Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 12 Nov 1997

Vol. 482 No. 6

Written Answers. - Hospital Waiting Lists.

Richard Bruton

Question:

299 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients awaiting an angiogram in the Eastern Health Board area; the number of these procedures which will be carried out in the area during 1997; and the average waiting time in this regard. [18912/97]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

The number of adult patients awaiting an angiogram in the Eastern Health Board area is 995, it is anticipated that the number of procedures performed this year will be in excess of 9,200 and the waiting time for this service ranges from zero to 18 months.

In the Eastern Health Board area four Dublin hospitals, St. James's, St. Vincent's, the Mater and Beaumont, provide this service for adult patients and Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, provide the paediatric service. Currently there are 126 children on Our Lady's waiting list and the hospital expects that 227 procedures will be carried out in 1997. Waiting times for this service vary from zero to 12 months.

It should be noted that the scheduling of all procedures is the clinical decision of the consultant concerned and any patient who requires urgent treatment will be given priority.