asked the Minister for Health how many health boards have sought his advice in respect of the provision of out-patient facilities in hospitals within their areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Board Out-Patient Facilities.
4.
What the Deputy presumably has in mind is the extension of out-patient facilities and the improvement of the physical lay-out where this is required. I have constantly stressed the importance of developing our consultant out-patient services both in regard to the range of such services and their ready and convenient accessibility to the community. This I regard as a key development in achieving a real improvement in the services for patients who need to be referred for consultant opinion. It is also one of great economic significance in that it will help to reduce the demands on acute in-patient care in two ways; first, by ensuring that those patients whose treatment can be undertaken outside hospital are so treated and, secondly, by reducing patient time in hospital through carrying out appropriate investigations before the patient is admitted. Every consultant-staffed hospital has out-patient facilities but in many cases these need to be developed. I am satisfied that the health boards in their consideration of the services in their areas will be fully conscious of the need to take special account of out-patient needs. A number of specific proposals for the improvement of these facilities are being developed in association with my Department in hospitals distributed over six of the eight health board areas.
When will the Minister be in a position to state that we have proper diagnostic centres in our major hospitals? When will he be advising the hospitals to cost out-patients services separately from in-patients services?
It is almost impossible to cost out-patients services, as the Deputy should well know. There have been 34 new consultant posts filled in the last few years and I consider that to be very good progress.