Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is one factor that feeds into the problem. I listened to an eminent medic say this morning that the attitude of the Government is that it will be all right on the day as we have had this problem for years. The fact is, however, that the Government takes this very seriously.

It is not in anybody's best interests to have people on trolleys, particularly elderly people. I have had first-hand experience of going to wards and emergency departments, although I thank the Deputy for the invitation. In the case of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, funding was approved for construction of a 12-bed surgical assessment unit and a clinical decision unit which will open next April. The acute medical assessment unit is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for direct access for GP referrals. The hospital is increasingly making use of relationships with other hospitals in the Louth and Meath group to distribute work more appropriately. A total of 15 transitional care beds were identified this week and five patients have been discharged to date. Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital will be the next hospital to benefit from the Irish hospital redesign programme, and advertisements have been placed to recruit a new hospital manager.

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital joined the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland hospital group and will benefit from that networking and reconfiguration in the nearby hospitals, which include Connolly Hospital, Beaumont Hospital, Cavan-Monaghan hospital group and Louth County Hospital, Dundalk. The hospital has been collaborating recently with the private sector to accelerate the exit of long-term care patients, with 24 beds expected to come on stream by the end of this month. The hospital has also implemented fully the improvement plan agreed with the Health Information and Quality Authority as part of the special measures since 2012.

The Minister for Health asked for co-operation from front-line staff and medical personnel, and I thank them for that co-operation. This is an issue that must be managed in a way that will bring about a reduction in the use of trolleys in emergency departments and in the corridors of hospitals, but it is not something that can be fixed overnight. I am anxious that the Deputy understands that the Government does not have endless resources. If it was a question of money, the problem would have been fixed years ago. It is a matter that arises regularly and the issue is to be able to manage it effectively in the interests of the patients. That will be the priority for the Government. The special unit dealing with trolleys in emergency departments will continue to meet and access whatever beds are available, so delayed discharges can be discharged and pressure can be relieved on the hospitals. Again, I thank the medical personnel for their co-operation.

See this speech in context