asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that the average time spent waiting for a total hip replacement operation in this country is in the region of two years; the steps he will take to remove this waiting period in view of the fact that this can be a painful condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Hip Replacement Operations.
956.
From inquiries made I have ascertained that the national average waiting period for hip replacement operations is now approximately 13 months.
Certain steps have been taken over the past few years to improve orthopaedic facilities: a second orthopaedic theatre has been built and opened in 1980 at Navan County Hospital; a new operating theatre was completed in Dr. Steevens Hospital in 1980 which increased the hospital capacity for orthopaedic operations; a new 52-bed orthopaedic unit at Sligo General Hospital was brought into use in August 1981; a new 40-bed orthopaedic unit has been provided in the new Tralee General Hospital, which will be commissioned in early 1984.
Apart from these schemes, other projects which will help to improve orthopaedic services in the future are at various stages of planning, viz; the provision of a new orthopaedic theatre suite at Merlin Park Hospital; a scheme to provide a second orthopaedic theatre at Croom Orthopaedic Hospital, Limerick; provision of a new orthopaedic theatre suite at St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital, Gurranebraher, Cork, which will provide two additional theatres; a scheme to provide an additional orthopaedic theatre has also been approved in principle for St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital, Cappagh, County Dublin.