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Accident and Emergency Services.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 June 2004

Tuesday, 22 June 2004

Questions (86)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

79 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Health and Children the action which is planned to deal with the shocking level of overcrowding in accident and emergency hospitals in the greater Dublin area, as a result of which the ERHA was forced to issue a public statement asking people not to attend accident and emergency departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18366/04]

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Written answers

There are a number of initiatives under way at present in order to deal with pressures in emergency medicine departments in the eastern region.

I provided €13.8 million to the ERHA in 2003-04 to facilitate the discharge of patients from the acute system to a more appropriate setting thereby freeing up acute beds. To date, a total of 286 patients in the eastern region has benefited from this initiative.

I have provided additional annual revenue funding of €93 million and capital funding of €25 million to health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority to commission 709 extra beds in the acute hospital sector. Over 270 new acute beds have been commissioned to date in the eastern region under the bed capacity initiative.

Funding has been provided for the recruitment of additional emergency medicine consultants and consultant anaesthetists. The number of emergency medicine consultants in the eastern region has increased from ten to 21 in the past five years.

A review of the nurse staffing levels in emergency departments is also being progressed by the Health Services Employers Agency in consultation with the health service management representatives and the nursing unions.

General practitioner out-of-hours co-operatives have been established and are operating in at least part of all health board areas, with one health board, the North Eastern Health Board, having a region-wide project. A total of €46.5 million has been allocated for the development of out-of-hours co-operatives between 2000 and 2003, with an additional €24 million being provided in 2004.

In order to ease pressure on the emergency medicine departments in the city the ERHA is reminding the public of the need to only attend the emergency department if absolutely necessary. This is to ensure that those in greatest need of care have immediate access to services. I assure the Deputy that I will continue to work with the various health agencies in looking for short-term and longer-term solutions to the current difficulties.

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