Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 Jun 1996

Vol. 467 No. 1

Written Answers. - Orthopaedic Surgery.

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

153 Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time, from the time of assessment for a hip operation to the provision of this procedure, in each of the health board areas. [12759/96]

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

154 Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the orthopaedic waiting list that are awaiting hip operations in each of the health board areas; and the numbers of these procedures carried out in each health board area in each of the years from 1993 to 1995. [12760/96]

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

155 Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the number of patients who are awaiting assessment for hip operations in each of the health board areas; and the average time in each health board area from application for assessment to the provision of this assessment. [12761/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 153, 154 and 155 together.

My Department does not routinely collect information regarding out-patient waiting times. The average waiting time from the time of assessment for a hip operation to the provision of this procedure varies depending on the health board and the individual consultant. The number of persons on the orthopaedic waiting list that are awaiting hip operations at 31/3/96 and the average length of time spent on that list is as follows:

Agency	Number Waiting	Average Waiting Time
Eastern Health Board	259	9 months
Midland Health Board	107	24 months
Mid-Western Health Board	184	18 months
North-Eastern Health Board	114	6 months
North-Western Health Board	54	6 months
South-Eastern Health Board	91	3 months
Southern Health Board	118	9 months
Western Health Board	314	19 months
Total	1,311

The total number of hip operations carried out in each health board area in each of the years 1993 to 1995 is as follows:—

Agency	1993	1994	1995
Eastern Health Board	1,128	1,124	1,000
Midland Health Board	174	146	147
Mid-Western Health Board	284	172	176
North-Eastern Health Board	272	261	230
North-Western Health Board	323	251	262
South-Eastern Health Board	206	261	295
Southern Health Board	288	211	406
Western Health Board	181	185	188
Total	2,856	2,611	2,704

Orthopaedic surgery is one of the specialties where additional resources have been provided under the waiting list initiative to reduce waiting lists and improve waiting times. The Government has made an additional £7 million available in 1996 to allow work in reducing excessive waiting times to continue and orthopaedic surgery will continue to be a priority area in the allocation of waiting list funding.