Patients with exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are one of the main groups who contribute to a significant increase in attendance at hospital A&E departments during the winter months.
They comprise 20-50 per cent of acute medical emergency admissions at times of peak demand.
Dr Aidan Gleeson, A&E consultant at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, says the problem is not so much being able to treat acutely unwell COPD patients in A&E, but finding a bed for those who must be admitted.
"There are never less than 20 patients [with a variety of conditions\] in the department waiting for a bed. This has gone as high as 47 people at times of peak winter demand," he says, adding that, ideally, no patient should have to remain on a trolley for longer than 12 hours.
Both the Mater and Beaumont Hospitals have dedicated respiratory nurse specialists who will assess COPD patients in the A&E department. Some of these may be fit for discharge after acute treatment in A&E. However, this is not an option for people with a severe exacerbation of the condition.
Prof Luke Clancy, consultant respiratory physician at St James's Hospital, says COPD is a "huge problem, particularly in winter. While COPD patients still come to A&E during the summer, they become the dominant problem in the winter".
With the new Minister for Health, Ms Harney, having prioritised the A&E problem as one she hopes to solve, she does not have long before the so-called "clinical winter" kicks in.
Once respiratory viruses, including the flu, begin to circulate, people with chest problems will present to A&E departments in increasing numbers.
The Tánaiste could do worse than visit Kilkenny hospital, where a solution to the A&E logjam has been found. By introducing a medical assessment unit, patients with worsening COPD are seen by a consultant shortly after arriving at the hospital. Those who require admission can be sitting in a hospital bed within three hours of arriving at Kilkenny General.