Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 31 Jan 1995

Vol. 448 No. 3

Written Answers. - Workload of Dublin Hospital.

Seán Haughey

Question:

71 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there has been an increase in the number of patients being admitted to Beaumont Hospital through the accident and emergency department during the month of January 1995; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that there is a shortage of hospital beds to meet this demand, resulting in patients being treated on trolleys for many hours; and the action, if any, he proposes to take to deal with this situation. [1857/95]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): The accident and emergency department of Beaumont Hospital provides a 24-hour service.

Because of the nature of the work, it is not possible to predict the workload of hospital Accident and Emergency Departments at any particular time. At all times, however, priority is accorded to those patients most in need of immediate medical attention. Because of the unpredictable nature of the workload which may present, it can happen that on occassion patients must be placed in temporary accommodation pending the availability of more appropriate beds. I can assure the Deputy that every effort is made to keep this practice to a minimum.

All patients, whilst in the Accident and Emergency Department, are under the care of medical and nursing staff. Every endeavour is made to make patients as comfortable as possible and this includes the provision of food to patients while they are awaiting a hospital bed.

The position regarding the accident and emergency departments is monitored by my Department on an ongoing basis. In this regard, shortly after coming into office I approved a sum of £850,000 as an immediate response to recent problems experienced by the Dublin Accident and Emergency hospitals. Difficulties which have arisen in recent weeks have not been caused by a shortage of acute hospital beds but are due to insufficient step-down facilities for patients who are no longer in need of acute hospital care.

In relation to Beaumont Hospital, there have been a number of occasions in recent months when, owing to the Accident and Emergency Department being particularly busy, some patients have been accommodated on trolleys for a period until a bed has become available. To counteract this, elective admissions have, from time to time, been cancelled and an action plan has been put in place in Beaumont Hospital to ensure that beds are made available at the earliest opportunity for patients being admitted through accident and emergency.

I would like to assure the Deputy of my continuing concern that the accident and emergency hospitals in Dublin are unabled to respond effectively to the demands placed upon them and that I will continue to monitor the situation with a view to taking further action if required.