Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I have received the report in question in recent days. The study, which was led by Professor Jack Phillips, consultant neurosurgeon, involved a national audit of more than 2,000 patients with significant traumatic brain injury. Data were collected and analysed over a two-year period from April 2002 from the neurosurgical centres at Beaumont Hospital and Cork University Hospital. I welcome the findings of the study which will help to guide the approach to strengthening neurosurgical services as well as informing the approach to the development of injury prevention and health promotion strategies. The findings of the report show that the level of care provided to some patients was at times less than optimal. I note that the data used in the study were collected between 2002 and 2004.

The development of services in the area of neurosciences, which comprises neurology, neurophysiology and neurosurgery, has been given a particular policy priority in recent years. Since the data were collected and analysed additional revenue funding of €7 million has been allocated to the Health Service Executive in 2006 and 2007 for the development of neurosciences and a further €850,000 is being allocated this year.

On the capital side Beaumont Hospital has received a grant of €4.9 million for neurosurgery equipment. There has been significant investment in the CT scanning service at Cork. The hospital operates a 24-hour CT scanning service, a PET CT is due to be commissioned in the summer and an existing CT scanner is being upgraded at a cost of €1.4 million. In addition, €1.2 million has been spent on equipping and refurbishing the intravascular aneurysm-coiling suite which has now started providing a procedure for treating aneurysms that was previously available only in Beaumont Hospital.

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