Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: There has been a consistent fall over the last three years in the number of people admitted to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire as a result of road accidents, the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children was told yesterday.
However, Dr Mark Delargy, a consultant in brain injury rehabilitation at the hospital, said while the reduction might be attributed to greater road safety it could also be due to road accident victims having to compete for beds with those who had suffered other types of trauma as a result of falls, accidents or assaults.
Dr Delargy said in 2002, 142 people who were in road accidents were admitted to the National Rehabilitation Hospital. In 2003 this figure had fallen to 130, and it fell further last year to 110.
He said the hospital dealt only with those who had suffered the most serious type of injury, particularly to the spine or the brain.
The average length of stay was three months, although often patients could spend a year in treatment between their time in the acute hospital sector and in the National Rehabilitation Hospital.
He said there were currently 120 places in the National Rehabilitation Hospital.
Fine Gael health spokesman Dr Liam Twomey said he understood there was a waiting time of six to seven months for people to gain admission to the National Rehabilitation Hospital.
Dr Delargy was speaking at a presentation to the committee on the Safe Driving Pledge organised by Rural Resettlement Ireland. Under this drivers commit to abstaining from alcohol before driving, to keeping within speed limits and to ensuring everyone in their car uses a seatbelt.
