Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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To ask the Minister for Health if he will outline the Health Service Executive policy in relation to transport from hospital to post-operative care of senior citizens following replacement hip or other serious orthopaedic surgery; and if a HSE ambulance is used, if he will outline the cost to public and private patients [14352/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Patient transport is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive. The HSE National Ambulance Service is developing non-emergency transport, through a national intermediate care service (ICS) , which is key to resolving bed and clinical management pressures. ICS will allow for safe, planned and timely clinical transfers of inpatients to the most appropriate facility, depending on their acuity and clinical needs. This will allow for beds to be made available for higher acuity admissions through emergency departments. ICS will also release emergency resources for emergency functions, for improved response times and performances in pre-hospital care. To date, ICS has been implemented in Cavan, Castleblayney, South County Dublin, Letterkenny, Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Roscommon, Mallow and Bantry. Supported by the 2013 National Service Plan, the NAS intends to expand ICS to Waterford, Cork Tralee, Castlebar and Drogheda and to increase services in Dublin and Galway during 2013.

In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.