Vol. 488 No. 2
37 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Health and Children when an appointment can be made for a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary in view of the fact that she is waiting for 12 months for attention to her hearing. [5677/98]
39 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of adults and children on the waiting list for ear, nose and throat services in south Tipperary. [5678/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 39 together.
The provision of ENT treatment to eligible persons in south Tipperary is the statutory responsibility of the South-Eastern Health Board in the first instance. I understand from the board that the person in question is on the waiting list for an out-patient appointment at St. Joseph's Hospital, Clonmel. The scheduling of appointments is a matter for the clinical judgment of the consultant concerned and is based solely on the patient's condition and not on the length of time on the waiting list. Should the person referred to feel her condition warrants more immediate attention she should return to her general practitioner who would be in the best position to emphasise the urgency of the case to the consultant directly.
Figures collected by my Department relate to the numbers of people on in-patient hospital waiting lists rather than to the patient's place of residence. Therefore, it would not be possible to give the Deputy a breakdown of the number of persons from south Tipperary currently on the waiting lists.
The numbers of people in the South Eastern Health Board area awaiting ENT replacements at 30 September 1997, the latest date for which figures are available, are as follows: Ear, Nose and Throat procedures (Adult), 440; Ear, Nose and Throat procedures (Children), 203.
