This question goes to the heart of our priorities in healthcare. The goal is universal healthcare, which means affordable, accessible and high-quality care. A lot of good progress has been made in patient outcomes and clinical strategies being rolled out, including in women's healthcare, and there have been other positive initiatives. A lot of progress is being made on affordability as well. Progress is being made on access but that is the highest priority. To the Deputy's point, there are various initiatives in place, one of which is enhanced community care, which he asked about. That is going well and I have sanctioned 3,500 staff, about 2,500 of whom are in place. Some 92 of the 96 new primary care teams are in place and they are staffing up. Some 21 of the 30 chronic disease management teams and 21 of the 30 older persons teams are in place. All 21 community intervention teams are in place so enhanced community care is moving at pace.
We have an urgent care plan, which is being finalised. I am keen that we move away from winter planning to urgent care planning, access to injury units, access to out-of-hours GPs and access to accident and emergency departments where necessary. As we have discussed before, the numbers through the year are too high. This is not a winter issue but a systemic issue in terms of quicker access to urgent care right through the year. A plan is being finalised between the Department and the HSE and that will be a multi-year plan. There has been multi-year investment right through the first three budgets of this Government.
Second, a waiting list action plan is being finalised for this year. The plan for last year had some positive impacts. The overall target was not hit and I am not satisfied with that. However, the number of patients waiting beyond the Sláintecare targets, which essentially is our main focus, fell by 11% last year. It is encouraging to see that and we want to see that accelerate through this year and beyond.