Vol. 401 No. 5
4 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Health if he will publish or circulate copies of the Kennedy report into the hospital services which has recently been completed; and the action he proposes to take to implement the recommendations.
16 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Health when the details of the Kennedy report on Dublin Hospital Services will be published; and if he will provide details to Members of Dáil Éireann.
32 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Health when the details of the Fox report on hospital efficiency will be published; and if he will provide details to Members of Dáil Éireann.
37 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the progress made to date in regard to (a) the efficiency review of acute hospitals (b) the review of admissions policy, out-patients arrangements and discharge arrangements for patients needing longer term support outside hospitals, which were announced by him on 6th February, 1990; if he has yet received the report; if it is intended to publish same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 4, 16, 32 and 37 together.
Professor David Kennedy, Chairman of the Dublin Hospital Initiative Group, has now presented an interim report to me. It is my intention to make this report available to interested parties and to place it in the Library of the House. The interim report recommends a range of measures to be taken by hospitals to improve the effectiveness of their services, especially of the management of the accident and emergency workload. I am asking the hospitals concerned to prepare plans for the immediate implementation of these recommendations.
It also recommends the need to develop new organisational structures for the services in Dublin. The recommendation in this regard is under active consideration at present.
It recommends also the need for improvements in a range of services within hospitals including assessment, rehabilitation and after-care of elderly patients. In this regard, it would be my intention to build on the initiative I have taken earlier this year whereby a special allocation of £5 million was provided for targeted developments in services for the elderly. Discussions have already taken place with a number of the Dublin hospitals concerned to follow up on the recommendations of the Dublin Hospital Initiative Group.
In regard to the efficiency review of acute hospitals being conducted by Mr. Noel Fox, I expect to receive a report on the first phase of this study around the end of next month. I will make a decision on the question of publication when I have received the report. I will, however, make an announcement in due course on the action which I propose to take on foot of the report.
It is significant that the Minister has made no announcement of any initiative on his part in view of the fact that in a debate of no confidence in him this report was to be the basis of further action. Is he aware that the Kennedy report was damning in its criticism of the lack of liaison and co-ordination between the hospital services and the community care services in the Dublin area? Does he now propose to establish any new organisational or management structures that would ensure proper liaison between hospital and community care facilities, that people are in the most appropriate as opposed to the most expensive type of beds and that will get a proper evaluation of patients' needs?
As I have told the Deputy, first of all I have only recently received that report. The report identified the need to develop new organisational structures for the services in Dublin. That recommendation is under very active consideration at present.
A new phrase of the Minister's is "the matter has been under active consideration for the last three years." Will the Minister let the House know if he has any proposals to ensure better co-ordination between public voluntary hospitals and the Eastern Health Board? If so, what might they be? Have his Department even considered what new structures should be put in place?
There are numerous proposals as to what might be done, as the Deputy is aware, going back for years. At present, that is actively being considered. In relation to Professor Kennedy's report, a whole range of measures is to be taken by hospitals to improve the effectiveness of the service and these are already in train. We have been in touch with some of the agencies already to prepare plans for the immediate implementation of the recommendations contained in the Kennedy report. Also the report identified the need to improve the range of services for the elderly and that again is in train. We anticipated that allocating £5 million extra in the budget this year for the care of the elderly.
