Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 24 Jan 1995

Vol. 447 No. 11

Adjournment Debate. - Cork University Hospital.

Mr. B. O'Keeffe

Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to highlight this matter. I welcome the Minister of State to the House and congratulate him on his reappointment.

It was brought to my attention that over the past week approximately 45 people had elective surgery postponed at Cork University Hospital. Many people summoned to the hospital were told at the drop of a hat, "sorry, these arrangements have to be cancelled" and were given no definite rescheduling date. I am sure the Minister of State understands the arrangements that have to be made by parents to leave their children cared for and to take time off work. Such arrangements are very difficult to make. Moreover, I wish to point out to the Minister the stress and trauma felt by people about to undergo elective surgery and they will now have to go through that trauma again. Should they have to do that? Could it not be avoided?

I wish to draw to your attention that over the weekend we had in Cork University Hospital the spectacle of many patients being catered for on trolleys in corridors and wards. The Minister will agree that this leaves much to be desired in this day and age. Irrespective of the emergency services provided and the remedial action taken by the hospital staff, whom I commend for looking after their patients in a caring manner, this situation could have been anticipated. This level of overcrowding occurred in last October-November. If the Minister reviews the records for previous years he will find that overcrowding occurs in the winter. It is fair to suggest that the Department should have anticipated the problem and put in place emergency procedures to redress a recurring problem.

I am concerned that public patients in this instance were inconvenienced and, as on many other occasions, private patients were not affected. That leaves a sour taste. It is something you and I wish would not happen. How can we address this? How will the Minister ensure that additional resources are made available so that a similar crisis will not recur. This would alleviate stress not only for patients but for the staff who have to deal with the crisis on an ongoing basis.

Mr. O'Shea

On behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Michael Noonan, I thank Deputy O'Keeffe for raising this matter and for presenting an opportunity to clarify the situation in relation to the rescheduling of elective admissions at Cork Regional Hospital. In doing so, I am sure the Deputy will be aware that the provision of services at Cork University Hospital is a matter for the Southern Health Board in the first instance.

The workload of many hospitals has increased since Christmas owing to an increase in the number of people, many of them elderly, requiring admission to hospital because of respiratory and other seasonal complaints. Such an increase in activity is consistent with the general pattern for this time of year. As a result of this additional workload there has been pressure on medical wards in particular and some delays in accident and emergency departments.

The Southern Health Board informed the Minister that there has been considerable pressure on beds at Cork University Hospital during the past number of days due to an influx of emergency admissions, mostly in the medical area.

As a result, the hospital authorities were obliged to temporarily convert a five-day ward to a seven-day ward in order to cater for this increased demand for beds. Consequently, ten elective admissions planned for today and 12 admissions for tomorrow have been rescheduled. Therefore, ten patients have been affected today and not 45, as the Deputy suggests. The Minister has been informed by the authorities at Cork University Hospital that this decision has been made on the basis of clinical advice. It is understood that these were not urgent cases and in general had not been on the waiting list for a significant period.

I assure the Deputy that all urgent and emergency cases at Cork University Hospital continue to be treated. Furthermore, every effort is being made to ensure that the patients affected receive new admission dates as soon as possible.

The Deputy will wish to know that the position in relation to elective admissions is being reviewed on an hourly basis by the hospital authorities who are confident that the delivery of service at the hospital will revert to normal in the immediate future.