Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this matter, which is also health related. The population of south Tipperary is entitled to the highest quality health services, just like patients in any other county. However, a number of issues that have been on the Minister's desk for some time need to be addressed urgently and referred to the Health Service Executive for completion. I refer to two problems in particular — overcrowding in the accident and emergency department at South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel and the transfer of general surgical services from Our Lady's Hospital, Cashel to the South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel.

As we are all aware, there is serious pressure on accident and emergency services throughout the country. On a recent visit to South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel, I found overcrowding in the accident and emergency department, which had spilled over into the main hospital. There were 35 additional patients on trolleys, a situation which was neither helpful to patients nor staff. Everybody was frustrated and angry at the situation, and they had every right to be. I spoke to patients who were unable to sleep because they were lying on hard trolleys. They were thankful to be in the hospital but not satisfied with the facilities and services available. I spoke with staff who were frustrated at not being able to give the level of service they believed they should be able to give.

This situation was compounded by the fact that an area within the hospital earmarked for a future acute medical unit is three quarters complete. It is an area under the roof of the hospital and a request to complete the unit and open it as an acute medical unit has been with the Department for more than two years. That would help to a large extent the overcrowding problem in the hospital. It would also tie in to the policies recently announced by the Tánaiste regarding the accident and emergency area.

The second problem that arises in the county is the transfer of general surgical services from Our Lady's Hospital, Cashel. That is promised for March of this year but cannot go ahead without the approval for the completion of units in the grounds of the hospital. Those units have been completed for approximately 12 months and are waiting approval for equipping and staffing. Approval is also awaited for the 20-bed GP assessment unit for the main hospital. These units must be opened and staffed properly to allow the transfer of the general surgical services to Clonmel and give the people of south Tipperary the level and quality of services to which they are entitled.

Approval for the 20-bed GP unit at Cashel and the 23-bed acute medical unit at Clonmel would go a long way to redressing the effect of the unfortunate and wrong closure of St. Vincent's Hospital in the late 1980s when 50 beds were closed at the hospital. The health services in south Tipperary have been bedevilled by the impact of that closure ever since. The health board at the time was not able to replace those beds and that has led to overcrowding in the accident and emergency unit, in the wards and on hospital corridors. Approval for the GP assessment unit and the acute medical unit would go a long way towards solving that problem and the problem of overcrowding in accident and emergency units.

The idea of a GP unit at Our Lady's Hospital in Cashel, together with other diagnostic services proposed for the hospital, including X-ray, physiotherapy and laboratory services, is an ideal way of providing health services. It dovetails with proposals the Tánaiste earmarked recently in regard to accident and emergency overcrowding which will allow services to be provided, particularly at a diagnostic and inpatient level, on a different site and ensure that the same pressure is not placed on the main hospital, South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel. I hope the Minister of State has some good news for me.

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