Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

The Health Service Executive has advised my Department that the CT service at Louth County Hospital, Dundalk commenced in June 2007 on a phased basis. The service is being provided in co-operation with staff from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. A CT specialist attends Louth County Hospital one day per week. Last year over 1,400 patients from Louth County Hospital received CT scans at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

The HSE intends to introduce a full service at an early date. My Department is advised that, when fully operational, the service will be provided on a daily basis from Monday to Friday and will have the capacity to carry out up to 2,200 scans per annum. This will require the redeployment of a clinical specialist from Drogheda to Dundalk and the filling of the resulting vacancy. The necessary radiography staffing is in place. An after-hours service will continue to be provided in Drogheda.

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