Written answers

Wednesday, 15 July 2015

Department of Health

Accident and Emergency Departments

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

206. To ask the Minister for Health if he will visit the accident and emergency department of Beaumont Hospital in Dublin 9 to meet front-line staff and to discuss with them the major increase in the occurrences of overcrowding in the hospital over the past few months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29406/15]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

ED overcrowding is a key priority issue for the Government. I visited Beaumont Hospital ED in December last year. Shortly thereafter I convened the ED Taskforce to provide focus and momentum in dealing with the challenges presented by ED overcrowding. Last April, the HSE published the Taskforce action plan, with a range of time defined actions to optimise existing hospital and community capacity, develop internal capability and process improvement and improve leadership, governance, planning and oversight.

Based on the Task Force’s Action Plan, additional funds of €74 million were provided in 2015 to increase long term nursing home care places and reduce the waiting time for their funding, as well as providing additional transitional care and home care packages to provide viable supports for those no longer needing acute hospital care. This was additional to measures already taken in Budget 2015, when the Government provided €25 million to support services that provide alternatives to, and relieve pressure on, acute hospitals.

Beaumont hospital has undertaken a number of initiatives both internally within various teams and departments, and externally with the HSE to improve the patient pathway both through the ED and the hospital. Hospital staff work consistently with their community counterparts to ensure that patients who no longer require acute care are facilitated to move from the hospital to more appropriate care settings, or to home, as appropriate. In addition the RCSI Hospitals Group has developed a Frail Elderly Project Team, led by a Community Geriatrician, with a focus on provision of care in Day Hospital and Nursing Homes rather than in the ED.

Other actions which are ongoing include: use of 16 additional beds in Clontarf Orthopaedic Hospital for step down purposes; transfer of patients to Mount Carmel for transitional or rehabilitative care; continuation of funding of transitional care beds in addition to release of Fair Deal funding; continuation of escalation measures, including curtailment of electives where necessary; increased access to diagnostics out-of-hours and at weekends and a focus on reduction of average length of stay for medical in-patients.

The HSE is engaged in a focussed programme of work to ensure immediate actions are being taken to effect a reduction in delayed discharges and to drive improved performance in EDs, including at Beaumont Hospital. Overall, the emphasis is on driving a more integrated approach between primary care, acute hospitals and community care. Progress against the various actions set out in the ED Taskforce action plan is being reported on a monthly basis to the ED Taskforce Implementation Oversight Group.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.