Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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221. To ask the Minister for Health if he has commissioned a trauma steering group to examine the 29 emergency departments here, and if this group is now recommending the closure of the emergency departments in Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise in County Laois and in Naas General Hospital in County Kildare. [21901/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I would like to reassure the Deputy that the work underway in developing a policy on a national trauma policy is about getting the best outcomes for a particular, small category of patients who sustain traumatic injuries. It is not about closing Emergency Departments or diminishing services. There are currently no plans to close or remove trauma services from any hospital.

A trauma patient needs access to the best service that has the right resources to match their often multiple and critical needs in the shortest time possible. The aim of developing national policy on trauma networks is to ensure that trauma patients are brought to the right place at the right time for the right care so they can make the best recovery possible. It is about building on the strengths of pre-hospital care, all of our acute hospitals and post-acute services to provide an optimal configuration of trauma services. The implementation of Hospital Groups provides an opportunity for hospitals to work together to enhance trauma services for patients.

The need for a national trauma system has been recognised for many years. In June 2015 the National Clinical Programme for Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery published the Model of Care for trauma and orthopaedic surgery and strongly recommended that a national approach to trauma services should be taken. The RCSI (the professional body representing all surgeons and emergency medicine specialists) also called for its establishment at their annual scientific meeting last year. Last year, the then Minister for Health appointed a National Steering Group to develop policy on a major trauma system for Ireland. This is a joint initiative from the Department of Health and the HSE, developed in recognition that we do not have a coordinated trauma network structure in Ireland.

The Steering Group has been working with the Department of Health, the HSE and all relevant HSE National Clinical Leads including Surgery, Pre-Hospital Emergency Care, Critical Care, Orthopaedics and Trauma on the development of the policy. The group has not yet reported, I have not seen any output from this group and the Group's recommendations are not expected until later this year.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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222. To ask the Minister for Health to confirm that there will be no change to the status of the emergency department in Cavan General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21903/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I would like to reassure the Deputy that the work underway in developing a policy on a national trauma policy is about getting the best outcomes for a particular, small category of patients who sustain traumatic injuries. It is not about closing Emergency Departments or diminishing services. There are currently no plans to close or remove trauma services from any hospital.

A trauma patient needs access to the best service that has the right resources to match their often multiple and critical needs in the shortest time possible. The aim of developing national policy on trauma networks is to ensure that trauma patients are brought to the right place at the right time for the right care so they can make the best recovery possible. It is about building on the strengths of pre-hospital care, all of our acute hospitals and post-acute services to provide an optimal configuration of trauma services. The implementation of Hospital Groups provides an opportunity for hospitals to work together to enhance trauma services for patients.

The need for a national trauma system has been recognised for many years. In June 2015 the National Clinical Programme for Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery published the Model of Care for trauma and orthopaedic surgery and strongly recommended that a national approach to trauma services should be taken. The RCSI (the professional body representing all surgeons and emergency medicine specialists) also called for its establishment at their annual scientific meeting last year.

Last year, the then Minister for Health appointed a National Steering Group to develop policy on a major trauma system for Ireland. This is a joint initiative from the Department of Health and the HSE, developed in recognition that we do not have a coordinated trauma network structure in Ireland.

The Steering Group has been working with the Department of Health, the HSE and all relevant HSE National Clinical Leads including Surgery, Pre-Hospital Emergency Care, Critical Care, Orthopaedics and Trauma on the development of the policy. The group has not yet reported, I have not seen any output from this group and the Group's recommendations are not expected until later this year.