There was a significant increase in the number of attendances at the accident and emergency department in St. James's Hospital during January and February 1998 in comparison with the same period in 1997. This increase in activity has resulted in patients with non-urgent conditions experiencing a delay in receiving treatment, and an overall difficulty in the hospital in accommodating the significantly higher level of patients requiring admission.
In order to address this increasing workload, the hospital authorities have recently made a submission to my Department setting out plans to develop facilities and resources within the accident and emergency area. The hospital's proposals include provision for a second accident and emergency consultant, additional general practitioners and additional emergency nurse practitioners. The Deputy will be pleased to know that my Department has recently given its approval to commence the recruitment process of a second accident and emergency consultant in St. James's Hospital and that an additional £200,000 was provided in the hospital's 1998 allocation to help alleviate difficulties in the accident and emergency area.
The Deputy will be aware that the factors which determine levels of attendances at accident and emergency departments are complex and difficult to predict. More than 20,000 of the annual accident and emergency attendances at St. James's Hospital come from areas which will be served by the new hospital at Tallaght. A similar situation exists with regard to out-patient appointments. The shift in patterns of attendances following the opening of the new hospital at Tallaght will be carefully monitored by the Eastern Health Board and it is likely that clearer patterns will emerge in the six to nine months following the new hospital's opening. Any subsequent recommendations will be fully considered by my Department.
