Vol. 517 No. 4
137 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on the proposal that a new public hospital should be built in north Dublin to relieve pressure on other facilities in the city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9912/00]
There is no proposal to build a new public hospital in north Dublin. However, the Deputy will be aware that under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, it was agreed to conduct a review of bed capacity in both acute and non-acute settings. Integral components of this review of capacity will be examinations of the day work carried out in hospitals with a view to establishing the adequacy and appropriateness of day care facilities, given the 9-10% per annum increase in day activity in recent years and the organisation and use of operating theatre facilities, with a view to possible increased efficiency in the area.
All acute hospitals in the eastern region and their respective catchment areas will be examined in the course of the reviews and the outcomes will facilitate the Eastern Regional Health Authority in determining future policy for the planning of acute hospital services in the region.
