Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 301: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans for minimising patient overcrowding and the incidences of patients on trolleys in hospital accident and emergency departments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37889/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Tackling the problems in A & E departments is the Government's top priority in health. Our objectives are to reduce the numbers waiting for admission, the time spent waiting for admission, and the turnaround time for those who can be treated in A & E and do not require admission.

The Health Service activity reports over recent months indicate a significant reduction in the average number of patients in A & E departments awaiting admission compared with 2005. Waiting times for patients have also been reduced. The percentage of people waiting longer than 24 hours for admission has decreased from 13% in May to 6% in October. The long-term objective is to ensure that no patient waits longer than six hours to be admitted after the clinical decision to admit has been made.

In order to ensure that the improvements that have been achieved in recent months can be sustained, particularly during the winter months, the HSE has introduced a broad-based Winter Initiative. The Winter Initiative will be similar to those in place in other health systems internationally. Its purpose is to ensure that the services required to address the particular demands of the winter season are in place and operating optimally. It will encompass not just hospital services but also primary and community care services.

The Initiative will build on work already underway and focus on a range of measures including:

preventative measures;

public communications;

operational readiness (capacity, staffing, etc);

out of hours arrangements;

NHO/PCCC service integration (Ambulance/Primary Care/A&E links, Discharge Initiatives, Continuing Care and Home Supports);

planned escalation procedures to enable responsiveness to increased demand beyond normal operating levels; and

ongoing development of necessary infrastructure particularly for continuing care.

A formal structure is now in place, with eight Local Implementation Teams covering the whole country. Each of the teams has provided an initial status report on the priority tasks and actions set out under the main elements of the Winter Initiative. Progress on addressing those tasks and actions is being monitored on a weekly basis.