Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. The up-to-date figures I have for the Bon Secours Hospital Galway are for an inpatient bed occupancy of 48% on the week of 11 May to 15 May. That dropped to 41% on 18 May to 22 May. The Galway Clinic figures show 15% for 11 May to 15 May, and this increased to 26%.

I get the point that there are challenges and difficulties. However, I still believe it was absolutely the right thing to do. I get the point that we need to finesse it and get the best possible arrangement in using all of the facilities. I also get the point, however, that we cannot allow public patients with cancer not have their services and private patients with health insurance continue to get them. In Galway city, in the Bons hospital we had 378 public patients discharged from inpatient beds, along with 298 day-case procedures. We had 434 public patients in the Bons hospital in Galway, who would never have been able to darken the door before, actually have diagnostics carried out there. Some 710 public patients had outpatient appointments in the Bons hospital in Galway as well. I can give the Deputy the figures for the Galway clinic as well but I will not waste her time. I will send them to her.

This is about equity of access.

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