Vol. 496 No. 7
76 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps, if any, he is taking to reduce the increasing waiting lists at Waterford Regional Hospital; and if his attention has been drawn to the concern of the medical staff. [23971/98]
87 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of persons on hospital waiting lists on the latest date for which numbers are available; the comparable figure for June 1997; the action, if any, he proposes to take to reduce hospital waiting lists in view of the hardship being endured by many patients waiting long periods for treatment or procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23826/98]
92 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children when patients on waiting lists at the various hospitals are likely to receive treatment; if he will give an assurance that no loss of life will occur arising from these waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23904/98]
155 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the hospital or hospitals dealing with specialties in respect of which there are no waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23975/98]
172 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients on waiting lists seeking treatment for cataracts; the number who have received treatment in the past 12 months; the number on these lists at the beginning of 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24159/98]
180 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients on waiting lists in respect of hip replacement who have presented for treatment in 1998; the number on these lists at the beginning of 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24191/98]
181 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients on waiting lists who are seeking ear, nose and throat treatments; the number of these patients presenting in 1998; the number on these lists at the beginning of 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24192/98]
183 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients who have elected for eye surgery in 1998; the number who have received treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24194/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 76, 87, 92, 155, 172, 180, 181 and 183 together.
The number of persons on in-patient hospital waiting lists at 30 June 1998, the latest date for which figures are available, is set out in the following tables.
Under the waiting list initiative, the aim is to treat adults in target specialties within 12 months and children in target specialties within six months. A very small number of hospitals have no waiting lists because they do not specialise in the treatments for which a public waiting list is common. Most of the specialties targeted under the waiting list initiative involve conditions which are not life-threatening. Where a person's condition deteriorates, their case can be urgently reviewed, and if appropriate, urgent treatment can be provided.
The number of patients awaiting treatment for hip replacements, cataracts, eye surgery and ENT procedures are set out in the format collected by my Department for the latest available period in 1998 and for the beginning of the year, that is at 31 December 1997.
|
Procedure |
June 1998 |
December 1997 |
|
Cataracts |
2644 |
2155 |
|
Eye Surgery |
964 |
847 |
|
Hip replacements |
1164 |
1400 |
|
ENT |
7638 |
7138 |
|
Adelaide Hospital |
731 |
Adelaide Hospital |
638 |
|
|
Baggot Street Hospital |
0 |
Baggot Street Hospital |
0 |
|
|
Beaumont Hospital |
2309 |
Beaumont Hospital |
2497 |
|
|
Cavan General Hospital |
248 |
Cavan General Hospital |
416 |
|
|
Coombe Women's Hospital |
70 |
Coombe Women's Hospital |
87 |
|
|
Cork University Hospital |
954 |
Cork University Hospital |
923 |
|
|
Ennis |
0 |
Ennis |
0 |
|
|
Ennis General Hospital |
0 |
Ennis General Hospital |
0 |
|
|
Hume Street Hospital (Dublin) |
0 |
Hume Street Hospital (Dublin) |
0 |
|
|
James Connolly Memorial Hospital (Blanchardstown) |
117 |
James Connolly Memorial Hospital (Blanchardstown) |
57 |
|
|
Letterkenny General Hospital |
597 |
Letterkenny General Hospital |
632 |
|
|
Longford/Westmeath General Hospital (Mullingar) |
81 |
Longford/Westmeath General Hospital (Mullingar) |
142 |
|
|
Louth County Hospital, Dundalk |
32 |
Louth County Hospital, Dundalk |
6 |
|
|
Mallow General Hospital |
0 |
Mallow General Hospital |
0 |
|
|
Mater Misericordiae Hospital |
2845 |
Mater Misericordiae Hospital |
3212 |
|
|
Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar |
96 |
Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar |
67 |
|
|
Meath Hospital |
524 |
Meath Hospital |
557 |
|
|
Mercy Hospital, Cork |
698 |
Mercy Hospital, Cork |
701 |
|
|
Merlin Park Regional Hospital, Galway |
559 |
Merlin Park Regional Hospital, Galway |
473 |
|
|
Monaghan General Hospital |
171 |
Monaghan General Hospital |
98 |
|
|
Naas General Hospital |
83 |
Naas General Hospital |
145 |
|
|
National Children's Hospital, (Harcourt Street) |
76 |
National Children's Hospital, (Harcourt Street) |
124 |
|
|
National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street |
78 |
National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street |
64 |
|
|
