Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 March 2019
384. Deputy Michael Harty asked the Minister for Health if the newly opened 12-bed short-stay surgical ward at University Hospital Limerick is being used by non-surgical patients to alleviate overcrowding in the emergency department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11911/19]
View answerThe HSE National Escalation Framework consists of a tiered and incremental suite of actions intended to be adapted and implemented in Hospitals with an Emergency Department (ED) and the wider Local Health Economy as part of an inter-disciplinary, multi-provider system response to avoid Emergency Department overcrowding. It requires that local strategies and plans are in place to understand and respond to surges in demand in a responsive and planned way that meets national access and quality standards and underpins patient safety.
With regard to the specific question, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
