Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. The Government has shown its commitment to the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar through a series of capital improvements in recent years. Stage one of the phase 2B capital development at Mullingar commenced in 2006 and is scheduled for completion shortly at a cost of €23 million. This phase of the project includes the fit-out of the existing ward shells to provide a new paediatric ward, a new day surgery-gynaecology ward, a new obstetric ward and a new medical ward, incorporating an acute stroke unit; refurbishment of the existing paediatric and obstetric wards to provide surgical and medical wards and a palliative care unit; and an extension of the existing facilities to accommodate an interim special care baby unit adjacent to the new paediatric ward. I am pleased that these works have been completed and the ward areas are now fully operational

In addition, approval was granted for the refurbishment of two further wards in the existing hospital, namely, medical-surgical and delivery-gynaecology wards. This work is now completed and the wards are due to be commissioned shortly. Completion of this phase of the project will see the bed complement increase from 215 to 244 and will enhance the range and level of services provided.

In terms of activity levels in the current year emergency department presentations at Mullingar regional hospital were down by 7% to the end of March 2009 on the service plan target. Emergency department admissions were up by 4% against target. The HSE advises that 89% of those admitted from the emergency department at Mullingar to date in 2009 were admitted to a ward within six hours of the decision to admit having been made and that the remainder were admitted within 12 hours. It advises that no person waited in excess of 12 hours to be admitted. This compares very favourably with the performance of some other hospitals which have noticeably longer waiting times for admission from the emergency department.

Outpatient activity was up considerably on the target for 2009, although in line with activity at the end of March 2008. However, it should be noted that the target for 2009 had been reduced substantially to promote a reduction in the volume of return visits and to facilitate an increase in the number of new patients seen. I know the hospital will continue to focus on the best possible quality of care for all its patients.