Hospital Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 February 2017

Tuesday, 14 February 2017

Ceisteanna (546)

Noel Grealish

Ceist:

546. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health as a result of the emergency department crisis nationwide, the number of days surgical day wards have been closed with trolleys from emergency departments being moved into these wards from September 2015 to January 2017; the number of hospitals engaging in this practice; if he can name the hospitals and the number of day surgeries and day procedures that have been cancelled from September 2015 to January 2017 as a result of this practice; the numbers of trolleys, broken down by hospital, that have been moved directly from emergency departments into these surgical day wards from September 2015 to January 2017; if the trolleys moved from emergency departments to surgical day wards were included in official trolley figures for that day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7458/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The Health Service Executive has escalation procedures which are operational during times of increased pressure in Emergency Departments (EDs). The underlying principle of these protocols is to ensure that safe care is provided to all patients at all times.

Cancellation of elective procedures can occur for a variety of exceptional reasons including cancellations because a bed or the clinical team are not available, cancellations by the patient or because the patient may not be fit for surgery at the time. In addition in times when our EDs are under pressure, and escalation procedures are in place, non-urgent elective procedures may be postponed. The HSE has indicated that 53,213 elective procedures were cancelled for a variety of reasons from September 2015 to the end of January 2017. I fully acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when elective procedures are cancelled.

The Deputy also requested information on whether trolleys moved from EDs to surgical day wards are included in official trolley figures. I would like to clarify that all trolleys, including those moved to wards, should be included in the official HSE TrolleyGar count. However if designated beds in other parts of the hospital, including those in surgical day wards, are used as surge capacity for ED patients, the patient is deemed to have been admitted as an in-patient and would not be recorded as a trolley wait.

The HSE intends to undertake a review of the Escalation Framework in the coming months to ensure its effectiveness.

As the further data requested relates to service issues, this request has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.