Vol. 415 No. 3
161 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if she will make a statement in relation to (a) comments made by a person (details supplied) to the Irish Medical News that letters are being received from general practitioners in the Midland Health Board area from hospital clinics about patients who had already died and (b) the allegations that there are administrative problems in many of the health board hospitals.
The provision of hospital services and general practitioner services for eligible patients in this area is a matter for the Midland Health Board in the first instance. I have made inquiries in the matter and it appears that the position is that the general hospital in Tullamore has undergone a major expansion of its services in recent times. No provision was made or a commensurate increase in the secretarial services normally associated with the level of service now being provided. This resulted in the build up of arrears of work in the latter half of last year in the secretarial area, particularly in relation to the letters and notes to which the Deputy's question refers.
I am pleased to say that the Midland Health Board have taken action to remedy the situation in this case by redeploying staff from other areas. The revised arrangments came into being on 6 January 1992 and the position now is that current work is up-to-date and the board expect that arrears which had built up prior to 6 January will be cleared shortly.
