John Connor
Question:84 Mr. Connor asked the Minister for Health the situation regarding the waiting lists for hip replacement surgery in the Western Health Board hospitals; and the improvement, if any, that has taken place during the past year.
Written Answers. - Hip Replacement Surgery.
Hip replacement operations in the Western Health Board area are carried out at Merlin Park Regional Hospital. The waiting list for hip replacements at 20 June 1993 was 220 and this was reduced to 99 by 31 December 1993. 103 additional hip operations were carried out in this period as part of the Waiting List Initiative 1993.
As the Deputy is aware, further funding has been provided in 1994 for a Waiting List Initiative and the Western Health Board has bid for additional funding in 1994 under this initiative. I will be informing agencies which have made bids of the disbursement of funds under the 1994 initiative in the very near future. I would hope that further progress will be made in 1994 in reducing the waiting times for hip replacement operations.