Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In talking about diagnostics I believe it is pretty much agreed that an X-ray does not work in the community, or I take it that it does not work since it was tried in Ballymun and it was not resourced right. With regard to hospital trusts and the hospital at the centre of that, would Dr. Gibney consider that if there were a diagnostic wing which was attached to an acute hospital and not interfered with by an acute accident and emergency department, one could then send people from the community to that facility? It is shocking that a patient who clearly has cancer is waiting eight weeks to find out how bad it is. The patient in question is a Polish gentleman who has settled in Ireland. I met him at the weekend and I do not believe I would tolerate that wait if it were me. I have the luxury of private health insurance but it just seems horrendous that in a civilised country somebody who clearly has cancer would be left eight weeks to be told how bad it is. Are the witnesses saying if we had this set-up on site, attached to the acute hospitals and with radiologists, radiographers and all of those resources, that is the way to do it? If it is the way, is that too sparse to deal with the lad down in Clonakilty or wherever? Is it too little? Do we need more than that to serve the people in rural areas? Would the witnesses consider that the way forward, having a wing attached to an acute hospital for primary care referrals?