Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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383. To ask the Minister for Health if he has visited Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9; the issues he discussed with management; the extra resources he will provide to the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48960/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I visited Beaumont Hospital on 8 December 2014, where I officially opened the Cardiac Intervention Unit and visited the Alpha-One Foundation. I also spent time in the Emergency Department speaking to management, staff and patients, as I am well aware of the challenges which are faced by Emergency Departments, including Beaumont's, particularly at this time of year.

In relation to Beaumont in particular, the management has implemented a number of initiatives to address the obvious egress issues and enhance patient flow from the Emergency Department to discharge or to in-patient beds. These measures include:

- patient pathways in place for transferring patients quickly to the Acute Medicine Unit and to the Stroke Unit

- rapid access to diagnostics such as endoscopy, ECHO and stress tests to assist with rapid diagnosis and treatment of patients

- provision of minor injuries service by Advance Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) from 8am to 9pm, seven days per week

- provision of a direct consult chest pain service by a Cardiology ANP three days per week.

Two ‘self-harm’ nurse specialists, a clinical nurse specialist for liaison psychiatry and alcohol liaison nurse service assist in the work of the Emergency Department by providing specific expertise to support patients with these presentations. In addition, the hospital established a dedicated rapid assessment team this year, incorporating a senior doctor, clinical nurse manager, staff nurse and healthcare assistant. These resources have been assigned to the ED assessment area in order to improve non-admitted patient experience times (PETs). Beaumont is engaged with Clinical programmes and care pathways including the Hospital Design Programme and the National Acute Coronary Syndrome Programme which will further improve the current situation. These longer term measures are supported by short term measures such as cancellation of elective activity and redirection of patients who do not require acute interventions to appropriate alternative care pathways.

The HSE and my Department are working hard in order to alleviate the unacceptable pressures experienced by patients and staff alike in ED Departments. To assist in this situation, the HSE Service Plan for 2015 includes €25 million to specifically address delayed discharges.

An extra €3 million was allocated in this year's recent Supplementary Budget for Health to allow the delayed discharge initiative to start this year, rather than next year as originally intended. 1,000 Fair Deal Nursing Home Support Scheme places have been approved to help address the number of delayed discharges. The funding has also facilitated the allocation of Home Care packages and the provision of Transitional Care beds for patients who do not yet have a long term care place or an appropriate support package in place to allow patients return home. A number of patients who had been awaiting discharge from Beaumont have been able to leave hospital as a result.

At a national level, hospitals have been working with the Special Delivery Unit (SDU) on Winter Planning initiatives to address the anticipated seasonal surge arising principally from changing weather conditions. However, the successful management of access to emergency and acute care cannot be solely dependent on intensive, short term solutions. I am establishing an Emergency Department Taskforce to develop such solutions. It will meet for the first time on 22 December and monthly thereafter in order to address solutions to problems being experienced by Emergency Departments, with the emphasis on those which are experiencing the greatest levels of difficulty.