John Browne
Ceist:71 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Health if the amount of hip replacement operations can be improved in the Adelaide Hospital, Dublin. [934/94]
Written Answers. - Hip Replacement Operations.
John Browne
Ceist:100 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Health if he has satisfied himself with the arrangements to provide hip replacement operations in the Adelaide Hospital, Dublin. [933/94]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 100 together. I am aware of the difficulties associated with the provision of orthopaedic surgery at the Adelaide Hospital. In 1993, as part of the national waiting list initiative I approved an additional allocation of £995,000 for the Adelaide Hospital for the purposes of performing an additional 500 orthopaedic procedures, including 150 hip replacement operations. This workload was satisfactorily completed by the hospital.
Earlier this year I was pleased to have been in a position to allocate a further £500,000 to the hospital under the 1994 Waiting List Initiative for the purposes of performing 400 additional orthopaedic procedures, including 70 hip replacement operations. The additional funding provided allowed the Adelaide Hospital to open for six months an extra 30 beds over and above the level for which the hospital is funded.
I am aware of the concerns expressed by the hospital authorities regarding the number of beds for which it is currently funded, and I am considering this matter in this context of the Health Estimates for 1995.