Vol. 448 No. 2
55 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for Health the plans, if any, he has to upgrade the access for patients to the Urology Department in St. James's Hospital, Dublin; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a waiting list for surgery of up to 12 months; and if he will consider facilitating St. James' Hospital in re-opening their five-day ward. [1705/95]
Limerick East): I am aware that there has been an increase in the volume of cases being referred to the Urology Department at St. James's Hospital in recent months. With a view to relieving the situation for persons who have been on waiting lists for long periods of time at St. James's Hospital, 13 additional surgical beds were re-opened in the hospital's five-day — Monday to Friday — ward in October 1994. These beds are still accessible to all the different surgical teams, including the urology team, which has priority access to these beds.
The hospital has recently indicated that it intends to target persons on the urology waiting list should special waiting list funds become available to it this year.
