Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 482: To ask the Minister for Health, further to Parliamentary Question No. 443 of 12 July 2011, when a reply will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29716/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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My Department has made enquiries with the Health Service Executive in relation to this matter and I understand that a reply issued to the Deputy on 17 October.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 483: To ask the Minister for Health when the special delivery unit will be in operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29722/11]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 496: To ask the Minister for Health if, in view of his commitment in an interview on [i]www.irishhealth.com[/i] that he personally, or someone on his behalf, will contact hospitals to ask the reason individual patients have been waiting in emergency departments for over 12 or 24 hours, he has in fact contacted any hospitals to inquire about individual patients; the hospitals he has contacted; if he will put in place a system whereby patients or their families can contact his office directly in order that he can inquire about delays that relate to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29901/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 483 and 496 together.

Immediately following my appointment I set about establishing the Special Delivery Unit to unblock access to acute services by improving the flow of patients through the system. The SDU is focusing initially on emergency departments and will be working to support hospitals in addressing excessive waiting times for admission to hospital. The Special Delivery Unit (SDU) is working closely with key teams in the HSE and the NTPF. The SDU will also be working with hospitals to conduct a performance diagnostic analysis of the unscheduled care system in the acute hospital sector over the coming months.

My view is that we need to embed performance management in the system to sustain shorter waiting times. As the Deputy knows, this Government has an ambitious programme of reform which includes institutional reforms and economic incentives which will make health care providers truly accountable for delivering patient centred care. I can assure the Deputy that I have the commitment and determination to deliver this agenda.

I am very impressed with the work already begun by the Special Delivery Unit. Our problems did not arise overnight and they will take time to resolve but they are being tackled in a systematic and relentless fashion through the SDU. I do not minimise the scale of the task before us but I am very confident that the Special Delivery Unit will provide a real performance management function for the Irish hospital system and will drive down waiting times.