Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. The Government is committed to ensuring the delivery of the best quality health services possible in an effective and efficient way. Ensuring patient safety is of paramount importance, so that people can have confidence in the services and that the best possible patient outcomes will be achieved. It is essential that we prioritise patient safety and quality and that we organise and manage services accordingly. The priority is to provide safe services as close as possible to where people live.

The Minister is committed to ensuring the future viability of South Tipperary General Hospital as a health care facility, and the Health Service Executive is working in this policy context. Beds in the hospital continue to be utilised on a clinical needs basis and general surgery, maternity services and a 24-hour emergency service continue to be provided.

South Tipperary General Hospital is a 253-bed hospital providing acute services for a catchment population of some 135,000 in south Tipperary and the bordering areas of north Tipperary and west Waterford. Acute hospital services in south Tipperary were amalgamated in South Tipperary General Hospital in January 2007, following a major capital development to facilitate the transfer of accident and emergency, general surgery and oncology services from Our Lady's Hospital, Cashel, to Clonmel. The amalgamation process was undertaken successfully and resulted in much improved service delivery arrangements which are beneficial for both patients and health service staff.

As part of the Health Service Executive's transformation programme, the configuration of acute hospital services will continue to be reviewed in respect of quality, safety and efficiency. In this context, it is likely that the services delivered by hospitals will change to reflect a more developed primary care structure, closer integration between acute, primary and community care services at local level and more concentration of complex acute care in regional centres. The Minister is satisfied that, in this context, South Tipperary General Hospital will continue to play a valuable and significant role in the delivery of health services to its catchment population.

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