Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 23 Nov 1993

Vol. 436 No. 1

Written Answers. - Tipperary (South Riding) Orthopaedic Services.

Theresa Ahearn

Ceist:

172 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Health the number on the waiting list for orthopaedic assessment in Tipperary (South Riding); the number awaiting hospital admission for orthopaedic surgery; the average waiting period in each case; the plans, if any, he has for the improvement of orthopaedic services; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

The number of people on the waiting list for orthopaedic assessment in County Tipperary (South Riding), as at 31 October, 1993 is 487. However, in the normal course a number of these will not require surgery. There is a total of 141 patients awaiting elective orthopaedic surgery.

Orthopaedic surgery is one of the specialties which is being targeted in the £20 million major action programme on Hospital In-Patient Waiting Lists. Under this programme, I have provided funding for an additional 260 orthopaedic procedures to be carried out in the SouthEastern Health Board area in 1993. In addition, more resources have been allocated in 1993 for the regional elective unit at Kilcreene Hospital for orthopaedic service enhancement. These measures, I am sure, will increase the orthopaedic throughput and thereby reduce waiting times.

Theresa Ahearn

Ceist:

173 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the lack of privacy in some hospitals for maternity cases, where multi-bedded labour wards are provided; the steps, if any, he will take to ensure privacy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

The position in relation to the major maternity hospitals is as follows:

Rotunda Hospital — The hospital has recently opened a new delivery suite which includes nine individual birthing rooms, finished to a very high standard.

Coombe Hospital — a new delivery suite was completed at the hospital consisting of five individual birthing suites complete with en suite facilities. There are wards in the existing delivery suite where patients are nursed side by side during the first stage of labour. However, patients are then moved to a delivery room to ensue that there is privacy for the second and third stages of labour.

Holles Street Hospital — a new delivery suite has recently opened at the hospital consisting of 12 single rooms with en suite facilities, to facilitate privacy during labour.

In addition, the hospital has a further four single delivery rooms, and two other delivery rooms, each of which contain two beds. Curtains are used to ensure privacy for patients in these rooms.

Airmount Maternity Hospital, Waterford — There are three single labour wards available for mothers.

Erinville Maternity Hospital, Cork — There are two beds in each labour ward. Privacy is provided by curtains between beds.

I am satisfied that there is sufficient privacy for patients within the main maternity hospitals. In relation to maternity units within acute general hospitals, I understand that every effort is made to ensure that there is a maximum amount of privacy afforded to mothers. Indeed, many of the larger maternity units also provide individual labour rooms, and in the relatively few cases where labour rooms are shared, curtains are used to allow privacy for patients.