asked the Minister for Health the total number of maternity hospitals in the State; the number in which deliveries take place in (a) labour wards and (b) private rooms; and what steps are being taken to improve accommodation so that each delivery will take place in a private room.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Maternity Hospital Accommodation.
31.
There are 98 public hospitals in the State in which maternity work is carried out.
In all of them, with one exception, the arrangements are such as to facilitate delivery in a delivery room or theatre in which one patient is present at a time. The exceptional case, which does not fully conform to these arrangements, involves the use of separate delivery cubicles which are less satisfactory from the point of privacy than the standard arrangement.
As a result of discussions with the hospital concerned, held some time ago, the delivery unit is being replanned to assure the desirable standard of privacy for each individual patient.
32.
asked the Minister for Health what steps are being taken to provide in the Dublin area the much needed increase in the number of ante-natal beds.
As I indicated in my reply today to a Parliamentary question by Deputy Barry Desmond, this matter has been the subject of correspondence and discussions between my Department and the Rotunda Hospital authorities and I intend to go into the matter fully when I receive the outline plans due to be submitted by the hospital in the near future.
Are we to understand from the Minister that the Rotunda is the only hospital in the Dublin area in which there is at present under consideration an increase in the number of ante-natal beds and, if not, what other hospitals are involved?
I think it can be said that this is so, that the Rotunda is the only place where consideration is being given to it.
Is the Minister aware that there is, in fact, an urgent need in other hospitals for an increase in the number of ante-natal beds and what steps will be taken to fill this very urgent need?
My information is that as far as the south side is concerned the maternity unit at St. Kevin's Hospital with 88 beds had only 50 per cent occupancy in 1968. This would not indicate that the position is as stated by the Deputy.
Would the Minister not agree that the new Coombe Hospital has certainly proved inadequate to meet the needs of the people in the area? There are certainly not enough beds and there is a very long waiting list. If there are beds available in St. Kevin's it is only because it is not as modern and up-to-date as the Coombe Hospital, a quality which is in demand nowadays.
Then it is not a question of numbers but a question of trying to get better accommodation.
33.
asked the Minister for Health the number of maternity beds in Dublin City and County (a) south and (b) north of the River Liffey; and what steps are being taken to increase the number particularly on the north side to cope with the substantial increasing population in that area.
There are 657 maternity beds in Dublin city and county south of the River Liffey and 184 maternity beds north of this boundary.
In recent years a total of 96 extra maternity beds was provided in voluntary hospitals in the area.
Taking account of the trend in births in recent years up to 1968 the maternity accommodation available over-all in Dublin appeared adequate to the needs of the situation although the unequal incidence of demand puts pressure on some hospitals. The birth statistics for the first nine months of 1969 suggest that there may be a change in the trend and if this is confirmed by the figures for the full year, I intend to review the position as regards total bed needs in Dublin.
Would the Minister be good enough to indicate to us which way the trend now is?
The trend was downwards but over the last nine months it is showing a slight increase.
Would the Minister not have regard to the immense multiplication of population and of births in the northern region of Dublin and ensure that there is a substantial increase in the maternity accommodation north of the River Liffey?
The Deputy will appreciate that I am not an expert on this matter——
You know as much as the rest of us.
So far as the city of Dublin is concerned I do not think the question of whether the hospital is north of the Liffey or south of the Liffey really——
(Interruptions.)
Is the Minister aware that there is a tremendous demand at the moment for a maternity hospital on the north side of the city and that many people from the north side find it extremely difficult to get into maternity hospitals in Dublin city? The Minister says he can visualise no difficulty for people wishing to enter maternity hospitals but this is not true; there is tremendous difficulty. Babies are often born in hospital corridors in Dublin city because of lack of facilities on the north side of the city.
In an earlier reply I stated that steps are being taken to improve facilities in the Rotunda which is on the north side.
Not nearly enough.
As regards the Minister's statement that there is no need to differentiate between the north and south sides of the city there is an agreement whereby north city patients are looked after by the Rotunda Hospital and those on the south side are taken by the Coombe and Holles Street. In view of the fact that in recent years there have been massive housing developments in the Finglas, Ballymun, Coolock, Kilbarrack and Donaghmede areas and that further development is taking place on the north side of the city, would the Minister not think it a matter of urgency that the Rotunda Hospital should be expanded immediately?
I can only bring the matter to the attention of the Minister. The House will appreciate that I was merely expressing a personal, non-informed view in regard to the position north and south of the Liffey.