Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 November 2015
423. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health why more than 2,600 persons have been on trolleys in Letterkenny General Hospital in County Donegal since 1 January 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41683/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraED overcrowding is a key priority issue for the Government. Significant progress has been made to date on the overall ED Taskforce plan, with reductions in delayed discharges and waiting times for NHSS funding, allied with increased provision for transitional care funding, home care packages and nursing home beds. All hospitals have escalation plans to manage not only patient flow but also patient safety in a responsive, controlled and planned way that supports and ensures the delivery of optimum patient care.
In preparation for the 2015/16 winter period, hospital groups have provided comprehensive winter resilience plans to the HSE, outlining how they will implement an integrated approach across primary, community, social and acute services to manage winter pressures. This approach is intended both to avoid unnecessary admissions to acute hospitals and to expedite discharges from hospital efficiently. Within hospitals themselves, a total of 129 beds which had been closed for refurbishment or for infection control purposes during 2015 are to be re-opened by the end of November. A further 301 beds are being added nationally to support the acute hospital system over the winter period across various locations, including Letterkenny, which is to open an 10 additional beds. €18m in funding has been provided to support these developments.
As the trolley issues referred to in Letterkenny are a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
