Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Harney, the Minister for Health and Children.

As the Deputy will be aware, operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services is a matter for the Health Service Executive, HSE. The Deputy will also be aware that until January 2007, acute hospital services in south Tipperary were provided on two sites, South Tipperary General Hospital, Clonmel, and Our Lady's Hospital, Cashel. Acute hospital services amalgamated in Clonmel in January 2007 following a major capital development to facilitate the transfer of accident and emergency, general surgery and oncology services from Cashel at a cost of €30 million. Funds raised by the local community funded the purchase of the CAT equipment and the provision of a temporary CAT building at Clonmel pending the provision of a permanent building.

The HSE has advised that South Tipperary General Hospital currently provides a CAT service five days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The service is provided to hospital inpatients, outpatients and emergency patients. Some 3,000 scans were undertaken in 2006. Emergency patients who require CAT scans out of hours and at weekends are mainly sent to Cork and Dublin, depending on diagnosis and condition.

The HSE has further advised that an extended CAT service is not in place due to ongoing industrial relations issues with radiographers. The provision of an extended service has also yet to be agreed with the consultant radiologists. The HSE has advised that a permanent CAT building will be completed as part of the €2.2 million expansion of the accident and emergency department. This project is currently in the planning phase.

It is a matter for the HSE to consider the progression of this new development at South Tipperary General Hospital in the context of the overall capital and revenue funding resources available to it.

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