Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)

I will be taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, who is not in a position to attend.

The Department has made inquiries today of the Health Service Executive and is advised that the person concerned presented at the Mater Hospital last Friday afternoon. A decision was made later that day that she required admission to an acute bed but due to the lack of a suitable bed, she was obliged to remain in the accident and emergency department until Sunday night when she was admitted to a bed in the admissions unit. It is a matter of particular concern that the patient is an elderly woman and, as the Minister has previously stated to the House, unacceptable for older people to have to wait on trolleys for such a length of time.

There are currently 15 beds closed in the Mater Hospital due to construction work taking place at the hospital relating to the building of an essential new unit. Although it will be of no comfort to the lady concerned — I regret very much she had bad experience last weekend — improvement of accident and emergency services continues to be a top priority for the Government and the Health Service Executive. There have been considerable improvements.

Our objectives are to reduce the numbers waiting for admission, the time spent waiting for admission and the turnaround time for those who do not require admission. The HSE continues to report a significant reduction in the number of patients awaiting admission as compared with the same period 12 months ago. Over the first nine months of this year, the average number awaiting admission each day was 91.

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