Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if consideration is being given to changing the way the Health Service Executive data on waiting times in hospital accident and emergency departments is compiled; if it is intended in the future to count time waiting before, as well as after, a decision to admit the patient; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45515/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Service Executive has developed a number of systems for measuring performance within the hospital system, including those related to the presentation and treatment of patients at Emergency Departments. However, it is accepted that the current systems in a number of hospitals cannot capture the full waiting time experience of all patients attending Emergency Departments.

I believe that setting clear targets for improvement and measuring performance against these targets helps to drive further improvements in services. I have asked the HSE to set a revised maximum waiting time target of no more than 6 hours from registration to admission or discharge in 2009 for all patients attending Emergency Departments, and to introduce a measurement system in 2009 to record the total waiting time for all such patients. The HSE has committed to introducing these measures in its National Service Plan, 2009.