Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue which I am responding to on behalf of the Minister for Health. Letterkenny General Hospital provides a full range of acute services, including a 24-hour accident and emergency department. The hospital serves a catchment population of 350,000. I am sure the Deputy is well aware of this.

During October 2011, the special delivery unit, SDU, wrote to hospitals with the highest numbers of patients waiting on trolleys, seeking proposals aimed at reducing those numbers over the critical period of November 2011 to January 2012. A range of measures was approved across 16 hospital sites and funding of €4.85 million was allocated for the purpose, with strict performance criteria laid down. In addition, the SDU put in place arrangements whereby a staff member was on duty every day over the Christmas and new year period and each of the 28 emergency departments in the country submitted an update three times per day on the numbers waiting. In other words, they did a count three times a day as opposed to doing one every morning. This allowed for close monitoring of hospitals at risk and facilitated quick decision making in regard to corrective action where it was required. This process will continue during the month of January 2012.

This reporting structure confirmed the Letterkenny Hospital emergency department in general performed very satisfactorily during this period. Today's 8 a.m. figures indicate there were no patients waiting for admission. At national level, the signs so far have been encouraging with significant reductions recorded in numbers waiting each day compared with the same time last year.

The Health Service Executive, HSE, has advised that construction on the new medical accident and emergency block, which includes the new 19-bay emergency department, an 11-bay acute assessment unit and three 24-bed wards, commenced in early October 2011. It is scheduled for completion in the near future. Equipping and commissioning will then commence.

Last Friday, the Minister for Health approved the HSE's 2012 service plan which was drawn up against the backdrop of significant funding challenges. It is designed to reflect the changed priorities of the new Government and the significant programme of reform to be undertaken. While acute hospitals face an expenditure reduction of 7.8%, the further roll-out of the clinical care programmes and other measures to improve the efficiency of clinical care delivery will limit the reduction in patient activity to an average 3% against the 2011 outturn. Hospitals will work closely with the special delivery unit to ensure, notwithstanding this reduction, nobody waits longer than nine months for an elective procedure to ensure equitable access for all.

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