§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what conclusions have been drawn from the Improving the Flow of Emergency Admissions project conducted at the Ulster Hospital; and if he will make a statement. [171755]
§ Angela SmithThe Eastern Health and Social Services Board initiated the Improving the Flow of Emergency Admissions project at the Ulster Hospital in January 2003. The project involves a systematic analysis of patient flows into and through the hospital, in order to identify critical bottlenecks in the system. It is a long-term project and work at the hospital is still on-going. Analysis of systems and processes has identified new ways of working and highlighted shortfalls in resources, which the Trust and the Eastern Board are working to address.
The results of this project to date, along with the outcomes of similar projects elsewhere in Northern Ireland and in Great Britain, are being considered by the Department and will be the subject of discussions to be held at a regional workshop later this month. This workshop will aim to identify key principles learned 264W from the project at the Ulster Hospital and elsewhere that can be applied more widely. These will be incorporated into a regional initiative to improve the flow of emergency admissions.