Vol. 398 No. 8
145 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for Health the number of occasions on which emergency and casualty services at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, were closed or unavailable since he introduced 24 hour services at the hospital; the reason for these closures; and the steps he proposes to take to ensure that the services remain uninterrupted for the future.
The accident and emergency services at Beaumont Hospital were never closed since the period referred to by the Deputy. The ambulance service is constantly monitored by the Eastern Health Board ambulance control centre to ensure that there is an even spread in the emergency workload as between the major hospitals in Dublin.
From time to time this means that ambulances bring patients from the catchment area of one hospital to another where there is less demand on the facilities. This flexible arrangement ensures that patients do not experience unnecessary delays in receiving treatment.
