Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 June 2012
224 Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the 2011 discharges and hospital resource figures for 2011 in tabular form; if the comparisons show that there are critical deficits in both manpower and finance at Letterkenny General Hospital, County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28611/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra225 Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the allocation of hospital resources is not enabling hospitals to meet targets for the delivery of both scheduled and unscheduled care; and in view of the the circumstances if he will introduce immediate interim solutions pending the delivery of a new funding model when money follows the patient. [28612/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra226 Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health his views on whether there is a critically low level of medical nursing manpower at Letterkenny General Hospital; and steps that are being taken to address this situation. [28613/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 224 to 226, inclusive, together.
I am determined to address the issues leading to unacceptable delays in patients receiving treatment in our hospitals. I have established the Special Delivery Unit (SDU), which is working to unblock access to acute services by improving the flow of patients through the system and by streamlining waiting lists, including the management of GP referrals by hospitals. The SDU is working closely with its partner agencies — mainly the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). As an initial priority, public hospitals were instructed to ensure that, by the end of 2011, they had no patients waiting more than 12 months for treatment. I can confirm that 95% of hospitals achieved this objective. During 2012, the SDU will support hospitals in achieving a 9 month maximum waiting time for inpatient and daycase surgery.
Very significant progress had been made on the SDU initiatives on unscheduled care in emergency departments (EDs): the number of patients waiting on trolleys was 27% lower than the previous year. This equates to significant numbers of patients whose experience of our EDs was markedly improved. Similarly, new targets for access to diagnostics and outpatient appointments, which the SDU is currently focusing on, will be key to the overall improvement of hospital services in Ireland.
The HSE receives annual funding, from within which it agrees to deliver the targets for scheduled and unscheduled care in the Annual Service Plan. Cost containment plans are in place for hospitals and community services to bring their spending profiles in line with their allocations, as no additional funding is available for this year. There are limited financial resources available to the SDU and the NTPF, to assist individual hospitals with specific measures to achieve these targets. The Programme for Government has a commitment to reforming hospital funding and to introducing a more transparent and efficient ‘money follows the patient' system. Work is continuing on the development of this, as part of the Universal Health Insurance System. In addition, the HSE is using prospective funding arrangements for certain elective orthopaedic procedures at some hospitals. This funding mechanism is procedure-based and similar money follows the patient initiatives will be rolled out to other hospitals and procedures, on a phased basis.
The impact of staff reductions from this year and previous years presents a significant challenge for the health system in delivering services. Employment numbers must be reduced to approximately 102,000 by the end of this year, in line with the Government's commitment to reduce public expenditure. Therefore, replacement will only occur in critical areas. There has, however, been considerable redeployment in the health sector under the Public Service Agreement. This includes staff flexibility in continuing to deliver services during and after retirements. The Health Sector Action Plan for 2012, under the Public Service Agreement, includes provision for further use of redeployment in the health sector.
I have forwarded the queries on Letterkenny General Hospital and on the national discharge and hospital resource figures to the HSE, which will respond directly to the Deputy in relation to those particular queries.
