Gerald Nash (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I hope that health service staff in Drogheda and elsewhere in the north east, particularly staff across all disciplines at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, will be reassured by what the Minister of State said. The additional X-ray room is critically important if the full diagnostic capacity of the hospital is to work. We have additional new beds. As I said in my opening remarks, if a new X-ray facility is not provided, the hard work that is done by staff day in, day out to address the trolley crisis and the overcrowding in the emergency department will come to naught. It will be difficult to move people through the hospital efficiently and efficaciously in the absence of a new X-ray room.

I am somewhat reassured by what the Minister of State said, having been alarmed to hear earlier this week that the estates section of the HSE appeared to have decided to pull this project. I will hold the Government and the HSE to account to make sure the commitment the Minister of State appeared to make when he said "that the full extension [to radiology services] will be ready in early 2019" will be delivered on. When he refers to a full extension, I hope he means the inclusion of the X-ray department. My understanding is that the new emergency department block at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital became operational earlier this week. However, we are still waiting for a new X-ray room. I have referred to the number of images managed at the small X-ray room in the existing emergency department. That needs to be enhanced to allow the hospital to meet its commitments and targets. As already stated, the level of throughput at the emergency department is expected to increase by 5% per annum in the coming years. The emergency department at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital cannot fly on one wing. This additional X-ray room is needed to enable the hospital to meet its targets and fulfil its obligations to the people of counties Louth, Meath, Cavan and Monaghan and north County Dublin.