Vol. 501 No. 6
251 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will outline the organisation of services for intractable pain in St. Vincent's Hospital, Elm Park and St. Colmcille's Hospital, Loughlinstown, in south east Dublin; the plans, if any, he has for improvements in the facilities available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6840/99]
The development of services for intractable pain at St. Vincent's Hospital, Elm Park and St. Columcille's Hospital, Loughlinstown, is a matter, in the first instance, for the two hospitals concerned within their approved financial determination and the hospitals overall service priorities.
The South-East Dublin Department of Anaesthesia is the co-ordinating body for the provision and development of anaesthetic services in the region, including pain management programmes. It is comprised of clinicians and management from the acute general hospitals in the region, including St. Vincent's Hospital and St. Columcille's Hospital. The south-east Department has developed an integrated plan for the delivery of pain management services across the region. The plan divides pain services into various sub-divisions from the initial consultant contact with the patient at out-patient or in-patient level, to the more sophisticated spinal implantation procedure.
With regard to the service provided by St. Vincent's Hospital, Elm Park, I was pleased to allocate additional funding to the hospital in 1999 to meet additional costs arising from the continued development of pain management services within the hospital, I should make the point that the pain management service at St. Vincent's Hospital is not an approved national speciality despite a significant number of referrals which are coming from outside the hospital catchment area. In relation to St. Columcille's Hospital, I understand that the Eastern Health Board is considering the purchase of additional equipment for this service which would allow extra procedures in this area to be performed.
