Written Answers. - Accident and Emergency Services.
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:
28
Mr. Broughan
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the action being taken to address the critical situation in the accident and emergency department of Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9 as a result of which nursing staff have served notice of industrial action; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[28916/00]
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 this year the hospital has experienced an increase of 10% in the number of emergency admissions 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 have recently announced details of a £5 million package of incentives aimed at attracting nurses and midwives back to work, retaining nurses and midwives in the public health service, and addressing shortages in specialist areas, including accident and emergency.
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. This 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; opening of a new asthma clinic; and opening of a new chest pain clinic.
In addition to the above, Beaumont Hospital, as part of the accident and emergency initiative, received in 1998 an additional £200,000 of which £170,000 was used to employ additional nurses and £30,000 for medical staff and in 1999 received an additional £200,000 in capital specifically for revamping the accident and emergency department. The final cost of this project was £300,000; and in 2000 an additional £240,000 was allocated 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. Beaumont Hospital will have appropriate access to these beds to alleviate the problems of admissions.
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.
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 out-patients 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.
Question No. 29 taken with Question No. 15.
Question No. 30 taken with Question No. 12.
