Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 October 2021
135. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health the steps he has taken to tackle overcrowding in hospitals coming into the winter period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50835/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish, at the outset, to acknowledge the distress overcrowded Emergency Departments cause to patients, their families, and frontline staff working in very challenging conditions in hospitals throughout the country.
I am aware that in recent weeks, emergency department attendances have been in line with levels usually seen during the winter months. Attendance figures have now reached 2019 levels at some sites. In 2019, there were over 1.34 million attendances at EDs nationally, and of these, 350,000 required admission to hospital.
The health sector is expecting to face significant challenges this winter in providing emergency care while also dealing with Covid-19 in addition to the normal challenges of the Winter period.
In response to these challenges, the Government , through the 20/21 Winter Plan and budget ’21, invested €1.2bn to fund significant initiatives across the health service in the acute, community care and primary care sectors. These initiatives aim to reduce demand on emergency care by, for example, providing additional bed capacity, alternative care pathways outside the acute sector and additional home support. The Government has maintained this level of investment in budget 2022 and provided a further €22m to enhance specific additional winter initiatives in 2022.
The HSE is to submit a plan to me which will ensure that the health service is prepared for the challenges of Winter 21/22 and will reflect the substantial level of investment being committed to by Government. The plan will implement new ways of working, open additional capacity and continue to enhance infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities, thereby providing for the appropriate, safe and timely care for patients by ensuring insofar as possible that effective levels of capacity and resources are in place to meet the expected growth in activity levels.
