Vol. 528 No. 1
195 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the position on the Crumlin Hospital development plan; when the work on the new heart surgery facilities will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29278/00]
Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children has submitted an overall development proposal to the Eastern Regional Health Authority which has overall responsibility for the provision of acute hospital services in the eastern region.
The authority has included some development at Our Lady's Hospital in its outline plan for utilisation of the national development plan moneys. The ERHA is examining the hospital's development plan in the context of the overall national development plan and the delivery of paediatric services in the eastern region as a whole. It will arrive at a decision in discussion with the hospital and based on priority of need in the context of the authority's competing demands for new developments.
With regard to the theatre development at the hospital, I want to assure the Deputy that I am committed to ensuring that Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children is in a position to respond to the demand for its cardiology-cardiac surgery services. It was in this regard that my Department sanctioned the major theatre development at the hospital. This theatre development, when completed, will provide five new operating theatres complete with ancillary accommodation, a day surgery area and a central sterile supplies department. The existing theatre facilities will also be upgraded to provide a further two theatre suites. When these theatres are fully commissioned it is expected that the hospital will be in a position to perform an additional 100 paediatric cardiac procedures per annum, which is an increase of 40% on its existing capacity. The necessary planning for this work is at an advanced stage and it is anticipated that tenders for the work will issue in January 2001 with commencement of work on site in spring of 2001. This development is expected to cost in the region of £20 million.
