Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Leyden for raising this matter. I commend his industry both as chairman of the Western Health Board and as a Senator in championing the cause of Roscommon Hospital. He never misses an opportunity to do it. I assure him that just as the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has no plans to close the prison at Castlerea, the Minister for Health and Children has no plans to close the accident and emergency unit, which he funded, at Roscommon Hospital.

This issue arises from the European working time directive which requires that from 1 August, doctors must work no more than an average of 58 hours per week. By August 2009, their average working hours will have to be reduced to no more than 48 hours per week. The report of the national task force on medical staffing, known as the Hanly report, details the measures we must take to comply with the directive while maintaining high quality patient care and moving to a consultant provided service.

At present, the majority of non-consultant hospital doctors work excessively long hours. The current average is approximately 75 hours per week and some doctors work considerably longer than this. That is not sustainable. It is not good for doctors and, above all, it is not good for patients. The Hanly report strongly recommended against any suggestion that we simply increase the number of NCHDs so as to reduce their working hours. It estimated a further 2,500 junior doctors would be required for this purpose. Even if we could recruit this number, it would not be satisfactory from a quality perspective and it would not offer the additional doctors adequate training opportunities.

The Hanly report recommends that we develop a consultant provided service in which there would be considerably more consultants and fewer NCHDs. The Government has accepted this recommendation and is working towards its implementation. The report sets out an implementation plan for reducing the average working hours of junior doctors in line with the European working time directive while maintaining high quality training. It identifies a need for consultants to be more involved in patient care, taking a hands-on role in the provision of services, and concludes that we require a new way of organising hospital services so patients can be treated in hospitals that are fully equipped and staffed to cope with their condition. The Hanly report's proposals mean that no hospitals will close, nor will any accident and emergency departments close.

Staffing levels in Roscommon Hospital are determined by the chief executive officer of the Western Health Board, in line with service plans and the regional employment ceiling for the Western Health Board. Total staffing levels in the hospital have increased by 39% since 1997. This includes increases of over 25% in both medical and nursing staff and an increase of almost 50% in the number of health and social care professionals working in Roscommon Hospital.

The future role and provision of acute services in Roscommon will be examined as part of the work of the acute hospitals review group, which will prepare a national hospitals plan for the interim health services executive in line with the principles identified in the Hanly report. That work has not yet commenced. I welcome the fact that the new accident and emergency unit, which was funded by a capital allocation determined by the Minister and the former Minister, has now been completed and that this marvellous new facility will open in the spring.

The acute hospitals review group will focus on the provision of the best possible service for patients as we implement the European working time directive, introduce a consultant provided service and reorganise medical education and training.