Vol. 396 No. 5
17 Mr. Ryan asked the Minister for Health if he will report on a vacancy for a surgeon at the National Eye and Ear Hospital, Dublin 2; and the advice which he would give to patients on the waiting list for tonsillectomy operations, some of whom have been waiting two years.
I would like to inform the Deputy that the remaining vacancy for an ENT surgeon at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital arose because of the unusual pattern of retirements in this specialty over the past few years. Three ENT consultant posts became vacant at the Royal Victoria Hospital over the two year period between 1987 and 1989. Two of these posts are in the process of being filled. The third post has been approved by the Department and will be submitted to Comhairle na nOspidéal in the near future.
I also wish to inform the Deputy that the waiting list for ENT procedures, including tonsillectomy operations, is constantly being monitored by my Department in consultation with the Royal Victoria Hospital. The waiting list for ENT admissions at the Eye and Ear Hospital in 1988 was 1,249. It now stands at 480 patients which indicates a commitment by the hospital and its staff to reducing this waiting list quickly. In keeping with this current trend I expect the ENT waiting list at this hospital to be reduced considerably over the next six to 12 months.
Of the 480 patients remaining on the ENT waiting list approximately 40 are waiting for two years. Any patient who is concerned about their condition should contact his/her general practitioner who will take the matter up with the consultant. I should point out that the admission of any patient is a matter for the consultant in the first instance.
I should like to point out to the Minister that the problem at the hospital is even more severe than he realises. Is he aware that in many cases medical card holders are being advised to go to private consultants at huge expense to themselves? Is he aware that the consultants are not there to look after medical card patients? I can assure the Minister that in one extreme case, which I referred to the Department, a patient who was two years on the waiting list for attention by those consultants was advised to go private? The Minister's reply is a little less than serious.
It is out of touch.
The Minister should be aware of what is happening in the hospital.
I am always concerned when there are people on waiting lists but, as I pointed out in the House on a previous occasion, waiting lists are not new. For example, in the Eye and Ear Hospital in 1986, when the Fine Gael-Labour Coalition were in power, there were 964 people awaiting ear, nose and throat service. At present there are 480. I accept that 480 people on the waiting list are too many. We are dealing with that problem. In fact, out of the £15 million provided last year money was targeted for ear, nose and throat treatment and cataract operations. I should like to tell Deputy Kavanagh that I would be glad to hear of any evidence that people on public waiting lists have been told by consultants that if they pay they will be brought into the hospital sooner. I have stated on many occasions, in the House and outside, that admission to a public hospital bed must be on the basis of need.
I accept that the Minister is concerned about this matter but I should like to assure him that medical card holders are being told that if they go through consultants' private clinics they will obtain immediate treatment. At present medical card holders are being put back for months.
The Deputy is making a statement rather than asking a question.
I will be glad to investigate any complaints reported to me.
Is the Minister aware, arising out of his very complacent reply, that within the last two weeks the board of management of this hospital in their annual report outlined the details of their waiting lists? Is he aware that they expressed alarm that they could not deal with the backlog of cases without a further allocation of money? Is the Minister aware that the board have appealed to him for more funds? Will the Minister consider, with particular reference to child deafness and the need for cataract operations, giving every money to the hospital to enable them to clear the backlog which is one of the worst of all the hospitals in the country?
I have given the figures which are only half what they were when the Deputy's party were in Government.
People who cannot read are awaiting cataract operations but there are no beds available for them.
If the Minister is not given an opportunity to make a reply to the Deputy's question I will move on to the next question. Deputy Yates should desist.
