Vol. 554 No. 5
1046 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Health and Children if he supports the planned downgrading of paediatric services available at the Children's Hospital in Temple Street and the decision that certain paediatric and neo-natal procedures should only be carried out in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin and not at all in Temple Street.; and the reason specialist paediatric services are being concentrated in south Dublin. [16073/02]
1060 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans to prevent the closure of the major part of the new-born and young infant surgery services in Temple Street Children's Hospital; and if he will direct Comhairle na nOspidéal to change their position to reduce, transfer and downgrade its surgery services. [16176/02]
1076 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if, in relation to the Review of Paediatric Surgery Services, December 1998 and April 1999, his Department and Comhairle na nOspidéal will withdraw a sentence (details supplied) from the deal; and if he will ensure that the new Temple Street Children's Hospital on the Mater site is not downgraded. [16265/02]
1175 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children the specialities which are being moved from Temple Street Hospital to Crumlin Hospital; and if he has satisfied himself that patients who are being treated for spina bifida and hydrocephalus will be able to continue to get the full range of care at Temple Street Hospital. [16928/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1046, 1060, 1076 and 1175 together.
As the Deputies will be aware, Comhairle na nOspidéal is the statutory body set up under the Health Act, 1970, to regulate the appointment of consultant medical staff in hospitals, to specify the qualifications for such appointments, and to advise the Minister on the organisation of hospital services. The future provision and extent of paediatric surgery services was reviewed in 1998 by a committee established by Comhairle. The committee was asked to consider this issue in the absence of agreement among the three paediatric hospitals on the nature and structure of a replacement consultant paediatric surgeon post which had arisen at Our Lady's hospital in Crumlin. Comhairle recommended the concentration of a very small number of specialist paediatric and neonatal surgical operations in Our Lady's hospital, Crumlin, with all three paediatric hospitals continuing to provide non-specialist paediatric surgery and less complex urology services.
I am advised by Comhairle that a very small percentage of the children undergoing paediatric surgical procedures at Temple Street would require access to the specialist surgical services under consideration. However, I am aware that concerns have been raised by Temple Street Hospital in relation to the proposed transfer of this work. In this regard I will be meeting with representatives from the hospital in the near future to discuss these concerns. With regard to Deputy Bruton's question concerning services for patients being treated for spina bifida and hydrocephalus at Temple Street Hospital, my Department has asked the regional chief executive of the Eastern Regional Health Authority to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and to reply to him directly.
