Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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579. To ask the Minister for Health the progress on provision of high-quality acute inpatient units based at major general hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49695/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The HSE national Clinical Strategy and Programmes (CSPD) will commence the development of Integrated Care Programmes (ICPs) in 2015 to provide a framework to substantially improve and standardise patient care across the country. This framework for the management and delivery of health services will ensure that patients and clients receive high quality, evidence based care, delivered in a co-ordinated manner which feels seamless to the user.

The full implementation of these programmes will deliver significant benefits to the care of the acutely ill medical patient within our health care system. The HSE has identified additional resources to support the development of the Acute Medicine Programme in the 2015 National Service Plan. Furthermore, it has provided for an increase in the opening hours of Acute Medical Assessment Units (AMAUs) from five to seven days per week in St. Vincent's University Hospital, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and Cork University Hospital.

Currently, there are thirty-three hospitals in Ireland with Acute Medical Assessment or Medical Assessment; a list of these is presented below.

Acute Inpatient Units