Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise the issue of maternity services in Cork, of which there has been widespread coverage. There are now more than 4,000 on the waiting list for gynaecological services in Cork University Hospital and this makes up 42% of the total waiting list of the country. We opened a brand new maternity unit over ten years ago and two theatres were built. At present, one is opened for three and a half days a week while the other is not open at all. It is not available for use because staff are not available. I am looking for adequate resources to be provided. Over 8,500 babies a year are born in the maternity unit at Cork University Hospital and there are back-up gynaecology services too but the unit does not have an independent budget and is simply part of the entire budget of CUH.

We have had a number of meetings with the consultants and the Minister has met with them too. Now is the time to move on and for a decision to be made to fast-track people on the list, some of whom have been waiting for over 12 months for an appointment. It is also possible that we can use facilities in one of the other hospitals, either public or private, to do this. I am not talking about using the national treatment purchase fund because in that case patients will end up being reviewed by the consultants who are currently looking after them.

This needs to be given priority as 4,000 are waiting, many for more than 12 months. It is a matter of resources and of providing theatre nurses and staff so that one theatre can be opened five days a week and the other also opened. The latter is a longer-term issue but is needs to be addressed immediately.