Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 May 2012
635 Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a person (details supplied) who has been attending St. Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin, for the past six years in view of the fact that this person has been told that they cannot be treated at St. Vincent’s in the future in view of the fact that they are outside the catchment area. [25205/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraHospitals have built up informal catchment areas over a number of years and any individual hospital often has a number of "catchment areas" reflecting the different geographic areas from which it normally accepts referrals of different types. Issues with catchment areas are typically cyclical and often reflect, amongst other things, the economic cycle.
The growing budgetary and activity performance pressures on hospitals has led to some hospitals enforcing a more strict adherence to what they view as their catchment areas for different aspects of their service. It has also been legitimately queried why, in some cases, patients are bypassing recently developed suitable services in hospitals closer to the patient requiring that patient to travel longer distances to a larger tertiary hospital which is under greater pressure and may have longer outpatient waiting times.
It has been agreed however that an inconsistent approach is not in the best interests of patients and therefore it has been agreed in the interim that any planned and agreed changes in referrals/catchment areas should not impact on patients who are already on a waiting list in a particular hospital or are patients in long term care/treatment.
Where, by exception, it is agreed that existing patients on a waiting list should be considered for transfer to another hospital waiting list this should be on the basis that they will be able to access their service in the new hospital earlier or at minimum no later than had they remained on the original waiting list.
Patients should be informed of any proposed changes in advance and any concerns they may raise dealt with appropriately.
