Bernard Allen
Ceist:121 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health the elective in-patient orthopaedic waiting list in the Cork Regional Hospital on 1 May in each of the years from 1990 to 1993.
Written Answers. - Orthopaedic Waiting List.
Elective orthopaedic surgery in the Cork area is carried out at St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital, Gurranebraher.
Specific information relating to in-patient waiting lists at 1 May in the years requested by the Deputy is not available in my Department. The orthopaedic in-patient waiting list at 31 December for the years 1990-1992 were as follows:
|
Year |
Number of patients on public inpatient waiting list |
|
1990 |
657* |
|
1991 |
694 |
|
1992 |
944 |
* May include some private patients.
The latest information available in my Department indicates that there are 862 people on the public waiting list for elective in-patient orthopaedic surgery at St. Mary's Orthpaedic Hospital.
The Deputy will be aware that approval was given to the Southern Health Board by my Department last year to provide new clean air theatre facilities at St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital, Gurranebraher.
A project team has been established and the planning process is underway. It is anticipated that work on the project will start later this year. The availability of the new clean air theatre will facilitate a greater throughput of patients.
The Deputy will also be aware of the £20 million Major Action Programme on Hospital In-Patient Waiting Lists which I launched recently. The overall aim of this Programme is to eliminate waiting lists in excess of 12 months in particular problem specialties, including orthopaedic surgery. The Southern Health Board will receive substantial funds of £1,736,500 as part of the Programme in respect of an additional 1,370 procedures which includes an additional 640 orthopaedic procedures at St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital and Tralee General Hospital. The Deputy will be pleased to learn that the target set for additional orthopaedic procedures in the Southern Health Board in 1993 is greater than the number of persons on the waiting list for more than a year.
I am confident these developments will lead to a substantial improvement in the service for orthopaedic patients in the Southern Health Board area as a whole.