Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 May 2012
512 Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding accident and emergency services in Saint Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin; if he is amenable to discussing the matter directly with the correspondent as requested with a view to addressing their concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24171/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Special Delivery Unit was established in my Department last July to tackle patient wait times for hospital services. Unacceptably high wait times have been tolerated for too long and have become systemic for both unscheduled and scheduled care. The problems have to be tackled step by step so that improvements can be sustained.
There is no room for complacency but progress is being made. Since December the number of patients waiting on trolleys has been consistently lower than the same period last year and 94% of hospitals met the 12 month target for scheduled care. As a result some patients have had a better quality of service than would otherwise have been the case.
I believe I have also demonstrated through this initiative that, even in the challenging times we face, it is possible to exert control over the system and deliver improvements. This has been achieved by the SDU, the NTPF and the HSE working together to rigorously manage performance.
There is a formal complaints policy, details of which are on the HSE website, at www.hse.ie/eng/services/ysys/Complaint. In addition, advice and instructions for making complaints about a service or an individual may be found at www.healthcomplaints.ie.
In accordance with this procedure, a complaint must be made, in the first instance, to the hospital in which the incident causing the complaint occurred. In the case of St Vincent's Hospital, the complaint can be addressed to:
The Complaint's Officer
Quality Risk and Consumer Affairs
St. Vincent's University Hospital
Elm Park
Dublin 4. email: complaints@st-vincents.ie.
If an individual is not satisfied with the response from the hospital, a review can be sought from the HSE Director of Advocacy and the Ombudsman, whose details are set out below:
HSE Director of Advocacy
Oak House
Millennium Park
Naas
Co Kildare
Tel 1890 424 555
Office of the Ombudsman
18, Lower Leeson Street
Dublin 2
Tel 1890 223 030. Email: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie.
As this is an independent complaints procedure, it would not be appropriate for me to meet the complainant.
I have asked the HSE to answer the specific queries you have raised and to reply to you directly.
