Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator. The Minister for Health and Children sends her apologies for not being able to attend the House to discuss the issues he has raised.

Wexford General Hospital provides comprehensive acute services to the 130,000 people living in County Wexford and to the thousands of tourists who visit the area each year. It benefits from a committed workforce who in 2009 will treat 15,400 patients, 6,500 day patients, 39,600 ED attendances and 2,400 mothers giving birth in the maternity unit. In addition, the hospital deals with almost 56,730 outpatient attendances.

The hospital has strong partnerships with colleagues working in primary, community and continuing care sectors and aims to provide patients with fully integrated services. I am pleased to say that a capital allocation to progress the design of a new front entrance and accident and emergency extension in 2009 has recently been approved. This amounts to some €7.75 million, with €400,000 to be expended in 2009.

The HSE anticipates approval to proceed to the next stage in 2010. In line with the national service plan 2009 and in accordance with the HSE's transformation programme, the executive will be reviewing the current configuration of acute hospital services in the south east. A steering group has recently been put in place to this end and is tasked with developing a plan for hospital reconfiguration that will deliver optimal and cost effective services easily, of high quality and delivered through centres of excellence. No decisions regarding the roles of services of any hospitals will be taken until this plan is completed through a process of broadly based consultation within the services. It is likely to be the end of 2009 or early 2010 before this review is completed and a plan is put in place. The Government is committed to ensuring the delivery of the best quality health services possible in an effective and efficient manner. Ensuring patient safety is of paramount importance so that people can have confidence in the services and the best possible patient outcomes can be achieved.

In summary, a review is being carried out and this will report towards the end of 2009 or early 2010. It will be a broadly based consultation with all the stakeholders providing services in that area.