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Health Board Services.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2004

Tuesday, 17 February 2004

Ceisteanna (313, 314, 315)

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

399 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the steps he intends to take in relation to a letter (details supplied) by five consultant psychiatrists to the SWAHB highlighting their concerns about the poor and diminishing funding of the psychiatric services for patients served by St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8. [4952/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Responsibility for the provision of the services referred to by the Deputy rests with the Eastern Regional Health Authority. My Department has therefore asked the regional chief executive to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and reply to him directly.

Liz McManus

Ceist:

400 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients in hospitals in the Eastern Regional Health Authority area capable of being discharged from hospital but occupying beds because the health boards in the ERHA area have failed to arrange for the long-term care that these patients require; the number of beds contracted by the health boards in the ERHA where the health boards are paying in excess of the maximum, enhanced subvention introduced in September 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4982/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Liz McManus

Ceist:

401 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will consider the major issue of chronic blocking of beds by patients capable of being discharged from acute beds to the long-term care beds which are available but cannot be assessed because the health boards have not provided funding; if a portion of the funds available to the national treatment purchase fund may be used to fund the long-term care beds that are needed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4983/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

I propose to take Questions Nos. 400 and 401 together.

Responsibility for the provision of hospital services in the eastern region is, in the first instance, a matter for the Eastern Regional Health Authority. My Department has, therefore, asked the chief executive officer of the Eastern Regional Health Authority to reply directly to the Deputy on the specific information requested on patient and contract bed numbers.

The national treatment purchase fund, NTPF, was established specifically for the purpose of arranging treatment for those public patients who have been waiting longest for treatment. The fund has been successful in locating additional capacity and arranging treatments for approximately 11,000 patients. It is now the case that, in most instances, adults waiting more than six months for an operation and children waiting more than three months will now be facilitated by the fund.

The pressures on acute services, particularly in the eastern region, have been and continue to be the focus of my attention. Officials from my Department have been actively engaging with senior management in the various health agencies in looking for short-term and longer term solutions to these difficulties.

In addition to increasing the acute bed capacity of hospitals in the eastern region as part of the national initiative on acute hospital bed capacity, I have provided an additional €12.6 million, €8.8 million to the ERHA and €3.8 million to the Southern Health Board, to facilitate the discharge of patients from the acute system to a more appropriate setting thereby freeing up acute beds. This funding has resulted in the discharge of over 200 patients from acute hospitals in the eastern region. The ERHA is continuing to monitor the situation and working with hospitals and the area health boards to ensure that every effort is being made to minimise the number of delayed discharges in acute hospitals.

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