Written answers

Thursday, 8 March 2012

5:00 pm

Photo of Gerald NashGerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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Question 203: To ask the Minister for Health if he and the Health Service Executive will provide details on the criteria applied to the decision to include the Cottage Hospital, Drogheda, and St. Joseph's, Ardee, County Louth, for potential closure as publicly operated community nursing units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13432/12]

Photo of Kathleen LynchKathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Photo of Willie PenroseWillie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 204: To ask the Minister for Health if he will take steps to have a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath admitted to Cappagh Hospital, Dublin, immediately for a hip replacement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13442/12]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I am determined to address the issues which cause unacceptable delays in patients receiving treatment in our hospitals. In this regard I have established the Special Delivery Unit (SDU), which will work to unblock access to acute services by dramatically improving the flow of patients through the system, and by streamlining waiting lists, including referrals from GPs. The SDU is working closely with its partner agencies - mainly the HSE and the NTPF.

As a priority, public hospitals were instructed to ensure that, by the end of 2011, they had no patients waiting more than 12 months for treatment. I can confirm that the vast majority of hospitals achieved this objective. During 2012 the SDU will support hospitals in the delivery of a 9 month maximum wait time for inpatient or daycase surgery. As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. Should the patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he/she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and facility involved.

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 205: To ask the Minister for Health when the new critical care unit in the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick, will open; the arrangements being put in place to ensure sufficient staffing and funding for the unit above and beyond the Health Service Executive regional plan for 2012; if additional non-critical beds will be provided at Limerick; his views on the fact that without such non-critical beds and if the planned closure of the ICU in Nenagh Hospital proceeds patients will face repeated journeys to Limerick and Nenagh; if he will halt the proposed closure of the Nenagh ICU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13446/12]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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In relation to the new critical care block I understand that it will be completed by June 2012, a period of commissioning will then follow. I believe we must concentrate on getting the best possible services for patients from the budgets available to us.

The work of the Special Delivery Unit, together with implementation of the Clinical Care Programmes in the HSE, will help to improve the efficiency of our hospitals, allowing us to treat as many patients as possible within budget. In the current economic climate the acute sector must reduce its costs in order to deliver the agreed level of activity within the resources available to it. The emphasis in 2012 will continue to be to make the most effective use of acute bed capacity through shorter lengths of stay, increased rates of day-of-surgery admission and more day surgery. In this way the acute hospital system can ensure that, within the level of resources available, it provides safe, effective and efficient care to the maximum number of patients with .

The decision to open and close beds is made at hospital management level and approved by the Regional Director of Operations. In relation to the specific information sought by the Deputy, as these are service issues they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

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