Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 232: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her proposals to alleviate overcrowding at accident and emergency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18070/07]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 239: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress that has taken place to provide hospital beds and eliminate the use of trolleys; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18077/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 232 and 239 together.

Improving the delivery of Accident and Emergency services 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 Executive continues to report significant improvements in the number of patients in A & E departments who are awaiting admission to an acute bed as compared with the same period last year. The average number of patients awaiting admission during March, the last full month for which reliable information was available, was 59% lower than the equivalent period twelve months ago.

Last year the HSE introduced a target of 24 hours within which all patients should be admitted, following the decision to admit. This target is being achieved by the vast majority of hospitals. The HSE is working closely with the small number of hospitals who are continuing to experience difficulties to assist them in reaching this target. The HSE has announced that it will be introducing a revised target of 12 hours within which a patient should be admitted, following the decision to admit. The HSE is also to introduce a monitoring system to record the total time patients spend in A & E departments, from the time they arrive to the time they are either discharged or admitted.

In terms of A & E capacity the HSE has developed admission lounges at a number of hospitals in 2006 and further lounges are being fast tracked to come on-stream in 2007. These admission lounges alleviate pressure on A & E and enable patients awaiting admission to an acute hospital bed to be managed safely while preserving their right to dignity and privacy. Other measures being put in place to improve services for patients and to reduce pressure on A & E departments include a series of hospital avoidance measures as follows:

Hospital in the Home Scheme

Development of Community Intervention Teams

Roll-out of more primary care teams

Expansion of out-of-hours GP services

Expansion of community diagnostic services

Measures being taken to improve and optimise acute hospital capacity and capability include:

Seven new Community Nursing Units in Dublin

Additional long-stay beds outside of Dublin

Additional Acute Medical Assessment Units and Acute Medical Admission Units

Development of enhanced diagnostic capability in hospitals

The Programme for Government commits to the provision of an additional 1,500 dedicated public beds. In addition, the HSE is currently reviewing the acute hospital bed requirements up to 2020. This review will identify the number and type of acute beds that are required, the capital and revenue implications, and advise on how to meet the identified need. The findings and recommendations of this review will inform the Government's policy on developing capacity in acute hospitals into the future.