Vol. 520 No. 1
235 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will consider directing hospitals to revise their work programmes in view of the annual congestion in hospitals, the overcrowding and the cancellation of elective surgery during the months of December, January and February due to respiratory problems among the elderly and maximise the use of operating theatres and surgical staff for the remaining nine months of the year. [15367/00]
My Department agrees annual activity levels with health service managers as part of their service plans. The scheduling of agreed activity is a matter for local management at hospital and health board level. Annual activity in the public acute hospitals has increased in recent years with figures for 1998 showing a 4.75% increase over the 1996 figure and provisional figures for 1999 showing a 7.22% increase over 1996 figures.
Increased attendances at accident and emergency departments during the winter period by persons with flu or flu-like symptoms is a feature of service provision at acute hospitals providing accident and emergency services. Significant additional funding has been provided in recent years to implement measures aimed at reducing pressure on accident and emergency departments. These measures have included minor capital works to improve accident and emergency facilities, new equipment and enhanced staffing levels – nursing, clerical and NCHDs. A publicity campaign aimed at persuading people with flu or flu-like symptoms to attend their GP rather than the accident and emergency department of an acute hospital has also been a feature of accident and emergency winter initiatives in recent years.
I have recently established a committee to oversee the preparation of a national influenza pandemic plan as well as a plan to address the more regular outbreaks of influenza and influenza-like illnesses. The committee is being asked to address issues such as prevention strategies, surveillance, scientific and medical issues and an overall central strategy.
In the context of utilising capacity to its fullest extent and following a series of discussions with the chief executive officers of the health boards, I announced on Tuesday last a £10 million initiative aimed at maximising available capacity in the system to enable an additional 7,600 waiting list procedures to be performed before the end of the year. This funding will be allocated on the basis of the performance of each agency in reaching the activity targets they have agreed. The proposals to be funded are based on a series of innovative measures, including use of facilities during the traditional summer closures period, cross-contracting arrangements between agencies and from the private sector, extended theatre and ward opening times, extended weekend work and the contracting of activity from hospitals in Northern Ireland.
