Vol. 396 No. 5
12 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health whether he is satisfied with the availability of physiotherapist services in hospitals on the north side of Dublin; and if he will make a statement on recent incidents at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9 where physiotherapy deemed urgently needed by the consultants could not be made available for four to six weeks.
There is an adequate physiotherapy service provided in hospitals on the north side of Dublin. I understand from Beaumont Hospital that the waiting time for an appointment as of today is around two weeks. Where urgent treatment is requested by a consultant, the hospital's practice is to have the patients seen to without delay.
Is the Minister aware of the deep concern of the Irish Association of Chartered Physiotherapists that recruitment of extra physiotherapists will be done on the basis of assistants and not chartered physiotherapists and will he give a commitment to the House that this will not happen?
The Deputy put down a question which suggests in some way that my Department or the health agencies have advertised for assistant physiotherapists but I can find no evidence of that anywhere.
The association wrote to the Minister about it.
As I have said, the Deputy put down a question and it was answered. I can find no evidence of any agency who have advertised for assistant physiotherapists. The Deputy suggested that 50 places were advertised and therefore it would have been easy to find such evidence.
The association alleged it.
I did not catch the early part of the Minister's reply but I gather he is indicating that the policy is that patients will be seen without delay. Has it been brought to his attention that there have been cases recently where consultants deemed that treatment was necessary immediately on the grounds of the possible permanent damage to a child but yet it was not possible to schedule in that child to be seen and the child had to be seen privately? Is that a problem that can be dealt with in some way?
Yes. I appreciate that the Deputy did not hear the earlier part of the reply. I understand from Beaumont Hospital that the waiting time is two weeks but where urgent treatment is requested by a consultant, the hospital's practice is to have the patient seen immediately.
Could the Minister say what would be the best way to have a grievance dealt with in regard to the practical operation of that policy? What would be the position in regard to a specific case where a person is told he cannot have treatment despite the consultant urging immediate attention?
If the Deputy has a specific case in mind and if he sends me the details, I will be glad to investigate it but I understand the service has improved quite significantly on the north side of the city over the last couple of months.
