Vol. 525 No. 3
230 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on the fact that patients in the south east region must wait a number of months for admission to hospital for hip replacement surgery; the proposals he has to provide resources sufficient to ensure that such patients, who suffer considerable pain and discomfort while awaiting surgery, will be admitted to hospital without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25218/00]
The provision of services is the responsibility of the South Eastern Health Board in the first instance. The board received funding of £697,000 under the waiting list initiative in 1998 which represented an increase of 44% on the funding approved by the previous Government in 1997. In 1999 a total of £1,351,000 was provided to the South Eastern Health Board under the waiting list initiative. In 2000 £1,975,000 was provided to the board under the waiting list initiative. This has enabled the board, inter alia, to carry out an additional 287 hip and knee replacements up to 30 June this year. The board's waiting list returns for the quarter ended 30 June 2000 indicate that the numbers waiting for these orthopaedic procedures has dropped by 34% since the start of the year.
