Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 26 Oct 1994

Vol. 446 No. 4

Written Answers. - Hip Operations.

Michael Ring

Ceist:

161 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health the number of hip operations that took place in the Western Health Board in 1994; the number of those performed on private patients; and the number performed on public patients. [1410/94]

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

The position is that a total of 127 hip operations were performed in the Western Health Board during the first nine months of this year. The following schedule identifies the breakdown between public and private patients for that period:

1994	Public	Private	Total
Up to 30/9/94	87	40	127

The Deputy may be aware that under the waiting list initiative 1994 a total of £850,000 has been allocated to the Western Health Board for the provision of 1,222 additional procedures, including 109 orthopaedic procedures.

In addition, a sum of £400,000 was allocated to the Western Health Board this year in respect of the expansion of orthopaedic services at Merlin Park Regional Hospital. As a result, approval has issued to the Board to recruit a consultant orthopaedic surgeon and consultant anaesthetist together with the necessary support staff. This should help reduce the overall waiting time for orthopaedic patients within the Western Health Board area.