Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020
99. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the way in which he plans to extend the opening hours for primary health centres to elevate demand for acute accident and emergency hospital settings and address the trolley crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33609/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the HSE recently published its Winter Plan for 2020-2021 which set out a range of initiatives that, among other things, targeted acute and ED overcrowding. Amongst the key objectives of the plan are an improvement in patient experience times in Emergency Department settings and a reduction of 30% on the previous year’s trolley count.
Extended opening hours for Primary Care Centres were not viewed as being critical in reducing demand on Emergency Departments. This reflects the fact that although the centres are important in supporting the delivery of primary care therapy and other services in the community, they are not intended to serve as minor injury units or as an alternative to ED admission.
However, there are several initiatives being advanced in the Primary Care sector through the Winter Plan and Budget which will support hospital avoidance. This investment includes a total of €180m to develop new pathways of care for primary health services and a further €25m for structured GP access to diagnostics. This unprecedented funding for primary care reform will enable the recruitment of over 2,000 staff, with a particular focus on nursing and community therapists, and will allow capacity deficits in the sector to be addressed through the rollout of such initiatives as Community Healthcare Networks, community specialist teams for older people and for chronic disease management, and the nationwide expansion of Community Intervention Teams.
The additional investment secured in Budget 2021 will not only bolster our response to COVID-19 but will help to strategically develop capacity across the health system in line with Sláintecare to improve access to care and address the challenges identified by the Deputy.
