Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 144: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the steps she will take to address the unresolved issue of a €9.9 million deficit in the 2007 budget for Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, which was promised to the hospital but never materialised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22094/09]

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 145: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will commit to retaining vital services at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, Dublin; if she will stop further ward closures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22095/09]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 179: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will engage with the management of Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin and the Health Service Executive in order to identify funding that will enable the hospital to keep wards and theatres operating at normal capacity in order to treat ill children as speedily as possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22261/09]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 276: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will call on the Health Service Executive to meet the board of management of Crumlin children's hospital with a view to securing savings without affecting front-line services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22939/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to takes Questions Nos. 144, 145, 179 and 276 together.

In common with all hospitals, Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin is addressing the challenge of delivering a high quality service to its patients, while remaining within budget. The Hospital is committed to providing the full level of services that it promised in its service plan for 2009. The top priority will be to protect patient care.

So far this year, Crumlin Hospital has delivered more treatments to patients than for the same period last year. In the first four months of 2009 there were 3,704 treatments for children as in-patients and 5,095 as day cases– up by 234 over 2008. Crumlin also had 28,040 attendances at the out-patient department for the first four months. The allocation to Crumlin for 2009 is €139.6m, an increase of some 39% over the last five years. This includes a reduction of 3% this year over 2008, in line with the budgetary contraints facing the entire public sector and the wider economy. A particular challenge for the Hospital is that it is currently operating at some 91 posts above its employment ceiling – it employed 1,641 people (wholetime equivalents) at the end of April compared with its ceiling of 1,550. This is contributing to its current financial difficulties.

The HSE is working closely with Crumlin Hospital to achieve an agreed programme of savings, totalling €6.5m this year. The focus of these savings will be on non-pay areas of expenditure and on protecting front-line services. On this basis, the HSE believes that the Hospital will achieve a break-even position this year.

I believe that we need to look more strategically at the way in which we provide paediatric services in Dublin. In 2009 the Government will provide over €250m for the running of three paediatric hospitals in Dublin – Crumlin, Temple Street and Tallaght. We can achieve significant cost savings if services and practices are more closely integrated across the three hospital sites, even before the new National Paediatric Hospital has been completed. With this in mind, the HSE is pursuing ways in which services across the three hospitals can best be co-ordinated, to avoid unnecessary duplication and to achieve savings that can be put back into patient care. The HSE has been asked to respond directly to the Deputy on the service issues raised.

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 146: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will ensure the retention of scoliosis treatment and surgery in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22096/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As this is a service issue, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.