Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 14 Oct 1998

Vol. 495 No. 2

Written Answers. - Hospital Services.

Liam Aylward

Ceist:

152 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason a relatively small number of operations have been carried out over the past six weeks where six consultants are attached to the Regional Orthopaedic Hospital, Kilcreene, County Kilkenny, which was closed down for surgery during August 1998, in view of the large waiting list of patients awaiting elective surgery there; the number of individual days during the past six weeks that the theatre has been utilised; the activities carried out therein; the cost involved; if he has satisfied himself that this is value for taxpayers money; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19791/98]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

The provision of services at the Lourdes Hospital, Kilcreene is a matter for the South-Eastern Health Board in the first instance. The board has informed me that in the six weeks from 31 August 1998 to 9 October 1998, 11 theatre days were cancelled for a variety of reasons including annual leave, emergency/on-call commitments at Waterford Regional Hospital and as a result of reviews of theatre lists. To obtain an accurate reflection of how the hospital is performing against its service plan it is, of course, more relevant to examine its activity over the full 12 months of the year. In this context, it should be noted that overall activity at the hospital for the first nine months of this year has, according to the health board, exceeded service plan projections by approximately 5 per cent.