarthritis |
5,300 |
|
1 |
Otosclerosis |
n.a. |
|
1 |
Ophthalmic Treatment |
250 |
|
1 |
Neurology Treatment |
24,350 |
|
1 |
Spastic paraplegia |
4,500 |
|
1 |
Neurology Treatment |
2,000 |
|
1 |
Osteopetrosis |
50,000 |
|
1 |
Substance abuse and associated ner- |
2,500 |
|
vous symptoms |
|||
1 |
Osteopetrosis |
850 |
|
49 |
Total |
246,000 |
1988
Health Board |
No. |
Reason |
Cost |
Southern |
1 |
Angiofibroma |
1,000 |
1 |
Brain Tumour |
1,300 |
|
1 |
Malabsorption Syndrome |
n.a. |
|
1 |
Liver Transplant Assessment |
400 |
|
3 |
Hepatic Disease |
n.a. |
|
1 |
Spinal Operation |
7,000 |
|
1 |
Lithotripsy |
2,500 |
|
1 |
Ollier's Disease |
5,300 |
|
1 |
Wilson's Disease |
870 |
|
1 |
Rentinal Detachment |
100 |
|
1 |
Eye prothesis |
100 |
|
1 |
Tumour of Spinal Cord |
n.a. |
|
14 |
Total |
18,570 |
|
Western |
5 |
Bone Marrow Transplants |
Individual |
1 |
Cerebral Tumour |
costings |
|
1 |
Blocked Lymphatatics |
not |
|
1 |
Hypertrolism |
available |
|
8 |
Total |
74,000 |
|
North Eastern |
1 |
Gaucher's Disease Treastment |
10,000 |
1 |
Leukaemia Treatment |
24,000 |
|
1 |
Malignant Hemangiopericytie |
||
Menigiana |
20,000 |
||
1 |
Liver Transplant |
30,000 |
|
1 |
Heart Lung Transplant |
40,000 |
|
1 |
Extensive Pulmonary Fibrosis |
10,000 |
|
1 |
Heart Transplant Assessment |
10,000 |
|
Total |
144,000 |
||
North Western |
1 |
Severe deformity of Mandible |
20,000 |
1 |
Bone Marrow Transplant |
15,000 |
|
1 |
Bone Marrow Transplant |
24,000 |
|
2 |
Cranio-facial Surgery |
n.a. |
|
1 |
Arthritic Treatment |
500 |
|
1 |
Chronic Myloid Leukaemia |
||
Assessment |
200 |
||
1 |
Paralysis |
1,200 |
|
8 |
Total |
60,900 |
|
Mid Western |
1 |
Orthopaedic (Follow-up) Treatment |
1,700 |
1 |
Cranio-facial Treatment |
10,500 |
|
1 |
Orthopaedic Treatment |
10,900 |
|
1 |
Orthopaedic Treatment |
3,500 |
|
1 |
Liver Transplant Assessment |
6,000 |
|
1 |
Respiratory Treatment |
1,000 |
|
1 |
Orthopaedic Treatment |
8,900 |
|
7 |
Total |
42,500 |
|
Midland |
1 |
Bone Marrow Transplants |
9,500 |
1 |
Diagnostic Assessment |
3,000 |
|
1 |
Heart/Lung Transplant |
n.a. |
|
3 |
Total |
12,500 |
|
South Eastern |
1 |
Ophthalmic Treatment |
800 |
1 |
Neurosurgery |
2,500 |
|
1 |
Radiation Treatment |
2,000 |
|
1 |
Ophthalmic Treatment |
2,000 |
|
4 |
Total |
7,300 |
|
Eastern |
2 |
Fibrosis of the Lung @ £1,000 |
2,000 |
1 |
Osteopetrosis |
8,000 |
|
1 |
Distal Phocomelia |
3,000 |
|
1 |
Ophthalmic Treatment |
20,000 |
|
1 |
Leukaemia Treatment |
100 |
|
1 |
Ophthalmic Treatment |
250 |
|
1 |
Osteopetrosis |
3,000 |
|
1 |
Spinal Treatment |
1,000 |
|
1 |
not available |
100 |
|
1 |
Juvenile Arthritis |
300 |
|
1 |
Cardiac Treatment |
850 |
|
1 |
Klippel Fell Syndrome |
50 |
|
1 |
Intractable Diplopia |
250 |
|
1 |
Facial Angioma |
nil |
|
1 |
Cancer Treatment |
7,800 |
|
1 |
Dermatology Treatment |
50 |
|
1 |
Cardiac Treatment |
9,850 |
|
1 |
Distal Phocomelia |
6,500 |
|
1 |
Cancer Treatment |
29,750 |
|
1 |
Ophthalmic Treatment |
450 |
|
1 |
Heart Lung Transplant Assessment |
nil |
|
1 |
Severe combined immune deficiency |
1,750 |
|
1 |
Bladder extrophy |
2,350 |
|
1 |
Heart Lung Transplant Assessment |
nil |
|
1 |
Facial Angioma |
400 |
|
1 |
