John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Minister has been monitoring the situation in emergency departments very closely. This afternoon she met with the CEO and members of the HSE management team to review progress and to ensure that all possible steps are being taken to minimise the waiting time for patients awaiting admission, including to the Mater. The Minister has also asked the HSE to streamline the administrative processes for dealing with applications under the Fair Deal, so that the discharge of patients to a suitable long-stay facility is not delayed unnecessarily.

Following a meeting earlier this week, the HSE has put several actions in train. These include escalating plans to enable patients to be moved to wards; providing for additional ward rounds to take place daily to help earlier discharges from hospitals; the cancellation of some elective surgery and the deployment of day wards to accommodate patients; providing for measures to be put in place to improve transfer arrangements to other hospitals; the better use of discharge lounges, medical assessment units and chest pain clinics to steer patients away from emergency departments; ensuring access to additional diagnostic facilities such as imaging to allow earlier decisions about admission or discharge; providing additional support to day units to avoid unnecessary admission to hospital; improving ambulance and transport stand-by arrangements; and liaison with community units, community nursing and GPs is being reviewed to promote community based interventions.

Escalation plans have been activated again this morning around the country. Day wards are being freed for in-patient accommodation and additional temporary beds have been opened in St. Vincent's and St. Columcille's hospitals. Hospitals have been requested to ensure that all escalation measures are implemented and reviewed as necessary and appropriate liaison arrangements with primary community services are in place to deal with the current pressure. The HSE is also introducing, with effect from 1 January, the hospital award 2010 which is aimed at encouraging good performance in a number of areas, including emergency department waiting times. Non-performing hospitals will be subject to review by the director for quality and clinical care in conjunction with clinical directors. The directorate is liaising with local clinical directors and providing clinical input and support as necessary.

The Minister is confident that the roll-out of the above measures, actively driven and reviewed by HSE senior management on an on-going basis, will deliver a timely and effective service to patients attending our emergency departments.

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