Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:157 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Health if he considers the number of junior anaesthetic staff in Tralee General Hospital, County Kerry, to be adequate.
Written Answers. - Tralee General Hospital.
My Department is currently at an advanced stage of discussion with the Southern Health Board regarding the level of service and overall staffing for the board in the context of the overall financial allocation available to the board in the current year. This includes specific resources for the provision of an ENT service at Tralee General Hospital. The adequacy of junior anaesthetic staff is one of the issues to be considered in this context.
Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:158 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Health if he considers the number of gastroscopic units in Tralee General Hospital to be adequate.
The provision of services and equipment at Tralee General Hospital is essentially a matter for the Southern Health Board. I understand that the board has purchased equipment totalling £275,000 for Tralee General Hospital over the last three years.
The board has submitted to my Department a list of equipment requirements for its hospitals, including the provision of a third gastroscope for Tralee General Hospital. This will have to be considered in the light of the many competing priority equipment requirements and the resources available for this purpose.
Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:159 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Health if he considers that Tralee General Hospital should have a librarian and proper library facilities for the training of junior staff.
Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:160 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Health if he considers that there should be full-time endoscope and minor surgical staff at Tralee General Hospital in County Kerry.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 159 and 160 together.
The identification of staffing needs at Tralee General Hospital is a matter for the Southern Health Board in the first instance. Proposals for the filling of new and replacement posts are reviewed on a monthly basis by my Department. This review is undertaken having regard to service and personnel criteria in the context of the priority afforded to each post by the agency concerned and with particular regard to the availability of financial resources.
Under existing personnel policy it is, therefore, the responsibility of each health agency to submit prioritised manpower proposals to my Department, including details of service requirements and proposed funding arrangements.
Proposals in respect of the posts referred to by the Deputy have not been included by the Southern Health Board in its most recent manpower submission to my Department.
Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:161 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Health if he considers the stoma and mastectomy care at Tralee General Hospital in County Kerry to be adequate.
The Southern Health Board has responsibility for the provision and organisation of services at Tralee General Hospital. The further development of stoma and mastectomy care at Tralee General Hospital is primarily a matter for the Southern Health Board having regard to its competing service priorities for the hospital and the resources at its disposal.
Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:162 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Health whether he is concerned that there is no staff allocation for looking after dangerous cytotoxic drugs in Tralee General Hospital in County Kerry.
The provision and organisation of services at Tralee General Hospital is a matter for the Southern Health Board. I understand that the board is addressing this matter at present. It has recently approved the purchase of a Fumebubble and is arranging for the centralisation and reconstitution of cytotoxic drugs in one area at the hospital.