There are currently 378 patients in the main Dublin hospitals who no longer require acute care, but who have yet to be transferred to more suitable accommodation, a new analysis carried out by the National Hospitals Office of the Health Service Executive has concluded.
The analysis found that the number of such patients - who are sometimes referred to as bed blockers although the health service prefers to describe them as "medically discharged patients awaiting alternative care placement" - was at its lowest since the start of the year.
The National Hospitals Office analysis also maintained that there had been a 22 per cent reduction in the number of people on trolleys awaiting admission to hospitals between April and September.
It stated that this trend had not been observed last year. It is understood that the cabinet sub-committee on health was given the new figures at a meeting last Wednesday as part of an update on the implementation of the Government's overall €80 million 10-point plan to tackle problems in accident and emergency services.
However, the Labour Party spokeswoman on health, Liz McManus, last night described the Government's plan as "a flop". She said that any reduction in numbers of patients on trolleys recorded over the summer months was meaningless.
Ms McManus said Minister for Health Mary Harney had first indicated that progress on accident and emergency services would be evident earlier this year. She said that this deadline had later been put back to the autumn.
The National Hospitals Office analysis maintained that there was an ambitious programme in place to deliver further improvements in accident and emergency services by the end of the year.
It is understood that the National Hospitals Office plans to introduce new financial incentives for hospitals that deliver change to improve accident and emergency services.
As part of the 10-point plan initiative, 48 high dependency beds have been contracted in private nursing homes, 318 patients have been discharged to intermediate care beds for stays of six to eight weeks and 246 patients have been discharged from acute hospitals as a result of the provision of additional homecare packages.
Approval has also been given for the provision of a second MRI scanner at Beaumont Hospital. Discussions are underway with a private operator about increasing capacity for MRI scanning in north Dublin pending the introduction of the new equipment.
