Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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219. To ask the Minister for Health the national criteria and the process and procedures involved in respect of examination of emergency departments in hospitals throughout the country in which services are being reviewed; the number of emergency departments being considered as part of this review; the criteria for selecting particular emergency departments for review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45240/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My Department is not undertaking a national review of accident and emergency departments. The Deputy may wish to note that the Smaller Hospitals Framework defines the role of smaller hospitals and outlines the need for smaller hospitals and larger hospitals to operate as Hospital Groups. It identifies the activities that can be performed in smaller, or Model 2, hospitals in a safe and sustainable manner, including extended day surgery, selected acute medicine, a local injuries service, a large range of diagnostic services, specialist rehabilitation medicine and palliative care. In developing our smaller hospitals, as set out in the Smaller Hospitals Framework the first and over-riding concern is the safety of patients. Through continued progress in the implementation of Hospital Groups, hospitals are starting to work together to support each other, providing a stronger role for smaller hospitals in delivering less complex care and ensuring that patients who require true emergency or complex planned care are managed safely in larger hospitals.