Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 147: To ask the Minister for Health the impact of the measures implemented on foot of recommendations by the special delivery unit for the purposes of reducing waiting times and the number of patients on trolleys in the accident and emergency unit at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, County Louth; with respect to each of the individual measures proposed by the SDU, if he will report on the extent to which the measures were fully implemented; if he will give an assessment of the success of the measures; if measures were not implemented, the reason they were not implemented; if he will provide an overall assessment of the success of the measures in reducing the number of patients waiting on trolleys in the accident and emergency unit; if any or all of the measures remain in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14817/12]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 148: To ask the Minister for Health his views on whether there is a lack of capacity and resources at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, County Louth, and in hospitals in the Louth-Meath area generally, which is resulting in overcrowding in the accident and emergency unit in Drogheda; the measures he will introduce to tackle this capacity issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14818/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 148 together.

The Special Delivery Unit (SDU) approved funding for the Louth Meath Hospital Group in October 2011 to facilitate the implementation of an improvement plan to manage the current Emergency Department (ED) overcrowding situation in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. This involved implementation of the recommendations of the Report of the Acute Medicine Project 2010 and initiatives to increase the efficiency of the discharge process for patients thereby improving access to inpatient beds for admitted patients in the ED. This has enabled a number of service developments which include the following:

The establishment of an Acute Medical Assessment Unit (AMAU) to streamline the management of medical patients who present to the ED for treatment. The AMAU opened in OLOL on 8 December 2012 and the hours of services are from Monday to Friday 08:00 – 24:00 hours. It is envisaged that this Unit will open at the weekends and will also provide a direct G.P access referral service in the very near future as staff are recruited.

An extension of the cardiac and respiratory diagnostic service which has increased the efficiency of the decision making process in regard to initiation of treatment and hence a decision regarding discharge or admission to hospital.

Additional Bed Capacity: The medical bed capacity was increased by the opening of 8 additional medical beds that were developed as part of the Coronary Care capital development project.

Additional Intermediate Care Beds in the Community: The contracting of 27 additional beds from community/private providers was also approved to allow additional delayed discharge patients to be moved to create immediate acute bed capacity in OLOL. These beds continue to be utilised

Additional assisted Discharge Service: A number of assisted discharge services were also approved and continue to expedite the discharge of patients who require any or a combination of these services in order to be discharged from hospital. These include funding for the provision of home IVs for patients who can be discharged and continue to receive antibiotics intravenously while at home.

1,126 additional home care/help packages and funding for additional aids and appliances has also been made available to assist and expedite the discharge process.

Phase two of the SDU's initiatives to manage the current ED overcrowding involves improving the care pathway for management of elderly patients in both the community and in hospital. The Louth Meath Integrated Service Area were invited to submit a proposal with focused initiatives which will reduce the risks of avoidable admissions to hospital facilitating timely discharge and minimising premature dependence on long term care.

The SDU will continue to work with the NTPF, the HSE Clinical Programmes and hospitals to minimise patient waiting times in emergency departments and reduce waiting periods for in patient and day case elective surgical care.