Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. In recent years, the demand for orthopaedic services in Kerry has consistently increased due to the growing population as well as significant elderly and visiting tourist populations. In response to this, the HSE has endeavoured to ensure that a comprehensive orthopaedic service is provided.

Since July 2007, the medical staffing of the orthopaedic department at Kerry General Hospital has increased by an additional registrar and now consists of three orthopaedic consultants, four senior house officers and three registrars. The department currently provides the following services: elective, or planned, and trauma, or emergency, surgery; six consultant-led outpatient clinics; on-call ward rounds; and trauma admissions. Activity in the orthopaedic department is intensive. Twelve elective orthopaedic surgery sessions are carried out each week, while trauma orthopaedic surgery has three dedicated sessions. However, some trauma cases are included in the elective sessions. Orthopaedic emergencies are managed within the general emergency theatre lists on a Saturday, Sunday and out of hours.

Within the hospital structure, there are 30 beds dedicated to orthopaedics. The complete upgrading of this ward has been flagged as a priority by management and funding in excess of €3 million has been approved for this purpose in 2008. This project will involve structural changes including the making available of high-quality facilities, including an isolation room, and will separate elective and trauma patients to reduce risk of cross-infection.

Management at Kerry General Hospital is working closely with the national treatment purchase fund towards reducing waiting times for orthopaedic patients. So far this year, 60 inpatients have been referred for surgery and a further 41 persons have been referred for outpatient consultation to the Bon Secours Hospital.

The HSE is committed to providing the best possible quality of care to all orthopaedic patients attending the hospital. The executive is undertaking a review of acute hospital services in Kerry and Cork with a view to developing acute health care that minimises risk to patients and is in line with best international practice and national policy. The review will identify the appropriate model for acute service provision in the HSE southern region and will recommend how best to configure acute hospital services in Cork and Kerry to deliver on this model.

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