Vol. 495 No. 1
261 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health and Children the statistics for each of the six main Dublin hospitals in respect of the average length of delay for attention in their casualty departments for patients being seen but not admitted; if his Department has a guideline time in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19617/98]
The information requested by the Deputy is not collected by the six main Dublin hospitals. The majority of these hospitals operate a triage system, whereby each patient attending the accident and emergency department is assessed and is treated in accordance with their medical priority.
The categories of assessment are as follows:
Category 1 — Seen by medical staff immediately;
Category 2 — Condition requires that they should be seen within ten minutes;
Category 3 — Condition requires that they should be seen within one hour;
Category 4 — Condition requires that they should be seen within two hours;
Category 5 — Condition requires that they should be seen within four hours.
Most patients waiting to be seen but not admitted are in categories 3-5.
With regard to a guideline time estimate the Deputy will be aware that the pattern of attendances at accident and emergency departments is extremely erratic and difficult to predict. While every effort is made in all of the hospitals concerned to ensure that waiting times are minimal patients may experience longer waiting times during particularly busy periods.
