Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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52. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to tackle the accident and emergency crisis in Beaumont Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2338/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Emergency Department over-crowding is a priority issue for me and for the government. All hospitals, including Beaumont have escalation plans to manage not only patient flow but also patient safety in a responsive, controlled and planned way that supports and ensures the delivery of optimum patient care. These plans include the opening of additional overflow areas, reopening of closed beds, provision of additional diagnostic scans and Consultants doing additional ward rounds to improve the appropriate flow of patients through the hospital system.

Beaumont Hospital has undertaken a number of initiatives to improve the patient pathway both through the ED and the hospital, in addition to working closely with the community. All available bed capacity is open and off-site capacity is also being utilised. Elective surgeries (with the exception of cancer cases) have been cancelled and this option is being kept under constant review.

The Government has provided additional funding of €3 million in 2014 and €25 million in 2015 to address delayed discharges and actions being taken include the provision of additional home care packages, additional transition beds in nursing homes, 300 additional Fair Deal places and an extension in Community Intervention Teams.

I convened the Emergency Department Taskforce last month to find long term solutions to overcrowding by providing additional focus and momentum in dealing with the challenges presented by the current trolley waits. Following a second meeting last week, the HSE is working on an action plan to be finalised by the end of the month to specifically address ED issues with a view to a significant reduction in trolley waits over the course of 2015.