Mr. Liam Woods:

I would be happy to get details from Senator Burke on the question about the patient and to follow it up individually. The point about the NTPF hip replacement operations and four patients having private cover, as the Senator is aware, it is every citizen's entitlement to access hospital services so that is entirely within the legislation.

On the point about the retention of managers, I took the question to refer to small to mid-size hospitals where there may be a lot of flow. It is an observation well made that managing a small hospital is a complex management task. There has been a history of staff grading levels that attract people to move based on the fact that they can be promoted at a higher grade elsewhere. That is something we have to look at in terms of career structure. There has been some experience recently of upgrading those posts to provide better longer term career opportunities. The Senator's point about stable leadership is well made and understood in management theory and practice and in fact is reflected in health literature.

On the question about non-consultant hospital doctor, NCHD, recruitment, from a hospitals' perspective we are up 178 NCHDs since the start of the year. Our medical agency number, which is the point to which Senator Burke referred, is still relatively static. There has been a small drop and it is very close to the change-over so we will have to assess our own data.