Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise on the Adjournment an important issue that affects the orthopaedic unit of Mayo General Hospital, County Mayo. Last year we were delighted the orthopaedic unit was opened at Mayo General Hospital. Everything was going well. For the first time in many years the waiting lists were reduced and many people had hip and knee operations carried out in their own county. The tradition in the past was that all patients from County Mayo had to go to Galway. For some in north Mayo, that could involve a journey in excess of 200 miles to see a consultant.

On 4 January there was an announcement to the effect that Mayo General Hospital would also deal with trauma. A few weeks later there was an announcement that in order to set up the trauma unit there would be no further surgery relating to planned operations. This is outrageous. We have an orthopaedic team up and running in the hospital. The trauma unit has not been as busy as expected and there is a full team of consultants and 14 or 15 vacant beds at a time when there is a crisis in the health service. Planned surgery for hip or knee operations will not take place even though the team is in place. There is no point in putting funding in place, in having empty wards and a team that wants to operate and get rid of the waiting lists and not using them.

An official from the Department should go to Mayo General Hospital tomorrow and investigate why the unit for planned surgery is closed. This is outrageous. We have an orthopaedic team up and running in the hospital. The trauma unit is still going ahead. We have vacant beds, a full team in place and many operations could be performed. This is bad management of the health services. Why was the unit opened if the staff was not in place? Why was the staff not put in place before the trauma unit was opened? I met many elderly people who had a knee or a hip operation and were delighted with the service. It was the first time in many years that the hospital waiting lists for Mayo were reduced but we are back to the bad old days again.

We fought hard for the orthopaedic unit. In 1994 when I was elected in a by-election to the Dáil that was one of the big issues raised and it is probably one of the reasons I am here. The money was put in place and the orthopaedic unit was opened.

When the Minister of State responds he will give me a bland reply on what is going on. I want fully investigated the reason 15 beds are vacant while there is a crisis in the health service. There is a team is in place that wants to work and can operate. I want an official from the Department in Mayo General Hospital tomorrow to deal with the issue and have the operations taking place. There is no reason they cannot be performed and I want to see them being done. I do not want the orthopaedic unit operating in a half-hearted way because that would continue for the next few years and coming up to the next general election it would again be an issue. The wards, staff and consultants are in place and there are plenty of patients to be operated on. I want taxpayers' money to protect it and the Department of Health and Children to move immediately to deal with the issue.

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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On behalf of my colleague the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, I am glad of the opportunity afforded to me this evening by Deputy Ring to discuss Mayo General Hospital.

I wish to outline some facts in regard to Mayo General Hospital which will underline the Government's commitment to develop hospital services for the people of County Mayo. The Government has invested heavily in the infrastructure at Mayo General Hospital.

Phase II of a major development programme at the hospital, which cost €50 million, included the following developments: a new accident and emergency department, a medical assessment unit, a geriatric assessment unit, an obstetric and delivery suite, CT scanning facilities, a new helicopter landing facility, improved mortuary and post-mortem room, a new information technology system and a new administration and medical records department.

The phase II capital development also provided the necessary facilities for the development of orthopaedic services at Mayo General Hospital including ward accommodation and a state of the art orthopaedic operating theatre in which to carry out orthopaedic surgery. Annual revenue funding for Mayo General Hospital is now more than €50 million. The hospital employs approximately 830 wholetime equivalent staff. These staff are providing additional and improved hospital services to the people of Mayo.

Activity at the hospital has increased year on year. The hospital's inpatient and day case activity for 2004 was approximately 22,000 patients. More than 25,000 people attend its emergency department. The hospital's outpatient department treats more than 30,000 people. There has been an increase in the number of beds at the hospital over recent years. The number of beds at the hospital is currently 317. The new 33-bed orthopaedic unit will be a particularly valuable addition to the hospital and will be of great benefit to the people of County Mayo.

The Government has provided specific funding of €10.9 million to allow for the opening of the new orthopaedic service at Mayo General Hospital. This is a new service at Mayo General Hospital. Outpatient orthopaedic services for people from Mayo began when the new unit opened and the waiting list for an outpatient appointment has been reduced from 1,700 to 300.

Mayo General Hospital commenced an inpatient elective orthopaedic service in September 2004. Between September and December 2004, approximately 70 patients received elective treatments in the hospital. In January 2005, to allow for the development of the orthopaedic trauma service at the hospital, elective treatments were suspended temporarily. It is important to understand that the temporary suspension of elective treatments will allow for the development of an orthopaedic trauma service, the completion of the recruitment staff for the orthopaedic unit and the provision of training for staff at the new unit. These are all necessary steps to develop the service at the hospital.

Trauma orthopaedics by its nature will always take precedence over planned elective work. The orthopaedic trauma service has been running since the beginning of January with a significant number of patients being treated in Mayo General Hospital who would otherwise have had to travel to Galway. I understand that Mayo General Hospital plans to reintroduce elective orthopaedic surgery at the end of this month.