Skip to main content
Normal View

Hospital Bed Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 February 2013

Wednesday, 20 February 2013

Questions (209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 221, 222, 223)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

209. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the number of extra beds that were accommodated in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, in addition to patients on trolleys in the month of November last; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9103/13]

View answer

Billy Kelleher

Question:

210. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the number of extra beds that were accommodated in University College Hospital, Galway, in addition to patients on trolleys in the month of November last; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9104/13]

View answer

Billy Kelleher

Question:

211. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the number of extra beds that were accommodated in Limerick Hospital in addition to patients on trollies in the month of November last; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9105/13]

View answer

Billy Kelleher

Question:

212. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the number of extra beds that were accommodated in St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin, in addition to patients on trolleys in the month of November last; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9106/13]

View answer

Billy Kelleher

Question:

213. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the number of extra beds that were accommodated in St James’s Hospital, Dublin, in addition to patients on trolleys in the month of November last; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9107/13]

View answer

Billy Kelleher

Question:

214. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the number of extra beds that were accommodated in Waterford Regional Hospital in addition to patients on trolleys in the month of November last; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9108/13]

View answer

Billy Kelleher

Question:

215. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the number of extra beds that were accommodated in Cork University Hospital in addition to patients on trolleys in the month of November last; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9109/13]

View answer

Billy Kelleher

Question:

216. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the number of extra beds that were accommodated in the Mater Hospital, Dublin, in addition to patients on trolleys in the month of November last; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9110/13]

View answer

Billy Kelleher

Question:

217. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if the special delivery unit differentiates between extra beds and extra trolleys that are being accommodated in hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9111/13]

View answer

Billy Kelleher

Question:

221. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the reason extra beds and extra trolleys are not counted together; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9115/13]

View answer

Billy Kelleher

Question:

222. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if the length of time that patients are on extra beds is being measured; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9116/13]

View answer

Billy Kelleher

Question:

223. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if the counting of patients on trolleys is confined to accident and emergency wards only; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9117/13]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 to 217, inclusive, and 221 to 223, inclusive, together.

Immediately following my appointment, I set out to address the issues which have been causing unacceptable delays in patients being treated in our hospitals. I established the Special Delivery Unit (SDU), as set out in the Programme for Government. The SDU is working closely with hospitals to unblock access to acute services by improving the flow of patients through the system.

The Special Delivery Unit is strongly focused on improving patient care and in ensuring that all patients who require in-patient admission are placed in a bed at the earliest opportunity. It has set a clear target that 95% of all patients will either be discharged or admitted from an Emergency Department in 6 hours and that 100% of all patients will be either admitted or discharged within 9 hours.

This target will be achieved by improving service delivery across the entire hospital and not just in the Emergency Department. To that end, the SDU is working closely with the National Clinical Programmes and with Hospital Management, including Clinical Directors, to radically change the way that care is delivered to patients. The measure that is perhaps most associated with hospital performance is the number of trolleys. While the SDU recognises this as a very important measure, the published number does not come from the SDU. The number that is reported is that published by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, the INMO. They collect this information each morning, five days a week and their data made publicly available on their web-site and on the web-site of the Department of Health. It is their count which indicates that there has been year-on-year improvement in trolley numbers.

Hospitals will face differing levels of demands on their services at different times, due to external factors such as winter vomiting virus, flu and flu-like illnesses. This is particularly the case in the winter, when both attendances at Emergency Departments and emergency admissions will tend to increase. During periods of extra demand and pressure, a hospital may open extra bed capacity as part of their escalation and winter planning. This extra capacity would only be utilised during these times of high demand.

In responding to such pressures, a hospital will take a number of steps, in a systematic and graduated manner, according to the level of pressure being experienced. In the early stages it will ensure that all ward rounds are happening at the appropriate time so that the number of discharges are maximised, thereby creating the greatest possible number of beds for those that are waiting. A next step that is taken is to temporarily open additional beds, for example in a ward that might be closed at night, such as a day surgery ward. A hospital will also contact community services, again to create additional bed spaces by discharging those who can go home with community supports.

Where a patient is moved to a bed providing appropriate dignity, privacy and care facilities and that patient is clearly on a care pathway under a named consultant, the SDU sees no reason why that patient should be included in the trolley count. However, if a patient is on a trolley or a bed, that is not in a proper space, where their dignity and privacy is comprised, the SDU most definitely expects that patient to be counted in the trolley figures. All hospitals are expected to adhere to this approach and the SDU has been consistent in this message. In the event that hospitals are forced to use such measures, it is expected that the patients affected will be accommodated in an appropriate bed as a matter of urgency.

All hospitals will track the number of additional beds in use at a given time. However, it would be misleading to provide the deputy with a single figure which might then be interpreted as the usual situation in a given hospital. Both the number of ‘regular’ and ‘additional’ beds in use at any time changes from day to day, between day and night and between weekdays and weekends. It is the role of hospital management to actively manage their bed stock according to the demands of the service and according to the available resources. At all times however, it is expected that their patients are cared for appropriately, with dignity and privacy. Where this does not occur it is reflected in the INMO and SDU trolley counts.

Top
Share