Vol. 521 No. 5
103 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Defence if a formal approach has been made to his Department by the Department of Health and Children to request use of St. Bricin's Hospital for accommodation and treatment of civilian patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17582/00]
The question of the possible use of St. Bricin's Military Hospital for civilian patients was first mooted in late 1997 following contacts between military medical staff and the Mater Hospital. Agreement in principle was reached in 1998 between my Department, the Department of Health and Children and the Mater Misericordiae Hospital on a proposal to use St. Bricin's Military Hospital as a step down medical facility into which certain categories of civilian patients could be transferred from the Mater Hospital. It was agreed that initially a pilot scheme could be set up under which up to eight civilian patients would be accommodated in St. Bricin's for periods rang ing from seven to ten days. If this pilot scheme proved successful, the intention would be to enter into a long-term arrangement for accommodating up to 20 civilian patients at a time at St. Bricin's Hospital.
The Department of Health and Children has overall responsibility for the proposal. Accordingly, before any pilot scheme can commence, it is essential that the Department of Health and Children is fully satisfied with regard to all the arrangements surrounding the transfer, accommodation and treatment of civilian patients in St. Bricin's Hospital. I am informed that proposals were made by the Mater Hospital to the Department of Health and Children with regard to the use of St. Bricin's Hospital. While it was accepted that these proposals had merit, a number of important issues still required clarification such as legal and insurance issues which are in the remit of the Department of Health and Children.
With effect from 1 March 2000 the new Eastern Regional Health Authority, ERHA, is the statutory body with responsibility for health and personal social services for people who live in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow. The ERHA is currently examining the accident and emergency services and hospital waiting lists in its region with a view to bringing forward recommendations to improve services and address existing deficiencies in these areas of service provision. The proposals for St. Bricin's Hospital will be actively considered in the context of this review.
The Department of Health and Children has recently written to my Department and asked that my Department formally consider providing access to the entire patient accommodation facilities at St. Bricin's Hospital.
The exact nature and details of such a collaboration will now be discussed between the two Departments and the military authorities.
