I am aware that in recent times hospitals providing accident and emergency services, including Beaumont Hospital, have experienced some increased activity. However, it is important to note that while patients may experience delays in accident and emergency departments, appropriate medical treatment is provided at all times.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Eastern Regional Health Authority assumed responsibility for all health service issues in the eastern region from 1 March 2000. I have made inquiries of the regional chief executive and have been advised that the accident and emergency service in Beaumont Hospital has recently experienced some additional pressure. While overall activity in the A&E department for the year to date is marginally down on last year, nevertheless the hospital has experienced an increase of 10% in the number of emergency admissions this year and new attendances by ambulance rose by 7%. This was against a background where the hospital had to close 64 beds due to the shortage of nursing staff. After a successful recruitment campaign in the Philippines and the graduation of student nurses, the hospital has appointed 57 extra nurses which will allow the hospital to open all beds by next month.
In addition, and in order to build on the success of such recruitment campaigns, I recently announced details of a £5 million package about which I spoke earlier. The ERHA has been engaged in a review of A&E services for the eastern region. The purpose of this review is to develop a comprehensive policy on A&E services.
Beaumont Hospital is represented on the review by its A&E consultant. In light of this review, Beaumont Hospital is working closely with the medical and nursing staff to implement a number of short-term measures to help alleviate the situation. These include improved efficiencies in discharge processes to allow patients to be admitted to a ward from A&E as early as possible; the conversion of a five-day elective ward to a seven-day ward for A&E patients and the transfer of patients awaiting discharge and placement to step-down/convalescent facilities to a low intensity area in the hospital requiring minimal nursing and medical care.
Other initiatives have already been planned for introduction at the hospital over the coming months, including the opening of a new cardiac catheterisation laboratory in the next two weeks which will reduce the waiting periods for angiograms for in-patients; increasing the TIA – trans-ischaemic attack clinic from two days to five days per week; and the opening of new asthma and chest pain clinics.
Additional Information.In addition to the above, Beaumont Hospital, as part of the accident and emergency initiative, received an additional £200,000 in 1998, of which £170,000 was used to employ additional nurses and £30,000 for medical staff; and an additional £200,000 capital in 1999 specifically for revamping the accident and emergency department. The final cost of this project was £300,000. In 2000, an additional £240,000 was provided to replace and increase the equipment levels in the A&E department.
Allied to this is the authority's winter bed initiative which is aimed at providing an allocation of step-down and convalescent beds for patients being discharged from acute hospitals. Funding has been allocated for a total of 495 beds for the eastern region for the winter initiative, of which 240 beds have already been contracted. As part of this initiative, a total of 82 beds has been allocated to the northern area health board of which 35 beds have been allocated to Beaumont Hospital to date.
As part of a £25 million package of investment which I announced recently to alleviate service pressures on the acute hospital sector nationally, it is proposed to appoint an additional 27 consultants to work in accident and emergency hospitals. One of these posts is planned for Beaumont Hospital.
Under the national development plan, I have approved a major refurbishment and equipment replacement programme for Beaumont Hospital totalling £26.469 million over the next four years. Work has already commenced on this major programme.
The hospital is also reviewing a number of its policies, including the transfer of patients from other health board areas and the admission of patients through the outpatients' department. Continuing efforts are being made to improve the discharge planning process and the hospital has appointed three bed co-ordinators in this regard.
The local and national initiatives which I have outlined above should impact positively in reducing waiting times in the accident and emergency department at Beaumont and other major A&E departments. Local discussions between management and staff at the hospital are ongoing to address the issues in question and I would hope that the matter can be resolved quickly by this process in the interests of both patients and staff.