Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 1 Jul 1998

Vol. 493 No. 4

Written Answers. - Hospital Waiting Lists.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

113 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the extent to which measures initiated by him have shortened hospital waiting lists in the past 12 months, with particular reference to each category; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16763/98]

Alan Shatter

Question:

120 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will provide the detailed statistics regarding the hospital waiting lists as at 31 March 1998; if this information is not yet available, the steps, if any, being taken by his Department to obtain the information; and the reason for the delay in this regard. [16533/98]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following tables, by hospital and by speciality, for the period ending 31 March 1998.

Waiting list figures tend to increase in the first quarter of each year, due to the particular pressures placed on hospitals during the winter period. While the waiting list figures for March 1998 reflect an increase over December 1997, they show the second lowest rise in the December-March quarter since the waiting list initiative began in 1993. Increases in other years have been as high as 15.6 per cent (March 1995) and 12.0 per cent (March 1997). The increase this year was held to 5.1 per cent.

The main causes of the increase in waiting list figures in the March quarter for 1998 were: the traditional increase in medical admissions that occurs in the winter months, and a shortage in the availability of blood which resulted in the postponement of some surgical procedures.

I am pleased that the increase in the numbers on waiting lists in the March quarter was limited to the greatest extent possible, and I am confident that the 50 per cent increase in funding for the waiting list initiative in 1998, from £8 million to £12 million, will continue to address the situation as the year proceeds. The funding for 1998 was notified to agencies in December 1997. This was much earlier than in previous years, and will enable hospitals to plan their activity more fully throughout the year.

I established a review group in April to advise on how best to maximise the effectiveness of the waiting list initiative. I expect to receive the review group's report very shortly. I understand that it will contain a series of short-term, medium-term and long-term recommendations, which I will examine without delay.

Organisation Name	Public In-Patient Waiting List at 31/03/98
Adelaide Hospital	809
Beaumont Hospital	2,515
Cavan General Hospital	387
Coombe Women's Hospital	66
Cork University Hospital	854
Ennis	0
Ennis General Hospital	0
Hume Street Hospital (Dublin)	0
James Connolly Memorial Hospital (Blanchardstown)	86
Letterkenny General Hospital	583
Longford/Westmeath General Hospital (Mullingar)	120
Louth County Hospital, Dundalk	29
Mallow General Hospital	0
Mater Misericordiae Hospital	3,134
Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar	52
Meath Hospital	562
Mercy Hospital, Cork	592
Merlin Park Regional Hospital, Galway	440
Monaghan General Hospital	34
Naas General Hospital	97
National Children's Hospital (Harcourt Street)	63
National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street	64
National Rehabilitation Hospital	0
Nenagh General Hospital	0
Orthopaedic Hospital, Kilcreene	503
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, (Drogheda)	376
Our Lady's General Hospital, Navan	585
Our Lady's Hospital, (Crumlin)	579
Our Lady's Hospital, Cashel	55
Portiuncula Hospital, (Ballinasloe)	0
Portlaoise General Hospital	217
Regional Hospital, (Dooradoyle) Limerick	1,398
Regional Orthopaedic Hospital (Croom)	530
Roscommon General Hospital	83
Rotunda Hospital, (Dublin)	450
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital (Dublin)	659
Sligo Regional Hospital	1,530
South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital Ltd.	1,072
St. Columcille's Hospital (Loughlinstown)	0
St. John's Hospital (Limerick)	320
St. Joseph's Hospital, Clonmel	226
St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny	557
St. Lukes and St. Annes Hospitals	0
St. Mary's Hospital, Cappagh	1,281
St. Mary's Hospital, Gurranebraher	677
St. Michael's Hospital (Dunlaoire)	181
St. Vincent's Hospital (Elm Park)	1,948
St. James's Hospital	2,338
Temple Street Children's Hospital (Dublin)	1,099
Tralee General Hospital	545
Tullamore General Hospital	1,769
University College Hospital, Galway	2,673
Waterford Maternity Hospital (Airmount)	0
Waterford Regional Hospital, Ardkeen	1,432
Wexford General Hospital	277
Total	33,847

Specialty Name	Public In-Patient Waiting List at 31/03/98
Cardiac Surgery	1,276
Cardiology	1,246
Chemotherapy	0
Dental	429
Dermatology	27
ENT	7,508
Endocrine	61
Endocrinology	4
Endoscopy	180
Gastro-enterology	213
Genito-Urinary	0
Gerontology	6
Gynaecology	2,691
Haematology	2
Maxillo-Facial	247
Medicine	86
Metabolic	0
Nephrology	56
Neurology	75
Neurosurgery	368
Obstetrics	0
Oncology	0
Ophthalmology	3,178
Orthodontics	0
Orthopaedics	6,399
Paediatrics	6
Pain	267
Plastic Surgery	1,698
Psychiatry	8
Radiotherapy	0
Rehabilitation	0
Renal	0
Respiratory	116
Rheumatology	83
Surgery	3,220
Thoracic	25
Urology	1,459
Vascular	2,913
Total	33,847