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Hospital Discharges

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 March 2020

Thursday, 5 March 2020

Questions (716)

Stephen Donnelly

Question:

716. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of bed days lost in each public and voluntary hospital owing to delayed discharges in 2019. [3408/20]

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Written answers

A delayed transfer of care (previously referred to as a delayed discharge) occurs when a patient has been deemed clinically fit for discharge from an acute bed but their discharge is delayed because they are waiting for some form of ongoing support or care following their discharge. There are many reasons for this, such as a patient undertaking the application process for NHSS, awaiting assessment for a home support package, homelessness, ward of court application, and the availability of resources.

When possible, the HSE will use transitional care to accommodate the patient during the period between discharge and the finalisation of new care arrangements, but there can often be a delay, especially in cases where the patient and family are coming to terms with the new circumstances.

The HSE Winter Plan remains in effect until the end of March 2020 and aims to ensure that service providers are prepared for the additional external pressures associated with the winter period. The €26m in winter funding secured for 2019 has been used to support access to the Fair Deal scheme, additional home support, transitional care, aids and appliances, and other local measures. A further €13.8 million in funding has been allocated in 2020 to support the implementation of the Winter Plan and the focus remains on supporting discharges and the use of community resources to move patients to more appropriate care settings.

With regard to the Deputy's specific question, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly with the requested information.

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