Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 15 Feb 2000

Vol. 514 No. 3

Written Answers. - Hospital Services.

Bernard Allen

Question:

222 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps, if any, he has taken to involve consultants in planning and implementing budgets; the reforms, if any, he will introduce to eliminate situations where patients are admitted for non-emergency procedures at the end of a week when no diagnostic work is being carried out until the following week; and the steps, if any, he will take to have laboratories and X-ray departments organised on a 24 hour basis to introduce efficient discharge policies and eliminate situations where consultants often try to hold beds to secure an admission for a patient whom they believe should be in hospital. [4232/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

It is a matter for the authorities of individual agencies to ensure that hospital bed complements are managed in an effective and efficient manner. The implementation of, and adherence to, admission and discharge policies are an essential element of the management process. These policies include an assessment of the scale and scope of the provision of laboratory and X-ray department services including whether such services are required to operate on a twenty-four hour basis and the determination of what, if any, impact extended hours in these areas would have on an agency's discharge policy.

However, the Deputy may wish to note that my Department is constantly looking at ways in which hospitals can be more efficient and effective and in this regard my Department has already launched the clinicians in management initiative. This initiative seeks and encourages clinicians, including consultants, to become actively involved in the management process in hospitals. By now most of the voluntary hospitals and health boards have initiated programmes under the clinicians in management initiative.