Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 219: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the average waiting time from outpatient referral to seeing a consultant by speciality in respect of the six major Dublin hospitals; and the number of consultants and consultations by speciality in each hospital in 2007 or the most recent 12 month period for which data is available. [25329/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004 and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall vote. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular issues raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matters investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

The HSE has identified the area of Out-Patient Departments (OPD) as a significant priority in 2008 and has established a Group to review on a national basis how these services operate. Among the issues to be examined will be the referral and booking process for OPD appointments, the operation and management of OPD clinics and the opportunities for innovative working practices to be adopted across the hospital system.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 220: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when she expects the review of acute hospital services in the mid-west conducted by consultants (details supplied) to be published; when the review was established; the estimated cost of the review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25330/08]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 257: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if the findings of the Teamwork Report are currently being implemented in the mid-west region by the Health Service Executive despite the fact that the report on the review into the acute services has not been published by her Department; when this report will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25710/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Service Executive has commissioned a number of reviews of the configuration of acute hospital services including the one in the Mid West referred to by the Deputies. In each case, the first priority is patient safety. The challenge in the years ahead will be to organise, manage and deliver high quality services that are focussed in the first instance on the safety of patients.

The Health Service Executive commissioned Horwath Consultants in association with Teamwork Management Services in February 2007 to work on the strategic reviews of acute hospital services being undertaken by the Executive in the Mid West and Southern regions. The reviews focus on identifying the best configuration of acute hospital services in the region including arrangements for A&E, critical care, acute medicine and surgery, together with diagnostic services so that the highest quality of care can be delivered to the population of the regions concerned.

The Health Service Executive reviews will act as one of the inputs to decisions on how best to reconfigure acute services in the regions concerned. The Government and the Executive are committed to ensuring that the approach to re-organisation of services is carried out in consultation with the key stakeholders, and that each element is progressed incrementally. I believe that it is important to work with health professionals and other interested parties to secure an increasing set of improvements over time. This approach will, I am confident, produce the best outcome for patients.

The detailed matters raised by the Deputies are the responsibility of the HSE. My Department has therefore requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to reply directly to the Deputy in relation to these matters.