Jim Higgins
Question:59 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be called for a hip replacement operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers - Hip Replacement Operation.
The patient concerned is on the waiting list for assessment at Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar and the Western Health Board has advised that it is not in a position to give an appointment date at this stage. The scheduling of appointments is a matter for the consultant and urgent cases are always given priority. Should the patient concerned feel that his condition has deteriorated he should return to his general practitioner who is in the best position to emphasise the urgency of his case directly to the consultant.
A special allocation of £400,000 was provided in the Western Health Board's 1994 revenue allocation to enable improvement of orthopaedic services at Merlin Park Hospital, Galway. An application for a new consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Merlin Park is being considered in my Department in this context.
The Deputy will be aware that orthopaedic treatment was one of the problem areas targeted under the 1993 waiting list initiative and that an additional 200 orthopaedic procedures, including 103 hip replacement operations, were carried out in the Western Health Board area in 1993. I am pleased to say that the special allocation of £10 million announced in the budget will enable further inroads to be made in these areas. The principal objective will continue to be the elimination of waiting times in excess of 12 months for adults in the problem specialties and six months for children in ENT and ophthalmology.
A detailed review of the 1993 initiative has been undertaken and my Department is discussing the proposed 1994 arrangements with the individual health agencies.