Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

The Health Service Executive is advancing the implementation of a series of measures to improve the delivery of accident and emergency services. These measures take a wide ranging approach and are aimed at improving access to accident and emergency services, improving patient flows through accident and emergency departments, freeing up acute beds and providing appropriate longer term care for patients outside of the acute hospital setting.

A particular focus has been placed on those patients in acute hospitals who have completed their acute phase of treatment and are ready for discharge to a more appropriate setting. The HSE is making sustained efforts to arrange for the discharge of these patients to have more acute beds available in hospital for emergency patients. High dependency beds and intermediate care beds in private nursing homes along with home care packages are being used to ensure that patients are appropriately placed. The number of delayed discharges in the major Dublin hospitals now stands at 378. This is the lowest number since January 2005 and has been achieved as a result of the various measures implemented to improve the delivery of accident and emergency services.

The HSE has also advised me that there was a reduction of 22% in the total numbers waiting on trolleys in accident and emergency departments between April 2005 and September 2005. The reduction in Dublin hospitals has been 25%.

My Department and the HSE will continue to work closely to maintain a focus on the implementation of system-wide measures to improve the delivery of accident and emergency services.

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