Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 11 Jun 1991

Vol. 409 No. 6

Written Answers. - Orthopaedic Surgery.

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

137 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health if, in relation to each major area of orthopaedic surgery he will outline (a) the number on public waiting list, (b) the throughput of public patients in 1990 and (c) the average waiting time of public patients.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Hanlon)

I presume the Deputy is primarily interested in the situation regarding hip replacement surgery.

The latest information available to my Department regarding hip replacement operations is as follows:

Waiting List	Hip Replacement Carried Out in 1990
1,678	2,174

I am pleased to let the Deputy know that the number of patients on the waiting list for hip replacement surgery has decreased by nearly 14 per cent since July 1990.

I should point out that these figures include both public and non-public patients treated in public hospitals. Up to now, hospitals did not distinguish between public and non-public patients in maintaining waiting lists for hip replacement surgery and, therefore, it is not possible to give a breakdown as between the two categories. With the revised eligibility arrangements, hospitals will, in future, be required to maintain separate waiting lists for public and private patients.

Waiting times for hip replacement surgery vary from centre to centre and depending on the priority accorded to a particular case. For these reasons, it is not possible to give a national average waiting time.