asked the Minister for Health the number of male and female applicants on the waiting list for beds at St. Mary's Hospital, Drogheda, the number of male and female patients located in other hospitals in the NEHB region who wish to transfer to St. Mary's Hospital, Drogheda; and the number of geriatric patients in psychiatric hospitals awaiting beds in St. Mary's Geriatric Hospital.
Written Answers. - County Louth Hospitals.
165.
I am informed by the North Eastern Health Board that there are 11 males and 33 females on the waiting list, from the community, for beds at St. Mary's Hospital in Drogheda. The numbers on the waiting list who are at present patients in other hospitals in the North Eastern Health Board region are two males and eight females. There are no patients in psychiatric hospitals currently on the waiting lists for St. Mary's.
166.
asked the Minister for Health when St. Oliver Plunkett Hospital in Dundalk will be completed; when the patients at the old hospital will be transferred; the level of staff to be appointed at the new hospital as against the present level of staff; the level of such staff by category; the number of beds and the number of patients to be located there in 1986, 1987 and 1988; the total cost of the completed hospital as against the original budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The construction of the new St. Oliver Plunkett Hospital in Dundalk is expected to be completed before the end of the current year. The transfer of patients to the new hospital is scheduled to take place early in 1987.
The staffing levels are presently under consideration with the North Eastern Health Board but it is expected that they will be similar to those in the existing hospital. The present staffing level is as follows: Clerical-Administrative, 2; Nursing and Allied, 80; Paramedical, 1; Catering and Housekeeping, 2; Chiropody, 1; Hospital Total, 86.
There will be 152 beds in the new hospital and it is not expected that patient numbers will be significantly different from this figure during 1987 and 1988. The tender sum at the 10 June 1983 was £2.477 million. The projected final account at current costs on the 14 March 1986 was £3.1 million. The increase in the projected final cost is mainly due to fluctuations in the cost of wages and materials. These figures are exclusive of design fees and furniture and fittings which are expected to bring the total cost to £4.3 million.
167.
asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in sanctioning the appointment of the design team for the replacement of St. Mary's Hospital, Drogheda; when sanction will now be given; if he is aware of the acute shortage of beds for geriatric patients in the Drogheda area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The North Eastern Health Board has submitted a planning brief to my Department for a geriatric unit in Drogheda to replace the existing accommodation at St. Mary's Hospital. However, the board's priority for capital developments in County Louth for geriatric patients was the replacement of the St. Oliver Plunkett Hospital in Dundalk. This development is now in the course of construction and will be ready to receive patients in early 1987. Because of the limitations on capital funds consideration of a further development at Drogheda had to be postponed pending completion of this new geriatric hospital in Dundalk.
The North Eastern Health Board has recently completed a report on geriatric facilities in general in its area and any further developments, such as a new unit in Drogheda, will have to be considered within the context of this report and in the context of current thinking in relation to geriatric facilities generally. The current policy is that as many patients as possible should be catered for in the community and only those who cannot reasonably be cared for in the community setting should be admitted to a long stay institution. The number of beds needed to care for geriatric patients will have to be reviewed in the light of these developments.