Vol. 474 No. 6
113 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Health his views on complaints in relation to delays in the accident and emergency department of Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, and the non-availability of adequate beds in the hospital to deal with some of these patients; the action, if any, he proposes to take to improve this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3696/97]
Limerick East): Since taking office, I have been anxious to address the problems in the provision of accident and emergency services which have arisen in Beaumont and other major accident and emergency hospitals, particularly during the winter, over the past number of years. I have provided additional funding to Beaumont Hospital in respect of measures to improve observation facilities adjacent to the accident and emergency department. However, a wider view is required to address comprehensively the problems which have arisen in hospital accident and emergency departments. There has been a shortage of subacute beds in Dublin for quite some time and this has caused problems for the acute hospital sector in that acute hospitals have not been able to discharge patients in sufficient numbers and quickly enough, to cater for new patients seeking the services of the hospital.
In order to provide relief for the acute hospitals and enable them discharge patients no longer in need of acute hospital care but who require subacute care, my Department has agreed a plan of action with the Eastern Health Board for the winter of 1996-7. This involves tackling a number of areas including services for the elderly, services for the chronically disabled and the management of services provided by the acute hospitals themselves.
The plan will cost £2.75 million annually and I have now provided the funding for this major initiative.
Included in the plan are the following measures; an additional 30 beds in nursing homes; a new 25 bed community unit in Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital; 17 extra beds in Leopardstown Hospital; 25 extra beds for the elderly in Peamount Hospital; six new community ward teams for the elderly; additional beds in acute hospitals, and public education campaign on the appropriate use of accident and emergency departments. I am glad to inform the Deputy that arrangements are well under way to put these initiatives in place and some of the facilities are already in operation.
This is the largest package of measures by any Minister for Health to deal with the relief of the winter problems of the acute hospitals and I am confident that it will provide much needed relief for the hospital service in Dublin.
