Vol. 427 No. 7
51 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo, who is in chronic pain and awaiting a hip replacement has now been told that it will be three to four years before he can be assessed at an outpatient clinic for surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I have checked with the Western Health Board which has confirmed that the person in question was recently put on the out-patient waiting list but the board is not in a position to give an appointment date at this stage. The Deputy will appreciate that the scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the clinician concerned. Should the person feel that their condition has deteriorated, they should return to their general practitioner who will be in the best position to emphasise the urgency of their case directly to the consultant.
It is my intention to discuss the current situation regarding orthopaedic waiting lists with the Western Health Board in the context of its 1993 revenue allocation which issued recently. A sum of £20 million has been provided this year in the Health Estimates to reduce waiting lists for certain specialities where there are long waiting times for admission to hospital. These specialities include orthopaedic surgery, ophthalmology, ear, nose and throat, cardiac surgery, vascular surgery and plastic surgery. The aim is to eliminate waiting lists in excess of 12 months in these specialties for which there are unduly long waiting times. Decisions in relation to disbursements of waiting list funds will be taken in the coming weeks following detailed discussions with the agencies concerned.
