Vol. 475 No. 1
116 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Health the average waiting period in a Dublin hospital accident and emergency department while awaiting medical/para-medical attentions; if he has satisfied himself in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4171/97]
Limerick East): The information requested by the Deputy is not routinely collected. The Deputy may appreciate that because of the nature of accident and emergency services, i.e. the unpredictability of what may present at any given time in a hospital accident and emergency department, the waiting time before treatment is provided is constantly liable to change. In addition, many patients who present at accident and emergency departments do not require the services of para-medical staff, although para-medical services form part of the treatment provided to some patients before and following admission to a bed. In providing appropriate staffing levels for accident and emergency services, including those for medical/para-medical staff, hospitals take account of the needs of patients for efficient and effective accident and emergency cover when the shifts are being drawn up.
In Dublin the acute hospital service has encountered problems in the provision of accident and emergency services, particularly over the winter period in the past number of years. The causes of the problems which arise have been well documented. Many elderly patients require acute hospital care initially but much of their recovery period could be spent in step down sub-acute accommodation. For a number of years now there has been a shortage of sub-acute beds, particularly in Dublin. This has caused problems 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. This sometimes results in patients having to be places on trolleys in accident and emergency departments.
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 sub-acute care, my Department has agreed a plan of action with the Eastern Health Board for the winter of 1996-97. The plan will cost £2.75 million annually and I have now provided the funding for this major initiative. I have already provided the Deputy with details of the measures contained in the plan. It 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 number of patients who present at accident and emergency departments for treatment has also increased. For example the number of new attendances at the six major accident and emergency hospitals in Dublin increased by approximately 37 per cent between 1988 and 1996. The policy in accident and emergency departments is to accord priority to those most in need. In the normal course, this means that those with less serious complaints have to wait, while higher priority cases are being treated. Experience in the provision of accident and emergency services has shown that a significant number of those who attend could be treated as effectively and far quicker by their family doctor. This is why the current public education campaign on the appropriate use of accident and emergency departments was launched. The thrust behind the campaign is to keep accident and emergency departments clear for real emergencies.
117 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Health the average waiting period in accident and emergency departments for each health board area for consultation and a bed if admission is required; if he will give a breakdown for each hospital that has an accident and emergency department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4172/97]
Limerick East): The information requested by the Deputy is not routinely collected. The policy in accident and emergency departments is to accord priority to those most in need. In the normal course, this means that those with less serious complaints have to wait, from time to time, while higher priority cases are being treated.
