Brian Cowen
Question:96 Mr. Cowen asked the Minister for Health the rate of increase in the number of medical procedures performed by hospital consultants over the past six years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5577/97]
Written Answers. - Medical Procedures.
Limerick East): The growth in procedures performed by hospital consultants and non-consultant hospital doctors is against a background of increased admissions with shorter lengths of stay, and significant growth in day cases.
Statistics on inpatient and day case admissions are collected by the Hospital Inpatient Inquiry System [HIPI] which includes statistics on the procedures performed on patients. Most procedures recorded are surgical in nature. Minor procedures may not be recorded and the lesser medical procedures and non-operative procedures are not recorded.
Most day case admissions involve a procedure but there is no clear dividing line between medical and surgical procedures. There has been a growth in medical procedures in a day case setting. For example, in 1995 there were 7,496 chemotherapy and 6,153 radiotherapy procedures in a day case setting. These day cases would not have been reported in earlier years so an estimation of six year rates is not possible.
The number of all procedures, medical and surgical, recorded has increased, reflecting in part the improved coverage and quality of HIPI data over the period. The following table shows the number of such procedures reported compared to the coverage i.e. the ratio of discharges reported to the estimate of actual discharges from hospital.
|
Year |
Principal Procedures Reported |
Estimate % Coverage |
||||
|
Inpatient |
Day Cases |
Total |
Inpatients |
Day Cases |
Total |
|
|
1992 |
153,814 |
56,880 |
210,694 |
n/a |
n/a |
70 |
|
1993 |
202,071 |
83,828 |
285,899 |
94 |
60 |
85 |
|
1994 |
225,147 |
119,057 |
344,204 |
97 |
80 |
93 |
|
1995 |
242,233 |
148,951 |
391,184 |
98 |
87 |
96 |
The above figures do not include obstetrics activity or the gynaecology work of the maternity hospitals: the inclusion of the activity of these hospitals within HIPI is only now in progress.
The growth in day case provision over the six years 1990-95 as reported by all public hospitals in the monthly Integrated Management Returns [IMRs] is as follows:
|
Year |
Day Beds |
Day Cases |
|
1990 |
285 |
137,775 |
|
1991 |
369 |
144,521 |
|
1992 |
462 |
155,326 |
|
1993 |
516 |
186,842 |
|
1994 |
521 |
193,018 |
|
1995 |
544 |
207,308 |
|
Jan-Oct 1996 |
578 |
194,599 |