Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 149: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the 30,000 plus patients who were discharged from hospitals in 2004 only to be re-admitted within a week; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that many are discharged ahead of time due to hospital overcrowding and pressures on accident and emergency departments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28806/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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My Department is aware that in 2004 some 32,000 patients were readmitted to hospitals within one week of discharge. This figure is derived from the hospital in-patient enquiry, HIPE, system which gives details of activity in all publicly funded acute hospitals in the State. HIPE data only allow the identification of a readmission if it is to the same hospital as the original admission. The above figure includes all inpatient readmissions, that is, readmissions for the same condition, for an unrelated condition and planned readmissions, and excludes day cases. The figure of 32,000 represents just over 3% of the total number of patients discharged in 2004.

The timing of a patient's discharge from hospital is a clinical matter where decisions are made by doctors who are acting in the best interests of their patients.