Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

Such targets are in place in the best health care systems in the world. Under our system, before a patient even gets to see a doctor, he or she can have to wait quite some time. Many of the processes within accident and emergency departments can, I hope, expedite the time period before a patient gets to see a doctor. Remember that 75% of those presenting at accident and emergency departments do not need to be admitted to hospital. Equally, we want to ensure that these patients are dealt with quickly. It is not just a question of the people being admitted to hospital. We want to see more rapid responses as regards all activity in accident and emergency departments.

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