Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 June 2016
511. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health his plans for the provision of a second magnetic resonance imaging scanner at Galway University Hospital in view of the long waiting list for scans in the hospital; the progress made to date with this project; the estimated cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15024/16]
View answerI am advised that Galway University Hospitals have been taking a range of actions to address the diagnostic waiting lists at the hospitals.
The hospitals have introduced an extended MRI working day. The service performs 12 additional MRIs on patients each week to clear those patients waiting longest. An MRI out of hour’s service commenced in April and is now working well.
Also a weekend MRI initiative commenced recently. It is undertaking a validation process to identify suitable patients for weekend scans.
The Saolta Group is in the process of preparing a business case for a second MRI scanning machine, to be formally submitted to the HSE for funding.
Further, 400 MRI scans were outsourced to the Merlin Park Imaging Centre. The majority of these were completed by April; the remaining are being completed currently.
The Saolta Group advise that an overall capacity planning exercise, to build sustainable plans with respect to expansion of diagnostic services at Galway University Hospitals, will be undertaken.
