Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 May 1999

Vol. 505 No. 3

Written Answers. - Hospital Waiting Lists.

Paul McGrath

Question:

164 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients in County Westmeath awaiting hip replacement operations at Tullamore general hospital; the number who have been on this list for more than three months, six months, nine months, 12 months and longer; and the proposals, if any, he has to reduce these lists and the waiting time. [13656/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

Figures collected by my Department relate to 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 numbers of persons from County Westmeath on waiting lists.

The numbers awaiting admission to Tullamore general hospital for total hip replacements as at the 31 December 1998, the latest date for which figures are available, are as follows:

Period waiting	3-12 months	Over 12 months
Total hip replacements	92	73

Following the £20 million allocation to the waiting list initiative this year, and the new policy guidelines and circular which my Department issued to each hospital dealing with waiting lists in January, I am confident that these measures will lead to a significant reduction in waiting lists and, more importantly, waiting times for public patients.