Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 1 Jun 1993

Vol. 431 No. 6

Written Answers. - University College Hospital, Galway.

Jim Higgins

Ceist:

126 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the situation at the casualty unit at University College Hospital, Galway, is chaotic with patients having to queue for up to 12 hours for attention.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

I am aware of the situation in the casualty unit at University College Hospital, Galway. However, the Deputy will appreciate that some delays are an inevitable part of busy casualty departments which have a large throughput of patients. Each patient must be assessed to determine his/her medical priority, and urgent cases are attended to promptly. This necessarily means that patients with less urgent conditions will experience some waiting time.

The Deputy will be pleased to learn that a Joint Working Group comprising of representatives of the Western Health Board and my Department is currently examining the short term development needs of University College Hospital, Galway in the areas of in-patient accommodation, Theatres, X-Ray, and the Accident and Emergency Department, with a view to recommending an interim development plan for the hospital.