Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

I wish to raise with the Minister policy issues pertaining to people who undergo X-rays and other investigative procedures. We want to have proper procedures in place to ensure this does not happen again to other patients. Will the Minister clarify the procedures being followed in our hospitals to ensure X-rays are appropriately read?

I also want to ask her about the 1,059 patients who needed appointments.

The Minister has said that they have since got appointments. Does she know how long some of those patients have been waiting and how much pain they might have been suffering while their letters were unopened? Will any policy lessons be learned from this and will procedures be put in place to ensure that GP referral letters are appropriately dealt with in all hospitals?

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