Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 20 Nov 1990

Vol. 402 No. 8

Written Answers - Hip Replacement Operations.

Seán Ryan

Ceist:

117 Mr. Ryan asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Dublin will be admitted into hospital for an urgent hip replacement operation; and if he will make a statement on the delay being experienced by this person.

Seán Ryan

Ceist:

119 Mr. Ryan asked the Minister for Health the number of people on waiting lists for hip replacement operations at each of the following (a) Beaumont, Dublin 9, (b) the Mater, Dublin 7 and (c) Cappagh, Dublin 11; and the average length of time these people have had to wait.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Hanlon)

I propose to take Question Nos. 117 and 119 together.

The information requested by the Deputy is set out hereunder.

Hospital	Waiting List
Beaumont Mater	17
	No hip replacement operations are performed.
St. Mary's (Orthopaedic Cappagh)	655

The length of time patients have to wait for an operation depends on the degree of urgency involved in the treatment of a particular case. I understand that the average waiting time for Beaumont is approximately nine to 12 month and for Cappagh is five to six months. I recently officially opened two new theatres at Cappagh Hospital which I am sure will help to further reduce the waiting times for patients. The number of hip replacement operations performed nationally has increased from 1,624 in 1987 to 1,904 in 1989 and I am confident that the figures for 1990 will reflect a continued substantial increase in performance.

Arrangements regarding an individual patient's position on a waiting list and when his/her operation will be performed are entirely a matter for the clinician concerned and the Deputy will appreciate that it is not a matter in which I have any involvement. However, I would suggest to the Deputy that if the condition of the person referred to in Question No. 117 has deteriorated, his general practitioner should contact his consultant in order to stress the urgency of the case.