Progression of capital development plans ‘the priority’ – Beaumont board

The progression of capital development plans at Beaumont Hospital is “a number one priority”, according to board minutes.

In February, Chairperson Ms Pauline Philip briefed the board about a meeting with Clinical Directors concerning emergency care. This meeting was also attended by CEO Ms Anne Coyle.

Following a “helpful conversation” on how the hospital could improve its patient experience time (PET), it was noted that “an overriding theme of frustration had been expressed in relation to the progression of the capital development plans for the hospital”.

“It was advised that this would be a number one priority for the board moving forward and accordingly [the Chairperson] welcomed the new Director of Capital Projects, Mr John Reilly, who was attending his first board meeting,” according to the board minutes released under Freedom of Information law.

At the meeting, the board requested an “update” on the impact of emergency department (ED) waiting times on patient outcomes.

The board also discussed the hospital’s work to address patient flow. The Chief Operations Officer, Ms Claire Noonan, stated that scheduled care was “challenged” with Beaumont having some of the longest waiting lists in the country.

“Measures were being taken to possibly allocate some patients to other hospitals in the region to reduce waiting list size,” stated the minutes.

In the year to date, Beaumont Hospital has the highest average PET among EDs nationally (10.3 hours). It also has the third highest number of patients waiting over 24 hours before being discharged or admitted.

A Beaumont Hospital spokesperson said it continues to experience “significant demand” for both emergency and inpatient services.

“Attendances remain at historically high levels, with a growing proportion of older patients and patients requiring complex specialist care.”

A number of initiatives are underway to improve patient flow and access to care. These include the expansion of ambulatory pathways, the development of the acute admissions unit, enhanced discharge planning processes, improved patient flow arrangements across the hospital, and ongoing collaboration with regional partners to support timely access to inpatient beds and specialist services.

“In addition, the hospital is advancing plans for a reconfiguration and expansion of emergency care capacity as an interim measure while capital development plans progress for a new emergency department. This includes proposals to increase assessment and treatment space, expand ambulatory care capacity, improve triage facilities, and enhance emergency department infrastructure.”

The spokesperson said the requested review of clinical outcomes associated with emergency care is a “complex process requiring detailed clinical analysis”.

“This work is progressing through Beaumont Hospital’s established clinical effectiveness and patient safety governance structures, which oversee the review of care and identification of opportunities for improvement.”