Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 185: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the extent of recent cutbacks in the Health Service Executive western region; the extent of these cutbacks in terms of financial saving and service provision in the region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35236/10]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 186: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the extent of recent cutbacks in the Health Service Executive western region upon Mayo General Hospital; the extent of these cutbacks in terms of financial savings and service provision at the hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35237/10]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 187: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the extent of recent cutbacks in the Health Service Executive western region upon Sacred Heart Hospital; the extent of these cutbacks in terms of financial savings and service provision at the hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35238/10]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 188: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the extent of recent cutbacks in the Health Service Executive western region upon all its facilities in County Mayo; the extent of those cutbacks in terms of financial savings and service provision throughout the county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35239/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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I propose to answer Questions Nos. 185 to 188, inclusive, together.

In its National Service Plan, the HSE committed to maintaining front-line services in line with 2009 levels. The HSE West's overall budget is €2.1 billion. Notwithstanding this overall level of resource, there have been financial problems in the HSE West due to a range of factors, including a shortfall in income collection and hospital activity exceeding Service Plan targets. The focus on financial performance which is underway is showing demonstrable evidence of progress. From a projected deficit of €130m at the end of March, this had been brought down to €49.5m by the end of August. Continued efforts are needed to eliminate the deficit through a net €10 -12m a month expenditure reduction for the rest of the year.

Expenditure control is focused on controlling elective activity to bring it back to the target levels; protecting front-line services and in particular emergency services; maintaining the quality and safety of services; and delivering to service plan targets. The principal measures being employed involve: reducing pay and non-pay costs; controlling absenteeism; redeployment of corporate / support staff to front line roles; implementing measures to ensure that hospital care is delivered as efficiently as possible; improved bed utilisation and discharge planning; and procurement initiatives.

The HR measures proposed involve the reduction of staff hours to the equivalent of 200 WTE posts. This is to be achieved mainly through an overall reduction of 7,000 staff hours per week through the elimination of overtime and significant scaling back on the use of agency staff. There are and will remain some 27,000 staff employed in the health services in HSE West. Staff absenteeism is a particular concern and is approximately 5% for the region as a whole. Sustained efforts are being made to work with staff to reduce absenteeism levels, which have a direct impact on the staffing costs of front line services.

The HSE is driving efficiency in the acute hospital system by increasing the proportion of surgery undertaken on a day basis, admission of inpatients of their day of surgery and reducing length of hospital stay consistent with patients' clinical needs. Measures are being taken to control elective activity to bring it back to the target levels, as overall activity in the acute hospitals in HSE West has been ahead of the targets in the National Service Plan. In the region as a whole, up to July, inpatient activity was 5.7 % ahead of target.

Notwithstanding the difficult financial environment, the Government is determined to do everything possible to protect patient services, to respond to priority demographic and other needs and to support ongoing reform of the public health services within the resources available for health. To achieve this, staff at all levels will have to work together to deliver services in a more flexible way. Without that co-operation and flexibility, services to patients cannot be protected. It is not just for HSE management to protect services: there is a responsibility on everyone involved to deliver services within budget in new ways that will better serve patient needs in accordance with international practice. As regards the effect of these measures on particular services in Mayo, I have referred the matter to HSE for direct reply.