Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 2 Mar 1999

Vol. 501 No. 3

Written Answers. - Hospital Services.

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

The 1999 service plan for the new hospital at Tallaght has only recently been received and considered by the Department. The service plan encompasses paediatric services.

The plan has a stated aim to consolidate services transferred from the base hospitals in June 1998 and to maintain activity levels as they were in the second half of 1998. The projected level of services to be provided during 1999 are based on activity levels experienced in November and December 1998. The hospital intends to maintain in-patient, out-patient, and day case activity indicated in its projections for this year.

The level of paediatric services projected for 1999 are as follows:

	Number of cases
Paediatric In-patients	5,368
Paediatric Day Cases	3,944
Paediatric Out-patients	19,662
Paediatric A/E	27,500
Theatre Cases	2,466

The range of paediatric services to be provided encompass the following: accident and emergency, cystic fibrosis, cardiology, dermatology, diabetic, endocrinology, haematology, including leukaemia, medicine, neurology, respiratory medicine, dentistry, ENT, gynaecology, orthopaedics, surgery and paediatric urology.

In addition to the above, the following paediatric clinical support services will be provided:

	Number of cases
Physiotherapy	5,136
Nutrition and Dietetics	2,568
Social Work	9,984
Speech and Language	552
Psychology	442

I am satisfied that the hospital has developed a realistic and achievable service plan for 1999.