Vol. 480 No. 6
300 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health and Children the size of the waiting list for MRI scans in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9; the resources made available in this regard; and when a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 will have her procedure carried out. [14960/97]
I have had inquiries made of the hospital authorities regarding this matter and I have been advised that urgent requests for MRI scans are assessed by a consultant radiologist in consultation with the referring clinician and given an immediate appointment. I understand that there are currently 923 patients on Beaumont Hospital's MRI waiting list.
The Deputy will wish to know that an expert study of the existing arrangements for the provision of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) facilities nationwide and likely future demand in this area was carried out by Professor David Banta, MD, MPH, an international expert in health technology assessment. Professor Banta identified the need to develop MRI facilities at University College Hospital, Galway, St. James's Hospital and the new Tallaght Hospital, with the Galway location as the top priority. A timescale of three years is envisaged for the programme of enhancement for MRI facilities at the three sites. Professor Banta's recommendations have been adopted by the Department. Currently the public hospital service avails of MRI facilities from Beaumont Hospital and the location of the new equipment at the three sites will further improve the accesss to this important diagnostic tool for patients and consequently will impact positively on national waiting times.
The hospital authorities have further advised me that they have no record of a request for an MRI scan for this patient. However, I understand that this patient has an out-patient appointment in Beaumont Hospital on 6 October 1997. The scheduling of admission to hospital is a matter for the consultant concerned and each patient is assessed to determine their medical priority. Should this patient feel that her condition has deteriorated, she should return to her general practitioner, who will be in the best position to emphasise the urgency of her case to the consultant directly.
