Vol. 435 No. 9
49 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that a person (details supplied) in County Waterford, who is presently on a priority waiting list for a valve replacement operation as a public patient, and who was advised that the operation had to be carried out before the end of the year, is called as a matter of urgency; and if he will have the matter examined.
As I am sure the Deputy will appreciate, the scheduling of surgery is a matter for the clinical judgement of the consultant concerned. I have made enquries from the Mater Hospital and I have been informed that this person has been on the priority waiting list for cardiac by-pass surgery and aortic valve replacement since 21 May, 1993. The hospital is unable at this stage to give a precise admission date for his operation. However, if the person feels that his condition has deteriorated he should contact his general practitioner who would be in the best position to highlight his case to his consultant.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I have allocated a sum of £1 million in 1993 from the Waiting List Fund to increase the throughout of open heart surgery at the National Cardiac Surgery Unit, Mater Hospital which will bring the annual capacity up to 1,000 open heart operations. I have also provided for a doubling of cardiac surgery at Cork Regional Hospital from 200 to 400 patients each year. The combined increased capacity in both Dublin and Cork will mean a new national throughput of 1,400 cases in the public sector which represents an increase of 47 per cent on the previous capacity.
