Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2022
107. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that an organisation (details supplied) is consulting its members on taking industrial action on overcrowding in the country’s emergency departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37646/22]
View answerI wish to express my gratitude for the extraordinary efforts of our front-line healthcare workers, particularly during this period of increased demand on our Emergency Departments.
I have requested that the HSE set out short-term immediate actions to alleviate the pressure on EDs and ensure that our hospitals are ready for winter. I also requested the development of a longer-term plan for reform and improvement of unscheduled care, in line with expected increases in demand driven by population growth and an aging population. This plan will build on the substantial investment over the past two years in initiatives such as additional capacity, more staff, increased home care packages and greater GP access to diagnostics.
Every effort has been made, and continues to be made, to improve the capacity of our health and social care services in response to healthcare needs. Between December 2019 and May 2022, an additional 14,893 Whole Time Equivalent staff have been added to our public health service, 2,387 since December 2021 alone.
Within the Acute Services specifically, there has been an increase of 9,032 WTE since December 2019. This substantial growth comes from the large investment into safely staffing the health service. Of this growth, 3,327 WTE are in the Nursing and Midwifery category, equating to a 14% increase in nursing in the Acute Services since the end of 2019.
My Department and the HSE attend regular industrial relations forums and engagements with the health service representative bodies, and are committed to dealing with disputes arising, through talks and established processes in place.
