Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Health the additional immediate steps being taken to reduce the waiting times in the Accident and Emergency Department of Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13381/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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On my appointment as Minister for Health, I set out to address the issues which cause unacceptable delays in patients being treated in our hospitals. I established the Special Delivery Unit (SDU), which is working to unblock access to acute services by improving patient flow through the system, including Beaumont hospital. An intensive work programme is underway between the SDU's liaison officers, the Clinical Programmes and Beaumont hospital teams. The SDU is satisfied that there is increased engagement at all levels in the hospital ensuring that emergency patients are seen in a timely manner, focussing on working to achieve the national targets for unscheduled care. There has been some improvement in treatment times for patients at Beaumont Emergency Department (ED) - 59% of new ED patients were admitted to a ward or discharged in less than six hours from their arrival time at Beaumont in January 2013 compared to 50% in May 2012.

I relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy in relation to additional immediate steps being taken to reduce waiting times at the hospital, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.