asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of a decision taken at a meeting in Mallow, County Cork on Saturday, 24th June, to co-ordinate activities with regard to countrywide opposition to the Government's policy on hospital rationalisation; and if, in the light of such widespread opposition, he will reconsider all or certain aspects of the intended policy of rationalisation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hospital Rationalisation.
23.
I have seen a press report about the meeting in question. While opposition has been voiced in a number of areas to the proposals for a change of function for some county hospitals made in the report of the Consultative Council on the General Hospital Services it is surely an exaggeration for the Deputy to suggest that there is widespread opposition to the idea of hospital reorganisation. In fact there is a wide measure of agreement in the medical profession about the need for reorganisation based on the thinking in the report if a fully effective and efficient acute hospital service is to be provided for the population as a whole.
The details of the steps to be taken and the phasing of the changes have yet to be settled in the areas which present special difficulty. Before final decisions in these cases are arrived at account will be taken not only of the views of the health boards and their local advisory committees but also of those of Comhairle na nOspidéal and the regional hospital boards concerned.
Would the Minister think that a protest coming from Donegal, Roscommon, Mallow and Wexford, among other places, would not be sufficient to warrant the suggestion that there is widespread protest? I would not accept the statement made by the Minister that the medical profession are united in approval of the FitzGerald Report. They are not. I would ask the Minister is he aware of a statement having been made by them that the committee which issued the report were city orienated and did not represent the views of people in other areas and because of that there is widespread discontent in regard to the recommendations? Again I would suggest that an effort should be made to explain it or to enlarge upon this committee and have them review the matter. That might be worth considering so as to get the people informed.
We cannot discuss the whole matter.
The Deputy seems to have forgotten that the implementation of the FitzGerald Report is inevitable if the growth of specialisation continues to the point where you will not recruit a competent single surgeon for a county hospital. The Deputy will not disagree with me that within ten years, unless there is a complete change in the trend towards specialisation, it will not be possible to recruit a competent surgeon for a county hospital. The FitzGerald Report, which the Deputy said had Dublin-biased people on it, proposed general hospitals for Cavan, Tullamore, and Ardkeen hospital in Waterford. That was not a centralisation proposal. The conflict that will arise is that Mullingar, Tullamore and Monaghan will want to have the general hospitals. Kilkenny will want to remain a hospital where surgery can continue. There is a clash of opinions about where the development will take place, with the consequental effect of one hospital with a radius of about 20 to 25 miles being built up into a great hospital with a number of conultants and better laboratory facilities for all acute surgery care. The Deputy cannot suggest that that proposal is based on thinking from Dublin.
I am not objecting but I am saying that there is widespread protest about the matter. A number of the Minister's colleagues in the Cabinet do not agree with it. What is wrong is that his Department are not making a sufficient effort to see these people and explain to them. I had to go to Athlone to explain to people.
The Deputy cannot discuss this matter all afternoon.
There is a breakdown in communications between the Minister's Department and the interests concerned.
I have agreed to receive any county advisory committee who may co-opt other interested people in order to discuss with them any objections they have regarding the FitzGerald Report recommendations. The processing of the recommendations will take a great deal of time. Nobody needs to start marching all over the country. It will take a great deal of time to consider these proposals.
Has the Minister received a request from any committee in Roscommon to meet them?
I have told the Roscommon people that when the Roscommon advisory committee, which has just been formed, wishes to meet me they can co-opt some people if they think they are not sufficiently strong as a committee.
Will the Minister's colleague represent that committee?
I am calling Question No. 24. We cannot discuss this matter. Deputies were entitled to raise the matter on the Health Estimate. We cannot have a further debate on the Estimate.
I have a question to ask the Minister. The Minister should not leave the House when a question is being put to him.
I have already called Question No. 24 which is to the Minister for Transport and Power. The Deputy has already spoken on the Health Estimate.
(Interruptions.)