Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 12: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the procedures now being put in place to cater for unforeseen demand for hospital beds, accident and emergency or other hospital based facilities or services that might arise throughout the winter months with a view to eliminating waiting lists; if any particular strategy is likely to be employed in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41897/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The HSE continues to focus on a system wide approach to improving access to hospital.

Each day, approximately 30% of the people who visit an Emergency Department will require an admission into hospital. However, it is equally important to note that the majority of patients do not require admission to the hospital as a result of their visit. Of this group, 94% are seen, treated and discharged within 6 hours. This means that the vast majority of Emergency Department attendees are processed and discharged within a reasonable time.

As regards waiting lists for elective care the median wait time for a procedure is now 2.6 months, compared to 3.5 months in 2007. For 19 of the 20 most common adult surgical operations, patients are treated within two to five months. Children also receive treatment for the ten most common surgical procedures within two to five months. There has been a fall in the number of people waiting for surgical procedures from 7.4 per 1,000 population in 2002 to 3.7 per 1,000 in 2009. Improving access to hospital services requires a wider healthcare approach. In recognition of this the HSE has undertaken a number of initiatives.

These initiatives include the Winter Initiative Programme, the Code of Practice for Integrated Discharge Planning and actions to reduce the number of delayed discharges, including the introduction of the "Fair Deal".

Other innovations undertaken by the HSE include the development of Emergency Care Networks and regionally governed services such as Acute Medical and Surgical Assessment Units, Rapid Access Clinics and Minor Injury Units.

Another important initiative has been the establishment of Community Intervention Teams (CITs) which provide follow-up care for medical patients in their own home, allowing the patient to return home from hospital at the earliest opportunity.

I have asked the HSE to ensure that patients attending Emergency Departments are seen as quickly as possible, and the HSE is committed to bringing this about.