Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Some 1,000 beds were taken out of the system. These have to be put back in again. This requires investment in facilities, nurses, doctors and other staff. That means one needs an economy that can actually drive that.

An extra €117 million has been put in to this area, along with extra staffing put in place. There is a three-pronged approach to addressing the problem. These include measures to reduce numbers of people coming into hospitals, the expansion of the community intervention teams to deliver services outside of hospitals and in communities, as well as the use of community hospitals, such as Mount Carmel, a new facility to assist in that regard. There are also measures to expand capacity to change work practices in different hospitals. As of 14 January, 111 beds were opened out of 154 which had been closed. Some 200 out of 326 new beds have now been opened with the remainder to open this month and in early February. A further 750 additional nurses in the health service were employed more than a year ago. Since September 2011, more than 300 additional consultants have been appointed to acute hospitals, including 78 appointments made last year. There has been real investment in the fair deal scheme, bringing the waiting time down for a nursing home place from 16 weeks to between two weeks, which is satisfactory. Other measures include reducing the level of delayed discharges in our hospitals, freeing up a further 300 beds; the opening of 170 community beds all over the country; 1,200 additional home care packages which apply where people want to stay at home, and rightly so.

There have been some improvements since mid-November in the number of patients on trolleys in emergency departments. An analysis performance through a 30-day moving average shows a 10% improvement in the overall numbers. Although it is not as satisfactory as one would wish, it is heading in the right direction. It is important to note that on average 3,000 patients present to emergency departments every day, a 7% increase on last year, with some 200 patients presenting at larger emergency departments every day. Up to 83% of those patients are typically discharged or admitted within nine hours of registration, which includes patient assessment, acquired diagnostics and treatment. It is an ongoing challenge and extra resources are being provided, as well as extra personnel.

Deputy Finian McGrath will be aware that the Minister for Health introduced the escalation policy if numbers increase above a certain level in emergency departments. That was the subject of intense discussions between management and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, recently. I hope that is proving of benefit in emergency departments where it applies.

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