Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 141: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, in view of the accident and emergency crisis and the record number of patients on trolleys, the steps she will take to tackle same; her views on whether the ten-point plan for the accident and emergency crisis is working; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3026/06]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 244: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will report on the results of her ten-point plan to address the crisis in accident and emergency units in hospitals here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2987/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 244 together.

A wide-ranging approach has been adopted by the Health Service Executive to improve access to accident and emergency services, improve patient flows through accident and emergency departments, reduce waiting times, free up acute beds and provide appropriate longer term care for patients outside of the acute hospital setting.

A particular focus of the action plan has been placed on those patients in acute hospitals who have completed the acute phase of their treatment and are ready for discharge to a more appropriate setting. The HSE has made considerable progress, and is continuing to make sustained efforts, in arranging for the discharge of these patients in order to free up more acute beds for emergency patients. In addition, high dependency beds and intermediate care beds in private nursing homes, along with home care packages, are being used to ensure that patients are appropriately placed.

Under the action plan, the HSE has contracted 48 high dependency beds in private nursing homes for patients with more demanding care needs while additional step-down facilities for intermediate care have so far helped 582 people to move out of hospital. Additional home care packages and enhanced subventions have facilitated the discharge of 530 people. A total of €6.6 million is being targeted at increasing the level of home support available in the community to avoid people having to be admitted to acute hospitals.

Within the context of the action plan, the HSE undertook an audit of efficiencies and process. The study was conducted in ten hospitals, and its conclusions point to a number of areas for further improvement. These include: strengthened discharge planning processes; improved clinical decision making at every stage; and better co-ordination of and access to diagnostic services.

A key action for 2006 for all hospitals with accident and emergency departments will be the full implementation of the efficiency audit recommendations. In tandem with this, a programme of financial incentivisation will be introduced, aimed at rewarding those hospitals that are meeting agreed performance targets and facilitating overall improved performance.

The Health Service Executive will continue to maintain a focus on the implementation of system-wide measures to further improve the delivery of accident and emergency services.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 142: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason for the discrepancy between the figures of people waiting on trolleys in accident and emergency departments from the Irish Nurses Organisation and those from the Health Service Executive; the set of figures which are true; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3090/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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My Department is advised by the Health Service Executive that the reason for the discrepancy between the INO figures and the HSE figures for the numbers of people waiting on trolleys in accident and emergency departments is that the figures are compiled at different times of the day. The INO figures are collected at 8 a.m. each day, while the HSE figures are collected at 2 p.m.