Mr. Damien McCallion:

We have made some small improvements this year regarding year-on-year trends but still have a substantial way to go in addressing delays, as the Deputy and anyone who has visited an emergency department will know. One group on which we focused this year – it is only a small step but it is a start – comprises people aged over 75. We monitor the time they spend in emergency departments and know if they are delayed. This group is very vulnerable and there can be an impact on their outcomes. We have seen improvements in the numbers of patients. We have set a target that no one over 75 in an emergency department should wait for longer than 24 hours. In this time, they are to be either admitted or discharged. It is a target of 99% because there are some medical reasons people may be held. We have seen an improvement in this regard of about 8%, and that is continuing to drop. We are at 94% at the moment. That is just the first step. It is not overly ambitious and we need to move to shorten the period further. We are trying to focus on certain groups, given the pressures that exist.

What is interesting is that while attendance levels are generally staying relatively flat because of some of the alternatives in the community, admissions are increasing, particularly admissions of those among our older population, who we know will require more time in hospital.