Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)

I wish to share time with Deputy Kathleen Lynch.

As the Minister of State is before us in the House I ask her to explain the actions she will take to address the substandard gynaecological services provided by Cork University Maternity Hospital. Is the Minister of State aware of local general practitioners' concerns that delays in the provision of gynaecological services are likely to result in delayed prognoses, creating a situation in which the health of women in the Cork area will be put in further danger.

Patients with cancer, and those suspected of having cancer, are enduring undue suffering and unnecessary risk due to the current situation. Correspondence I have received from a GP in the Cork area states that in a very short time some patient will suffer the terrible consequences of delayed diagnosis of cancer with a worse prognosis because of the inadequacy of the service, as currently delivered.

There is a problem in Cork at present. The problem is not in seeing the consultant which is the standard difficulty with the health service; a consultant can be seen in a short time in this area. The problem is getting the tests and whatever procedures are necessary carried out. Two theatres which are set up are lying idle. The machinery and the equipment are in place. Women are waiting at the doors of these theatres and cannot get in.

In the Minister's response I do not want to hear words such as commitment, moving forward and budgetary expenditure, rather an explanation of how we have arrived at a situation where women's lives are in danger while two theatres are lying idle, although fully equipped. Does she think this is acceptable? What timeframe will she put in place to rectify this matter? This is an ongoing problem with the HSE where project management is not being delivered. We have seen it with the maternity hospital where a state-of-the-art facility was created and lay idle for more than a year because the Department could not get the agency operational. That the same is happening in this department is unacceptable.

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