Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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568. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that accurate figures for those patients in the accident and emergency unit of St Vincent's Hospital Dublin, waiting to be allocated a bed, were not provided over recent months due to the practice of excluding from the numbers, patients who might, potentially be allocated a bed later in the day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17322/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The measurement of the numbers waiting in ED and associated wait time is part of the HSE's performance metrics for hospitals to ensure that patients are admitted to beds within a timely period, once a clinical decision to admit has been made. The performance metrics are also important in measuring evidence of overcrowding so that appropriate escalation measures are invoked. For this reason, the HSE requirement is to include all patients where a decision to admit has been made, even where a bed has been allocated. The Deputy is advised that all hospitals have been appraised of this requirement and the HSE will issue a further communication to ensure consistent compliance with the measurement requirement. Furthermore, the Special Delivery Unit will continue to routinely audit compliance across all sites.