Cystic Fibrosis |
1,850 |
|
1 |
Leukaemia Treatment |
2,400 |
|
1 |
Facial Angioma |
50 |
|
1 |
Cardiac Treatment |
6,650 |
|
1 |
Bone Marrow Transplant Assessment |
nil |
|
1 |
Cancer Treatment |
6,000 |
|
1 |
Cranio-facial Treatment |
200 |
|
2 |
Severe Confined Immune Deficiency |
||
@ £350 |
700 |
||
1 |
Ebsteins Anomoly |
700 |
|
1 |
Hepatic Treatment |
4,750 |
|
1 |
Cystic Fibrosis |
1,800 |
|
1 |
Leukaemia Treatment |
50 |
|
1 |
Disseminated Neuroblastoma |
5,000 |
|
1 |
Ophthalmic Treatment |
3,000 |
|
1 |
Neurology Treatment |
9,350 |
|
1 |
Severe Pelvic Endmetriasis |
1,200 |
|
1 |
Complex Vascular Lesion |
100 |
|
1 |
Severe Pancreatic Condition |
250 |
|
1 |
Bone Marrow Transplant |
28,500 |
|
1 |
Cancer Treatment |
3,600 |
|
1 |
Spinal Treatment |
50 |
|
1 |
Dermatology Treatment |
4,500 |
|
1 |
Leukaemia Treatment |
3,000 |
|
1 |
Bone Marrow Transplant |
28,500 |
|
1 |
Cystic Fibrosis |
4,500 |
|
1 |
Dermatology Treatment |
1,100 |
|
1 |
Cystic Bronchiectasis |
2,350 |
|
1 |
Onchoceical Filariasis |
400 |
|
1 |
Opthalmic Treatment |
2,200 |
|
1 |
Melanoma |
1,200 |
|
1 |
Cardiac Treatment |
1,500 |
|
1 |
Ophthalmic Treatment |
4,750 |
|
1 |
Lymphoedema |
9,100 |
|
1 |
Genesis of Frontal Bone |
7,200 |
|
1 |
Cleft Palate Treatment |
150 |
|
1 |
Neurology Treatment |
2,000 |
|
1 |
Hepatic Treatment |
12,500 |
|
1 |
Malignant Meningioma |
3,800 |
|
1 |
Substance Abuse and Associated |
||
Nervous Symptoms |
3,500 |
||
66 |
Total |
266,250 |
|
Western |
11 |
Bone Marrow Transplants |
Individual |
1 |
Placement of Artificial Sphincter |
costings |
|
1 |
Cerebral Tumour |
not |
|
1 |
Muscular Distrophy |
available |
|
1 |
Severe Bicoronal Syntonotis |
||
15 |
Total |
124,500 |
|
Southern |
1 |
Hepatic Treatment |
n.a. |
1 |
Child with Chronic Arthritis |
n.a. |
|
1 |
Fractured Skull and loss of jaw |
||
function |
600 |
||
1 |
Naso pharyngeal Angiofibroma |
9,620 |
|
4 |
Total |
10,220 |
Can I ask the Minister if people are still being sent abroad for bone marrow transplants and, if so, when will he open the new hospital facilities at St. James's Hospital so that these transplants can be carried out in this country? We have the staff but we do not have the facilities because the Minister is leaving the hospital lying idle. When is the Minister going to open the £130 million worth of hospitals that have been lying idle in this country for up to two years, so that people will not have to be sent abroad?
The Deputy is raising specific matters worthy of separate questions.
A small number of patients have been transferred for bone marrow transplant. Work on St. James's Hospital is on target. The hospital must be fully and properly equipped before it is opened. Last year I provided £10 million for X-ray equipment alone and this year I have provided funding to ensure that the hospital is fully equipped.
On the question of bone marrow transplants in children, I am glad to say agreement has been reached between myself and my colleague, Richard Needham, the Minister in Belfast so that in future, total body irradiation of many children will be carried out in Belfast rather than having to send them to Glasgow as is the case at present.