Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise on the Adjournment an important issue that affects the orthopaedic unit of Mayo General Hospital, County Mayo. Last year we were delighted the orthopaedic unit was opened at Mayo General Hospital. Everything was going well. For the first time in many years the waiting lists were reduced and many people had hip and knee operations carried out in their own county. The tradition in the past was that all patients from County Mayo had to go to Galway. For some in north Mayo, that could involve a journey in excess of 200 miles to see a consultant.

On 4 January there was an announcement to the effect that Mayo General Hospital would also deal with trauma. A few weeks later there was an announcement that in order to set up the trauma unit there would be no further surgery relating to planned operations. This is outrageous. We have an orthopaedic team up and running in the hospital. The trauma unit has not been as busy as expected and there is a full team of consultants and 14 or 15 vacant beds at a time when there is a crisis in the health service. Planned surgery for hip or knee operations will not take place even though the team is in place. There is no point in putting funding in place, in having empty wards and a team that wants to operate and get rid of the waiting lists and not using them.

An official from the Department should go to Mayo General Hospital tomorrow and investigate why the unit for planned surgery is closed. This is outrageous. We have an orthopaedic team up and running in the hospital. The trauma unit is still going ahead. We have vacant beds, a full team in place and many operations could be performed. This is bad management of the health services. Why was the unit opened if the staff was not in place? Why was the staff not put in place before the trauma unit was opened? I met many elderly people who had a knee or a hip operation and were delighted with the service. It was the first time in many years that the hospital waiting lists for Mayo were reduced but we are back to the bad old days again.

We fought hard for the orthopaedic unit. In 1994 when I was elected in a by-election to the Dáil that was one of the big issues raised and it is probably one of the reasons I am here. The money was put in place and the orthopaedic unit was opened.

When the Minister of State responds he will give me a bland reply on what is going on. I want fully investigated the reason 15 beds are vacant while there is a crisis in the health service. There is a team is in place that wants to work and can operate. I want an official from the Department in Mayo General Hospital tomorrow to deal with the issue and have the operations taking place. There is no reason they cannot be performed and I want to see them being done. I do not want the orthopaedic unit operating in a half-hearted way because that would continue for the next few years and coming up to the next general election it would again be an issue. The wards, staff and consultants are in place and there are plenty of patients to be operated on. I want taxpayers' money to protect it and the Department of Health and Children to move immediately to deal with the issue.

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