Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 January 2015
157. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health if a revised Health Service Executive plan will be published to take account of cancelling elective surgery and admissions and reallocation of resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2929/15]
View answerThe Health Service Executive's National Service Plan sets out the type and volume of health and personal social services that the Executive proposes to deliver during the course of this year. The 2015 Budget increased the funding available for health and social care services by €635 million - the first increase after a period of seven years of significant retrenchment - and this increased level of investment is reflected in the provisions of the Plan.
It is acknowledged that the opening weeks of the year have witnessed very considerable pressure in the Emergency Departments of our hospitals. In setting scheduled care (elective) activity targets within the National Service Plan the following is taken into account:
- Requirement to schedule activity in line with peaks and troughs in demand
- Agreement to implement scheduled care improvement plan including:
- Increase Day of Surgery admission rates;
- Increase Day Surgery rates in line with Clinical Care Programme Guidelines;
- Reductions in Average Length of Stay;
- Shift Care to appropriate settings,
In this context there is provision for a 2.5% increase in Day Surgery set out in NSP 2015. The HSE remains fully committed to achieving its Service Plan targets over the course of the year.
