Rory O'Hanlon
Ceist:322 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress which has been made since his visit to Monaghan in addressing the needs of the general hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10250/02]
Written Answers. - Hospital Services.
As the Deputy is aware when I visited Monaghan General Hospital recently I met hospital management and staff and representatives of local groups. I was happy to be in a position to allay any concerns with regard to the future development of the hospital.
A significant level of capital investment in Monaghan General Hospital is proposed in the short-term; plans are being advanced by the North-Eastern Health Board for development and upgrading the high dependency unit at the hospital in addition to substantial upgrading and refurbishment of ward accommodation, the development of the treatment-minor injuries unit and the development of a midwifery led unit. The associated capital cost is of the order of €7 million.
Revenue funding is provided to health boards for the maintenance and continued development of existing services and for the provision and development of new services. Revenue funding in this regard has been provided to the North-East ern Health Board in recent years as follows: 2000 £226.806 million; 2001 £289.122 million.
In the current year this figure increased to €450.053 million, £354.446 million.
The Deputy will appreciate that it is a matter for the health board to determine its service priorities in the context of the funding made available to it for the maintenance, development and provision of services. I am advised by the board that the development of new consultant-led services in dermatology and geriatric medicine at the hospital is proceeding and I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has recently issued formal approval to the board for the filling of two consultant posts to facilitate these developments. A further application for approval of the upgrading of a temporary consultant surgeon post to permanent status is currently being progressed by my Department. I regard these developments as evidence of the commitment of the board to continued investment in the development of services on the hospital campus.
I am further advised by the board that management consultants have been retained to oversee the implementation of a consultants in management programme for the NEHB hospitals and to improve and enhance general management arrangements for the Cavan-Monaghan hospital group.
I have announced the immediate commissioning process for an additional 709 acute hospital beds in public hospitals nation-wide at a cost of €65 million in the current year. This is the first phase in the provision of the additional 3,000 acute hospital beds by 2011. Some 38 of the additional 709 public hospital beds will be provided in the North-Eastern Health Board region with ten of these being provided in Monaghan General Hospital. All of the additional bed capacity at the hospital will be designated for public patients and will allow the hospital to significantly increase activity levels for its public patients.
I am satisfied the proposed development of additional consultant-led services at the hospital, together with the provision of additional bed capacity and the proposed significant level of capital investment is tangible evidence of additional funding for the provision of acute hospital services to the catchment area population served by the hospital.