Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. The bottom line is that the women in Cork and surrounding counties who are on the waiting list for day case procedures and inpatient surgery want to know when the second operating theatre will open. The reality is that it has been lying idle for 12 years while the HSE has been paying for capacity in the private system through the NTPF. In my view, the NTPF should be used primarily where the capacity does not exist in the public system. The capacity exists in this instance. An operating theatre is lying idle. The business case was made by the maternity directorate to get the necessary funding in place to enable the theatre to open. I have acknowledged the significant progress that has been made with the outpatient waiting list. Very dramatic progress has been made. Other areas within the HSE could learn from the initiatives that have been undertaken by the maternity directorate. While the numbers outlined by the Minister of State when he spoke about the reduction from approximately 5,000 patients to approximately 1,500 patients are impressive, we do not want women who have been seen by a gynaecologist, and in respect of whom a referral for surgery has been made, merely to go onto another waiting list for that inpatient or day case surgery to take place. Although I welcome initiatives like the establishment of working groups and the new commissioning process, I did not hear anything in the Minister of State's reply that gives me confidence or, more important, gives the women concerned confidence that the second operating theatre at CUMH will open any time soon. I ask the Minister of State to take up this issue within the Department of Health, the HSE and the South/South West hospital group in order that this project can be accelerated. It should be a priority. The infrastructure is in place. It was paid for by taxpayers 12 years ago. It is a great shame to see it lying idle while women are on waiting lists, in some cases for over two years, for what could be life-changing surgery.

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