National Rehabilitation Hospital |
0 |
National Rehabilitation Hospital |
0 |
|
|
Nenagh General Hospital |
0 |
Nenagh General Hospital |
0 |
|
|
Orthopaedic Hospital, Kilcreene |
436 |
Orthopaedic Hospital, Kilcreene |
666 |
|
|
Our Lady Of Lourdes Hospital (Voluntary to 5/97) |
475 |
Our Lady Of Lourdes Hospital (Voluntary to 5/97) |
399 |
|
|
Our Lady's General Hospital, Navan |
451 |
Our Lady's General Hospital, Navan |
477 |
|
|
Our Lady's Hospital, (Crumlin) |
607 |
Our Lady's Hospital, (Crumlin) |
553 |
|
|
Our Lady's Hospital, Cashel |
58 |
Our Lady's Hospital, Cashel |
59 |
|
|
Portiuncula Hospital, (Ballinasloe) |
22 |
Portiuncula Hospital, (Ballinasloe) |
53 |
|
|
Portlaoise General Hospital |
147 |
Portlaoise General Hospital |
167 |
|
|
Regional Hospital, (Dooradoyle) Limerick |
1151 |
Regional Hospital, (Dooradoyle) Limerick |
1455 |
|
|
Regional Orthopaedic Hospital (Croom) |
771 |
Regional Orthopaedic Hospital (Croom) |
468 |
|
|
Roscommon General Hospital |
10 |
Roscommon General Hospital |
10 |
|
|
Rotunda Hospital, (Dublin) |
205 |
Rotunda Hospital, (Dublin) |
246 |
|
|
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital (Dublin) |
790 |
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital (Dublin) |
700 |
|
|
Sligo Regional Hospital |
1047 |
Sligo Regional Hospital |
1544 |
|
|
South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital Ltd. |
922 |
South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital Ltd. |
945 |
|
|
St. Columcille's Hospital (Loughlinstown) |
0 |
St. Columcille's Hospital (Loughlinstown) |
0 |
|
|
St. John's Hospital (Limerick) |
284 |
St. John's Hospital (Limerick) |
317 |
|
|
St. Joseph's Hospital, Clonmel |
250 |
St. Joseph's Hospital, Clonmel |
236 |
|
|
St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny |
651 |
St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny |
535 |
|
|
St. Lukes and St. Annes Hospitals |
0 |
St. Lukes and St. Annes Hospitals |
0 |
|
|
St. Mary's Hospital, Cappagh |
1109 |
St. Mary's Hospital, Cappagh |
1459 |
|
|
St. Mary's Hospital, Gurranebraher |
729 |
St. Mary's Hospital, Gurranebraher |
738 |
|
|
St. Michael's Hospital (Dunlaoire) |
183 |
St. Michael's Hospital (Dunlaoire) |
168 |
|
|
St. Vincent's Hospital (Elm Park) |
1551 |
St. Vincent's Hospital (Elm Park) |
1891 |
|
|
St. Jame's Hospital |
2390 |
St. Jame's Hospital |
2129 |
|
|
Tallaght Hospital |
0 |
Tallaght Hospital |
0 |
|
|
Temple Street Children Hospital (Dublin) |
993 |
Temple Street Children Hospital (Dublin) |
1095 |
|
|
Tralee General Hospital |
236 |
Tralee General Hospital |
602 |
|
|
Tullamore General Hospital |
1556 |
Tullamore General Hospital |
1737 |
|
|
University College Hospital, Galway |
2079 |
University College Hospital, Galway |
2891 |
|
|
Waterford Maternity Hospital (Airmount) |
0 |
Waterford Maternity Hospital (Airmount) |
0 |
|
|
Waterford Regional Hospital, Ardkeen |
793 |
Waterford Regional Hospital, Ardkeen |
1617 |
|
|
Wexford General Hospital |
288 |
Wexford General Hospital |
335 |
|
|
Total |
30453 |
Total |
34331 |
|
77 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Health and Children the proposals, if any, he has to reduce waiting lists for cardiac surgery at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin 12, in view of the fact that latest figures show that 56 children, some only months old, have been waiting more than six months for surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23828/98]
Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, serves as the national referral centre for paediatric heart disease. According to figures recently submitted to the Department the hospital currently has 56 patients waiting over six months for cardiac surgery.
Under the 1997 cardiac surgery waiting list initiative a sum of £500,000 was allocated to the hospital for the purpose of alleviating the waiting list pressures. The hospital's proposal, agreed with my Department, was to utilise this additional funding to provide the following: increased cardiology out-patient department activity with additional echocardiographs and electrocardiographs; four additional ICU beds; an additional training programme for ICU nurses; 18 cardiac procedures to be purchased on a contract basis in the UK.
This year under the same initiative an increased allocation of £878,550 was made to the hospital. This provided for additional staff, the purchase of 30 additional cardiac procedures in the UK and the continuation of the ICU nurse training course. I should point out to the Deputy that as a consequence of this investment the number of children currently awaiting cardiac surgery shows a decrease on the comparable figure of 66 at the end of December 1997.
The development of enhanced paediatric cardiac surgery facilities is at an advanced stage. This includes the provision of additional theatres and associated facilities and a design team for the development will shortly be appointed. In addition, the appointment of a consultant cardiologist and a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon has been approved by my Department and Comhairle na n-Ospidéal. These measures will alleviate the pressures currently being experienced in the provision of this service.
