The hospital system has continued to improve its productivity. A total of 968,000 people were treated last year as either in-patients or day patients in acute hospitals. That is an increase of 5% over the 2001 figure, which was an increase of 6% on the 2000 figure. Since 1997, the number of patients treated in our acute hospitals has increased by 23%. An internationally accepted measure of acute hospital efficiency is the proportion of day cases and the picture in that regard is impressive. In 2002, day cases were up 14% over 2001. Since 1997, day cases carried out in Irish hospitals have increased by 44%. Some of our Dublin teaching hospitals have passed the 50% mark and are now treating more patients in a day case setting than as in-patients. In this regard we are up with best international practice.