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Hospital Services.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 July 2004

Thursday, 8 July 2004

Ceisteanna (261)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

255 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 143 of 27 January 2004 and 79 of 22 June 2004, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the €13.8 million provided to the ERHA to facilitate the discharge of patients from the acute system has only facilitated 63 patients in the past five months; if he has satisfied himself with this level of progress; if his attention has been drawn to a report (details supplied) which says that 75 patients in the Beaumont Hospital and 53 in the Mater were ready for discharge but were retained in the hospitals due to the fact that no step-down facilities were available; his views on this report; the period for which the €13.8 million covers; if he will make further funding available to alleviate the congestion in these hospitals and the enormous pressure on accident and emergency services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21169/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

To help alleviate service pressures, I provided €8.8 million to the Eastern Regional Health Authority at the end of 2003 to facilitate the discharge of 286 patients from the acute system to a more appropriate setting thereby freeing up acute beds. An additional €5 million was provided recently and it is anticipated that over 180 patients will benefit from this further funding. The ERHA have informed my Department that it is continuing to monitor the situation and work with hospitals and the area health boards to ensure that the number of delayed discharges are being minimised in acute hospitals.

I have placed a high priority on dealing with the pressures in emergency medicine departments, particularly in the eastern region and, in this context, I have met with the management of the major hospitals over the last week. Further to discussions which have taken place between my Department and the ERHA, a number of new initiatives proposed by the ERHA have recently been approved at a total cost of €2.4 million.

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