Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:172 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Health the current waiting list for hip replacement and knee replacement operations at Tralee General Hospital, County Kerry.
Written Answers. - Hospital Waiting List.
Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:174 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Health the number of patients awaiting admission to Tralee General Hospital, Tralee, County Kerry.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 172 and 174 together.
The latest information available to my Department is that there are 574 people awaiting admission to Tralee General Hospital. This should be seen in the context of 14,527 admissions to the hospital in 1991.
The number of people awaiting hip replacement operations is 88 and the number of people awaiting knee replacement operations is 10.
The admission of a patient to hospital is a clinical decision for the consultant in charge of the case. Waiting lists are kept under review and priority is given to urgent cases. If a patient's condition is causing concern, it is open to his or her general practitioner to contact the consultant concerned with a view to expediting matters.