Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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449. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons that visited the accident and emergency department of Beaumont Hospital in 2017, 2018 and to date in 2019; the timeframe for the construction of a new accident and emergency department at the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21991/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I wish to acknowledge the distress overcrowded Emergency Departments (EDs) cause to patients, their families and frontline staff working in very challenging working conditions in hospitals throughout the country.

This is a very busy period for our health services, with many hospitals reporting significant numbers of patient attendances. For the first quarter of 2019, the number of patients attending hospital EDs increased by 7.6%, and the number of ED admissions increased by 4.7% compared to the same period last year.

However, despite the significant increase in demand, our health services have managed better this winter than in previous years. While any patient on a trolley is a patient too many, figures from the HSE have shown a very significant reduction in the number of patients waiting on hospital trolleys so far this year.

In relation to the specific information requested, I have asked the HSE to provide this to the Deputy directly.