Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 12 Nov 1996

Vol. 471 No. 4

Written Answers - Physiotherapy Treatment.

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn

Ceist:

67 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Health whether persons living in the Palmerstown area of Dublin 20 who require physiotherapy are entitled to have such treatment carried out at St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20867/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): St. James's Hospital provides a general practitioner referral service for patients requiring physiotherapy. This service is offered to general practitioners in the Dublin 8, 10 and 12 areas. Physiotherapy is also provided for patients referred by consultants attached to the hospital and a service is provided from the accident and emergency department.

The general practitioner referral service is not offered to areas other than those mentioned as the volume would entail patients having long waiting times and this is not considered acceptable or good practice. Patients from the Palmerstown area may, however, seek to be referred by a general practitioner to the physiotherapy service at James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown.