Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 601: To ask the Minister for Health the amount of finance that was made available by the special delivery unit of the Health Service Executive to alleviate pressures on Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, County Louth; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the medical ward in Louth County Hospital, Dundalk, which was reopened under the SDU measures, has been closed since December 2011 due to staffing shortages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5007/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The health sector is facing significant funding challenges this year because of the economic crisis and the need to put public finances on a sustainable basis.

However as Minister for Health I am determined that the impact on services must be minimised by relentless performance management, by best practice and by reform in how services are delivered. This will apply in all settings and services and for those delivering those services.

Towards the end of 2011 Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital (OLOL) in Drogheda was identified as one of eight hospitals that required very high support by the Special Delivery Unit (SDU) in relation to trolley waits. Based on proposals received from the hospital I agreed that additional funding would be provided, on a strictly once off basis, to help reduce ED waiting times over November and December 2011. The funding was to provide for initiatives which would help address issues such as delayed discharges which have a significant impact on the numbers of patients waiting on trolleys. This was done on the basis that the hospital/HSE would continue any measures necessary to alleviate trolley waits in January.

Some €725,000 was approved in respect of Our Lady of Lourdes to address trolley waits at the hospital and to implement the various initiatives that had been identified as being key to alleviating the conditions in the emergency department at the hospital over the period.

These measures included:

· Extending the Medical Assessment Unit service opening hours in OLOL.

· Opening additional beds in OLOL

· Various measures for early assisted discharge for medically fit patients including privately provided interim care., the provision of home IVs,and additional aids and appliances.

· Assisted discharge packages and extension of community rehabilitation team.

In addition the initiative included the temporary provision of interim/stepdown beds in Louth County Hospital. This involved a medical ward at Louth County Hospital being opened on a temporary basis to cater for clinically discharged patients from Our Lady of Lourdes. Over the Christmas period, due to the number of patients going home for short periods, this and other wards were reconfigured to ensure the best use of resources. Since then due to a reduction in the number of clinically discharged patients requiring this service, and the unavailability of agency staff the temporary beds concerned have not reopened.

Over €4.8m was made available to 16 hospitals throughout the country for specific planned outcomes. The SDU established a process of collecting numbers waiting on trolleys in each Hospital ED on a daily basis at three specific times and rating each hospital as Green, Amber or Red. To date, the initiative has worked well nationally with trolley numbers significantly down on the same period last year. The systems remains in a state of high alert to ensure that overall capacity,that is both surgical and medical capacity is carefully managed. The SDU Liaison Officer is continuing to work with Our Lady of Lourdes on these issues.

I would also like to advise the Deputy that OLOL was successful in achieving the objective of having no one waiting over 12 months for inpatient or day case surgery by December 31st 2011. Forty one hospitals reached this target with only two hospitals not achieving it. This work will continue in 2012 to both maintain the 12 month maximum waiting time and to further reduce waiting times by the end of 2012.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 602: To ask the Minister for Health if post mortems are being conducted at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, County Louth; if there has been recent change in the way these are conducted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5008/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.