asked the Minister for Health if he will arrange to have separate statistics compiled by health authorities on hospital and medical expenses incurred on (a) workmen's compensation cases and (b) traffic accidents in the case of patients who are insured workers under the Social Welfare Acts or are the holders of medical cards under the Health Acts.
Written Answers. - Hospital and Medical Expenses Statistics.
49.
It would not be feasible for health authorities to compile statistics on the lines requested by the Deputy. In many cases they would have no means of knowing whether a patient was e.g. entitled to Workmen's Compensation and, in any event, even if they could identify a patient as coming within one of the categories mentioned in the question, while they would have information as to the cost to them of services which they provided, they would have no information as to any medical expenses incurred by the patient other than any charge which they imposed.
50.
asked the Minister for Health if he will state in respect of a recent period, if statistics are readily available, the number of persons who received hospital treatment under the Health Act, 1953, and the average cost per person, giving separate figures for each health authority.
These statistics are not readily available and could be compiled only with very considerable expenditure of time and money, which I feel would not be justified.