Vol. 424 No. 9
74 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if, in view of the reply to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 131, 132, 134 and 135 of 3 June 1992 regarding the number of people on outpatient waiting lists and the average waiting times for various specialities in the Cork area, and in view of the fact that the statistics for orthopaedic surgery were not fully available then, he will give the current average waiting time for orthopaedic surgery at Cork Regional Hospital.
I would refer the Deputy to my detailed letter of 6 July 1992 to him in response to the queries raised in his Parliamentary Questions Nos. 131, 132, 134 and 135 to 140 of 3 June 1992. With regard to Parliamentary Question No. 137 concerning orthopaedic outpatient appointments at Cork Regional Hospital, I informed the Deputy of the number of patients on the waiting list and explained that waiting times vary according to each consultant. Patients are given priority in accordance with medical criteria and their position on the waiting list. Should a patient's condition be causing concern, his or her general practitioner would be in the best position to contact the consultant in order to stress the urgency of the case.
