James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Maloney for raising this important issue. The recently published HIQA report on Tallaght hospital is a very significant document and I welcome its publication. I am happy to confirm to the House it will be of tangible use as the Government continues to introduce major reforms in the health sector.

Let us not forget what is at the heart of this, that 14 months ago in March of last year a man died in Tallaght hospital. He was positioned on a corridor adjacent to the emergency department and perhaps the most significant single fact is that he was in a corridor where there was not clear clinical responsibility for his care. He was effectively in a zone where no one had clear responsibility for his treatment and he died. At the start of any discussion on this matter I want to express again my deepest sympathy to the family involved. It should never have been allowed to happen and such a tragedy must not be allowed to happen again.

As HIQA states in its report, the corridor was symptomatic of wider governance issues. We should be grateful that HIQA has provided us with detailed analysis of all that flows from this fact. As the Deputy knows, I moved to radically alter the governance of Tallaght hospital last year. This document provides us with a blueprint for many more governance changes that will need to apply on a much wider scale.

I remind Deputies that from the moment the Government came to power I made clear that the problems in our emergency departments would receive the highest priority from me, and in June last year we established the special delivery unit. By September it was operational and much has already been done to tackle the many very complex issues that contribute the problems in emergency departments.

HIQA has recommended that the Department puts in place an oversight committee to implement its recommendations. I intend to put this in place quickly and I will consider immediately how best it should be established.

Many changes have already been made in Tallaght hospital and the report acknowledges this. The practice of leaving patients waiting for admission on trolleys in a corridor adjacent to the emergency department was clinically unsafe and completely unacceptable. As I stated, this has been stopped. The Chief Medical Officer has referred the report to the Medical Council and An Bord Altranais to ask them to address the significant issues that arise.

I have also noted the report's findings into certain financial issues in the hospital. I welcome the involvement of the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General's into the matter but given the role of the Comptroller and Auditor General, I do not wish to comment further in light of this investigation

Last November, the CEO of HIQA wrote to me with regard to her concerns about the deficits in governance and management at the hospital. As a result a new interim board, chaired by Sir Keith Pearson, was appointed last December. A new CEO is in place who is building a new management team, including clinical leadership.

Safe quality health care is a fundamental principle of the reform programme. Last week, I approved the HIQA national standards for safer better health care to underpin the development of quality safe health care services. The authority will shortly begin providing support to providers to implement the standards.

Long waits on trolleys are unacceptable. The number of admitted patients waiting on trolleys in Tallaght and in 27 other hospitals continues to be proactively managed by the HSE with the support of the special delivery unit in the Department. For the first quarter of this year, the cumulative number of patients waiting on trolleys throughout the entire system was approximately 20% lower than in the corresponding period in 2011. This equates to almost 5,000 patients whose experience of our emergency departments was markedly improved through the work of the special delivery unit. The equivalent result for Tallaght Hospital is an improvement of 63.2%, equating to 1,256 patients.

There are still far too many people waiting for far too long and we continue to address this issue with the co-operation of the clinical programmes and front line staff. I am seeking the greatest collaboration and personal commitment from all involved in the acute hospital system to protect patients and ensure the very best outcomes despite the challenging economic and financial circumstances we face.

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