Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Health the plans in place to reduce the requirement for patients awaiting admission to Cork University Hospital to remain on trolleys for extended periods; the measures in place to ensure the privacy and dignity of patients while on trolleys; the way patients on trolleys can be assured of adequate medical attention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15808/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Immediately following my appointment, I set out to address the issues which have been causing unacceptable delays in patients being treated in our hospitals. I established the Special Delivery Unit (SDU), as set out in the Programme for Government. The SDU is working to unblock access to acute services by improving the flow of patients through the system. Since its establishment there has been significant improvements in the waiting times for unscheduled care against a background of reduced funding for health, reconfiguration of services and a challenging socio-economic climate.

Hospitals across the country have experienced a surge in presentations to ED, as would be expected in the winter months, resulting in high demand for admissions and a consequent rise in trolley waits. Recent outbreaks of influenza have created additional logistical difficulties in relation to the admission, movement and discharge of patients in some hospitals. Those hospitals have released media messages advising non-attendance and restrictions on visiting. The SDU continues to monitor ED activity closely, engaging with key hospitals via teleconference and on-site meetings, collaborating in putting in place a range of measures to assist with patient flow and reviewing the available data for trends in relation to the reported levels of high activity.

Despite these pressures the year on year improvements continue nationally. Numbers recorded on trolleys at the end of 2012 showed a marked improvement of 23.6% less than 2011 which equates to 20,386 less people. From 1st January to 15th March, there has been a total of 15,220 patients on trolleys: this is a reduction of 2,258 patients or 12.9% on the equivalent period last year. Priority now is to reduce long waiters (over 9 hours) as we move to a six hour patient journey target. The SDU and the Patient Safety & Quality Directorate in the HSE are currently in communication to agree a mechanism of capturing and responding in instances where a Hospital reports one or more patients breaching 24 hours on a trolley on one or more occasion.

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.

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Health when an orthopaedic outpatients appointment at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, will be made in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15819/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2013, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has recently been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists. In relation to this particular query raised by the Deputy, I have asked the Health Service Executive to investigate the situation and respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.