As our health system faces a most challenging period of the year, I would like to assure the deputy that every measure is being taken to ensure the smooth running of our hospitals over the winter period. The UEC 2024-25 Plan was presented to Government in July of 2024 and one of the 4 pillars of the plan is hospital avoidance. This focuses on supporting patients in settings other than the Emergency Department and avoiding the need for inpatient care.
Amongst the initiatives involved in the plan are:
• Vaccine Preventable Illness, promote uptake of Influenza, Measles and COVID-19 vaccinations to improve compliance for all target groups including Healthcare Workers Specialist Care in the Community.
• Community Specialist Teams (CSTs) for Chronic Disease Management to deliver 19,000 patient contacts each month. CSTs for Older Persons will deliver 11,750 patient contacts each month.
• GP Out of Hours Work with GP Out of Hours Services to maintain/increase GP OOH contacts and reduce the level of GP OOH referrals to EDs.
• NAS Care Pathways Maximise usage of existing NAS alternative care pathways.
• Injury Units to provide a 7-day service, 8am to 8pm including Bank Holiday.
I have worked intensively with the HSE to reduce the number of patients on trolleys, and I have had regular meetings with senior HSE executives to drive improved performance.
There has been significant reduction in the cumulative daily 8am trolley count in 2024, with numbers down 11% (ca.13,500 patients) compared to 2023. This reduction has been achieved despite an increase in the number of patients presenting to Emergency Departments. In addition, far fewer older patients experience long waits in Emergency Departments. Up to the end of November 2024, the number of patients aged 75 and over waiting more than 24 hours in Emergency Departments nationally fell by 7% (over 1,200 patients).
Continued support is needed for sites under pressure and consistent implementation of the reforms contained in the UEC Operational Plan are pivotal in driving this improvement.
