Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to respond to the Deputy on an issue with which I am very familiar. The Health Service Executive established the Ballymun primary health care facility at the civic offices in April 2006. It is fine facility offering a wide range of services including an X-ray suite. The latter was fully commissioned in 2008 but, as I understand it, it was not possible to staff it due to the moratorium on recruitment.

The fact that this facility was lying idle was brought to my attention last year, whereupon I visited the site and raised the matter with the HSE on several occasions. As a result of those inquiries, the HSE established an assessment team in 2011 comprising the area manager for north Dublin city and the national clinical leads for primary care and emergency medicine to explore evidence-based options for the use of the X-ray machine that was installed as part of the centre fit-out. Following wide consultation with relevant clinicians, it was decided that in the current economic climate and in view of reduced resources, it would not be prudent to invest further in the X-ray facility. As the Deputy observed, this decision was taken following consideration of the highly responsive X-ray service currently available, the fact that plain X-ray is only occasionally used in routine GP investigations and taking account of the potential waste involved in investing in a service that would result in the under utilisation of staff and equipment.

The assessment team found that the existing X-ray services for north Dublin are very good and that there is no waiting time for trauma cases or chest X-ray referrals. The service at the Mater hospital was found to operate very successfully as a walk-in facility and GP satisfaction with the service is very high. The availability of the community rapid access clinic at Smithfield has, the team concluded, provided another option for GPs. It was further observed that Beaumont Hospital operates a similar service with equally high levels of local GP satisfaction. While it was decided to explore the option of relocating the X-ray machine, the costs associated with moving and installing it in the current climate were found to be prohibitive. The HSE will consider other options regarding the future of the machine, but no consideration has been given as of yet to selling it.

I am loath to lose an important item of medical equipment from the primary care service or the public health system generally and I am keen to ensure it is brought into use as soon as possible. Therefore, I have asked the special delivery unit to ascertain whether it could be used as part of the unit's work in taking pressure off local hospitals. I await a response in this regard.

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