Seanad debates

Wednesday, 29 June 2005

Accident and Emergency Services.

 

10:00 am

Photo of Brian Lenihan JnrBrian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Browne for raising this matter on the Adjournment. I am making this reply on behalf of the Tánaiste who was very impressed with the facilities at St. Luke's. She is very committed to the proper provision of hospital services in Kilkenny and Carlow. I thank the Senator for raising this matter because it provides the Minister with an opportunity to outline to the House her position on the matter.

The 2004 Act provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005, to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes the bulk of the health capital programme. The question of new capital funding commitments for St. Luke's hospital, Kilkenny, will, therefore, have to be considered in this context.

The HSE service plan for 2005 was approved earlier in the year by the Tánaiste. She has recently indicated her agreement to the HSE to progress its capital programme. In assessing the needs for this year, the HSE had to take into account commitments carrying forward from last year before initiating new contractual commitments for individual projects in line with the overall funding resources available for this year and beyond. The Senator will be aware that a number of significant capital projects are at present under way in the south-east area. These are at various stages of planning or construction or have recently been completed. These include, for example, phases 1 and 2 of Our Lady's Hospital in Cashel; a unit for older persons in St. John's Hospital in Enniscorthy; an MRI unit in Waterford Regional hospital; extension and on-call accommodation in Wexford General Hospital; and a surgical department, radiology department, accident and emergency department, day ward, CSSD, ICU and ward upgrade in South Tipperary General Hospital.

A whole hospital brief was prepared in 2003 covering all the perceived deficiencies in the departments of St. Luke's Hospital. If carried out, the proposed major development on the site would have significant capital, revenue and staffing implications. It is important to remember when discussing the health service that capital expenditure often has serious staffing and expenditure implications.

The priorities within this brief must be established for any proposed first phase of development. These would probably cover, for example, the outpatients' department and the extension of the accident and emergency unit. Any interim capital proposal that might be put forward for the hospital would also be a matter for consideration in the first instance by the HSE under the multi-annual capital investment framework initiated by the Government.

I am pleased to inform the House that, arising from a recent visit by the Tánaiste to the hospital, she agreed to funding of €450,000 for St. Luke's relating to the appointment of a design team to progress a development control plan for the site, the completion of contract drawings for the outpatient department and development of services for a stroke unit. I hope that provides clarification for the Senator on matters he asked me to deal with.

Notwithstanding the above, it should be noted that the Kilkenny region has received significant health capital investment in recent years. Under the bed capacity review in 2002, an additional 52 beds were provided, with 28 at St. Luke's and 24 at Kilcreene. Together with the new medical admissions unit and with improved service protocols, this has greatly relieved pressure on the accident and emergency and ward accommodation at St. Luke's. This is a fact that the Senator fairly acknowledged. In addition, capital initiatives have been undertaken on the St. Luke's campus. These include a CT suite commissioned in 2000; a coronary care unit commissioned in 2001; a cardiac diagnostic unit commissioned in 2002; and an acute psychiatric unit commissioned in 2002.

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