Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 October 2022
93. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the need for an elective hospital for Limerick and the mid-west (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52398/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra331. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health his views on the suitability of the St. John's Hospital site for an elective hospital for the mid-west; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52540/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 93 and 331 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, in December 2021 the Government agreed, subject to the necessary approvals and requirements under the Public Spending Code being met, a new National Elective Ambulatory Care Strategy. We are developing additional capacity which will be provided through dedicated, standalone Elective Hospitals in Cork, Galway and Dublin.
The locations chosen will allow for new facilities of a size and scale to implement a national elective care programme that will tackle waiting lists on a national basis. This means that the new facilities will be designed to maximise their capacity and in doing so will operate to cover as wide a catchment area as possible, extending beyond existing and future health areas including Limerick and the mid-west.
I was in Limerick last week and discussed this matter with the Deputy as well as the Senior Management Team at the Hospital - and I would very much like to acknowledge the hard work of the Deputy and others in relation to this area. As he knows, I am committed to continued improvement of the elective care system in Ireland and I have been impressed to see solutions developed locally, such as the Reeves Day Surgery Unit at Tallaght University Hospital which has succeeded in significantly reducing waiting times for patients. I am clear that we need to keep an open mind as to how elective care is best delivered in Limerick and across the country.
