Bernard Allen
Question:581 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans he has to deal with the 65% increase in waiting lists in the James Connolly Hospital as reported in the Medicine Weekly dated 13 September 2000. [20006/00]
Written Answers. - Hospital Waiting Lists.
Bernard Allen
Question:582 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans he has to deal with the 10% increase in waiting lists in the Mater Hospital as reported in the Medicine Weekly dated 13 September 2000. [20007/00]
Bernard Allen
Question:583 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans he has to deal with the 3% increase in waiting lists in Tallaght Hospital as reported in the Medicine Weekly dated 13 September 2000. [20008/00]
Bernard Allen
Question:584 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans he has to deal with the 54% increase in waiting lists at Beaumont Hospital as reported in the Medicine Weekly dated 13 September 2000. [20009/00]
Bernard Allen
Question:585 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans he has to deal with the waiting lists in the Dublin region which are increasing at an alarming rate, according to figures released by his Department. [20010/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 581 to 585, inclusive, together.
The responsibility for the provision of services for the hospitals in the Dublin region is a matter for the Eastern Regional Health Authority in the first instance.
I wish to inform the Deputy that the overall hospital in-patient waiting list figure at 30 June 2000 was 31,851, compared to 36,855 at 31 December 1999, which represents a decrease of 13.58% since the beginning of the year. The figure represents a decrease of 2,485 from January to March this year and a further 2,519 from March to June. I welcome this continued reduction which reflects the additional resources and priority that I have given to tackling waiting lists. However, it must be acknowledged that waiting lists in some of the major Dublin hospitals have not shown reductions in this period. Increases have taken place in Beaumont, James Connolly Memorial and Tallaght Hospitals. I would like to point out to the Deputy that in the December 1999 to June 2000 period St. James's Hospital has shown a significant decrease of 16% and the Mater has reduced its waiting list by 4%. The Eastern Regional Health Authority has informed me that a number of factors are affecting their ability to get additional elective work done in the current year. Among the main areas of constraint are the current bed capacity, staff shortages and increased emergency admissions.
Against this background every effort is being made to find areas of activity where additional waiting list work can be done. My Department is having ongoing discussions with the Eastern Regional Health Authority in this regard.
John McGuinness
Question:586 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason for the delay in calling a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny for an operation. [20011/00]
The provision of medical treatment to eligible persons in County Kilkenny in this instance is the statutory responsibility of the South Eastern Health Board. My Department has asked the chief executive officer of the board to investigate the position in relation to this case and to reply to the Deputy directly.