Vol. 519 No. 6
190 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of heart surgery operations carried out in this country in each of the past three years and the number required if waiting lists were to be completely eliminated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14739/00]
193 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients currently seeking cardio-surgery; the number likely to receive such treatment this year based on previous years achievements in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14743/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 190 and 193 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, adult cardiac by-pass surgery in the public health sector is currently carried out at three centres, the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin, Cork University Hospital and, since September 1998, St. James's Hospital, Dublin. Paediatric cardiac surgery is carried out at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin.
Public patient waiting list statistics are collected by hospitals and furnished to my Department on a quarterly basis. I can confirm that at the end of March 2000, the most recent period for which information is available, there was a total of 624 adults awaiting cardiac surgery over 12 months and 238 waiting for three to 12 months. This represents a reduction of 192 when compared with the figures, as at end of December 1999, of 816 adults awaiting cardiac surgery over 12 months and a reduction of 60 when compared with the end of December 1999 figure of 298 awaiting cardiac surgery for three to 12 months. There was a total of 69 children awaiting cardiac surgery over six months, and six waiting for three to six months as at 31 March 2000. The total number of patients likely to receive cardiac surgery this year is estimated at 1,970. The total number of cardiac surgery operations carried out on adults and children in the years 1997, 1998, 1999 is 1,531, 1,696 and 1,703, respectively. This includes cardiac surgery procedures purchased under the cardiac surgery waiting list initiatives.
In 1998, my predecessor allocated funding of £2.3 million under the cardiac surgery waiting list Initiative, with the specific aim of reducing the national cardiac surgery waiting list for adults and children. In 1999, my predecessor made provision for the allocation of £4 million under the cardiac surgery waiting list Initiative and I am making a further £4 million available in 2000. I am confident that this year's funding will build on previous years' success in reducing the total number of adults and children on the waiting list. The cardiac surgery waiting list initiative has had, and will continue to have, a positive impact on the public cardiac waiting list. The total number of public patients, adults and children, awaiting cardiac surgery has reduced from 1,586 in September 1997 to 937 in March 2000, which represents a reduction of 41%.
191 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients seeking ENT treatments; the number of treatments which will be carried out this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14740/00]
192 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of persons seeking treatment for the removal of cataracts; the number for whom it is possible to have treatment this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14742/00]
194 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of persons currently awaiting hip replacement operations; the number likely to receive such treatment this year based on the performance in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14744/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 191, 192 and 194 together.
The hospital in-patient waiting list figures for the specialties requested by the Deputy as at 31 March 2000 are as follows: ENT, 7,132; cataracts, 2,959; hip replacement, 1,232.
The numbers on waiting lists have fallen by 2,485 on those at the end of December quarter. This welcome reduction has been achieved in a period of high levels of medical admissions due to flu-like illnesses and is a reflection of the major priority that is being attached to addressing high waiting lists.
