Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 7 Feb 1995

Vol. 448 No. 6

Adjournment Debate. - Cork University Hospital.

Mr. B. O'Keeffe

I thank the Chair for allowing me to raise this important matter and I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Currie, on his appointment. During the course of the previous debate Deputies described floods and storms but they are as nothing compared to the storm raging in Cork over the shortage of beds in Cork University Hospital.

One can expect emergencies to arise during the winter season with a consequent shortage of beds but the crisis at the hospital has been ongoing since October 1994. I should like the Minister to dwell on the inconvenience caused to patients whose operations are postponed. He can imagine their anticipation when they arrive at the hospital and their stress and disappointment when they are turned away, not knowing when the operation will be performed. Imagine the chaos in the hospital where five day wards were turned into seven day wards with nursing staff extended to the full. Yet they give of their best and I congratulate them for the service they have given over this time.

One would have thought the crisis would have abated after Christmas but there were 40 over-bookings on Satur-day, 33 on Sunday, 36 on Monday and 25 on Tuesday. The Minister will appreciate that opening additional wards, converting five day wards into seven day wards and providing additional staff and medical supplies has a major impact on the board's finances.

From the period October to December 1994 the additional cost amounted to £192,000. The additional services provided for January amounted to £56,000. The cost of trying to contain the emergency in the hospital is almost £250,000 and a further £50,000 will be needed for this month. This means the board must find an extra £300,000 over and above its budget.

Some time ago, Dublin city hospitals and the Eastern Health Board were allocated £500,000 to meet emergency services. The Minister for Health issued a statement on 18 January in which he said that because of the emergencies in Dublin hospitals he was providing a further £850,000. The £500,000 allocated does not form part and parcel of the board's budget. When we consider that Dublin has received £850,000 it is only natural that we in Cork would look to the Minister to alleviate the difficulties we face.

I wish to share my time with Deputy Wallace.

An Ceann Comhairle

I would have much preferred if the Deputy had intimated that at the beginning of the speech.

Mr. B. O'Keeffe

Surely it is only right for us to expect that the Minister of State will give a further allocation to Cork to compensate for the additional funding we have expended. If we do not receive such funding the Southern Health Board will have to cut back drastically on some of the services it hoped to extend during 1995. If that occurs we will hold the Minister directly responsible. In line with Dublin, the Minister should make a substantial allocation of funds to the board to help overcome the crisis which exists in Cork University Hospital.

Mr. D. Wallace

I support my colleague Deputy O'Keeffe in raising this matter. He has outlined the position which has existed since last October and the demands on the service. The cost cutting exercises in the Southern Health Board and the efforts made by the board and the hospital staff are well recognised by the Minister and the Department. The events of the last few months place a severe strain on the board's resources and are very serious. I appeal to the Minister to look at the position and recognise the improvements made due to the efforts of the board and the management. I ask him to respond positively, as he did in Dublin and treat all areas equally. The postponement of operations causes great trauma to patients and I ask the Minister to take on board the comments made by Deputy O'Keeffe.

Mr. Currie

I thank Deputy O'Keeffe for his congratulations.

On behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Noonan, I thank the Deputies for raising this matter and for giving me the opportunity to outline the position regarding the costs associated with the high level of emergency admissions to Cork University Hospital.

As the Deputies will appreciate, the workload of many hospitals has increased since Christmas owing to a rise in the number of people, many of them elderly, requiring admittance to hospital because of respiratory and other seasonal complaints. Such an increase in activity is consistent with the general pattern for this time of year. As a result of this additional workload, there has been pressure on medical wards in particular and some delays in accident and emergency departments.

The Minister is aware that there has been considerable pressure on beds at Cork University Hospital since early January due to an influx of emergency admissions, mostly in the medical area. To cope with the increased demand, the hospital authorities have temporarily converted a five-day ward to a sevenday ward and have opened a number of extra beds over and above the hospital's normal complement. As is normal practice in such situations, the authorities are rescheduling elective admissions to the hospital. I take this opportunity to stress that all urgent and emergency cases at Cork University Hospital continue to be treated.

The Deputies will be aware that the Department allocates funds to each health board on an annual basis for the provision of services within its region and it is a matter for each board to determine how these funds should be distributed. The hospital authorities have informed me that the additional cost of managing the increased level of admissions is £56,000 in 1995 to date. The Department will be notifying health agencies of their allocations for 1995 over the coming days.

It will then be a matter for the Southern Health Board to determine the level of resources to be allocated to Cork University Hospital. In 1994, the cost of managing the problem was £192,000 and the Minister is satisfied that the Department provided sufficient funds in that year to enable the hospital to discharge its duties.

I assure the Deputies that the situation in relation to emergency admissions to Cork University Hospital is being carefully monitored and that the Department is in constant contact with hospital authorities in this regard. The Minister has been informed today by the hospital authorities that the demand for beds appears to have eased somewhat. They hope that the situation at Cork University Hospital will revert to one of normal service delivery in the near future.

Mr. B. O'Keeffe

Does that sound like an increased allocation?