Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 591: To ask the Minister for Health when he will meet a delegation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31417/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The HSE is planning to change the opening time of the Minor Injuries Unit at Monaghan to an 8 hour 5 day service and expects that this will take effect from 1st November. This change is to be viewed as a temporary measure and will be reviewed in 2012.

I have emphasised to the HSE the need to ensure that the impact of such changes to patients is minimised and that all changes are fully communicated. I understand that arrangements, which include staff redeployments and a communications plan, are being put in place by the HSE in relation to this change.

The HSE does not anticipate that this change will have an effect upon the number of patients awaiting admission to an in-patient bed in Cavan General Hospital as the patients treated in the MIU are patients with minor injuries only and would not require admission to an in-patient bed.

In relation to meeting with the Clones Town Council, they should communicate their request to my Department and it will be considered in the usual manner.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 592: To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the cystic fibrosis unit (details supplied) at Beaumont Hospital, in Dublin [31428/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Beaumont Hospital is one of the 6 specialist centres that provides services to adults with cystic fibrosis. In the 2008 Budget, a special allocation of €2.5m capital funding was provided to enable the hospital to provide facilities for ambulatory care of people with cystic fibrosis. This new facility opened on 26th October 2010 and provides a significantly enhanced service to adult patients with CF.

This enabled the provision of the new dedicated Outpatient facility for patients with CF. This Unit facilitates a comprehensive range of services from the multidisciplinary teams. These services include outpatient clinics, a drop in centre/base for clinical assessments with medical consultants and nurses, and the provision of treatments that otherwise may have required hospitalisation.

The new consultation and treatment rooms have an air filtration system which facilitates 12 air changes per hour, approximately three times the average rate in a normal room. This reduces the time needed between patients for the purposes of infection control.

At present there are four dedicated en-suite isolation rooms for the CF Service in Beaumont Hospital. The CEO, Beaumont Hospital, is aware of the requirement to increase capacity and is committed to identifying the additional facilities and resources required to meet the increased demand.

With priority access to a number of en-suite inpatient rooms, the need for an adult with CF being admitted as an inpatient via the Emergency Department is now a rare occurrence.

The Deputy will also be aware of the development of the new 100 bed Unit being built at St Vincent's Hospital which encompasses both in-patient and day care facilities for patients with Cystic Fibrosis. It represents a major improvement in the care of Cystic Fibrosis patients in Ireland. The development at the hospital will provide a state of the art clinical building which will include up to date isolation facilities with accommodation for people with cystic fibrosis.

This 100 inpatient bed unit (in single en-suite rooms) will accommodate the needs of patients with cystic fibrosis and many other patients whose medical requirements necessitate single en suite facilities. One ward (20 beds) in the new Unit will be dedicated for use by cystic fibrosis patients. Twenty per cent of the beds on each of the 5 wards will be isolation rooms. This represents best practice in terms of infection control. It will also provide 10 single day treatment rooms with en-suite sanitary facilities.

The Government is acutely aware of the challenges that people with cystic fibrosis and their families face in managing their condition and fully acknowledges the need for and support the provision of dedicated accommodation in an environment which allows appropriate isolation for improved infection control. The Government supports the continued roll-out of regional services for patients with cystic fibrosis.