James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If I may, Chairman, I would like, before Mr. O'Brien responds to Deputy Ó Caoláin's question, to make a point in regard to the work that has been going on at St. James's Hospital. As we have said, a project team in the hospital is looking after the decanting project, with a clear plan set out to deliver a brownfield site. I commend the hospital's chief executive officer on the meetings he has held with staff, public representatives and local residents to keep them informed. By communicating with people on an ongoing basis, we can avoid many problems that might otherwise arise, such as concerns about how the building work could interfere with individuals' day-to-day life, the running of their businesses and so on.

I take this opportunity to make two quick points which I omitted to cover earlier. Deputy Seamus Healy asked about consultation in regard to the roll-out of hospital groups. There will be further consultation beginning on 31 May in this regard, which follows the more than 70 official meetings and 50 or 60 unofficial meetings that have already taken place. In all, therefore, well over 100 meetings have taken place with staff and others in the various hospitals throughout the country.

My final point, which deserves to be made repeatedly, relates to the tendency in nursing homes in the past to refer patients who are dying to hospital emergency departments. Speaking for myself, I would prefer to die at home, as did both my parents, rather than in hospital. For long-term nursing home residents, the facility in which they have been cared for, sometimes for many years, is in every sense their home. The tendency to transfer gravely ill residents to emergency departments seems to arise out of concerns and perhaps a lack of confidence in dealing with the terminally ill patient. It is a dreadful tragedy and affliction for such people that the last hours of their life are spent in unfamiliar surroundings. It is utterly inappropriate. To address that issue, the Health Service Executive has begun, through its clinical programmes, sending specialist gerontologists out to nursing homes to support them in dealing with these situations, which are emotionally difficult for all concerned. It is not in the interest of patients who are coming to the end of their days to have to spend those last days and hours in an emergency department. They should be allowed to see out their time in the facilities that have become their homes while receiving all the proper care and attention they require.