Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Department and the HSE both believe that trolley waits are an unacceptable feature of the Irish health care system which must be addressed. Figures for 7 November show that compared to the baseline year of 2011, there are 32.3% fewer patients on trolleys, equivalent to 24,851 patients. However compared to 2013, there are 3.1% more patients on trolleys. This is equivalent to 1,559 additional patients. Performance in this area occurs against a background of a population which is experiencing significant ageing with those over 80 years increasing by some 4% annually.

I am advised by the HSE that it is introducing a range of measures to minimise the numbers of patients waiting on trolleys. The special delivery unit is working with hospitals to improve access times to appropriate care and to reduce length of stay for key conditions. New pathways of care continue to be introduced to improve patient flow through hospitals including minor injury, medical assessment and surgical assessment units and specific pathways for frail older people.

This work is supported and facilitated through the clinical programmes and the involvement of senior clinical decision makers at all stages of the patient journey. The special delivery unit is also working with the hospital groups to maximise capacity to accept emergency department patients by ensuring that appropriate activity is performed at each individual site. An in-depth review of individual sites is due to commence within the next month, which should lead to a sustainable improvement.

The Government has also provided additional funding of €25 million in 2015 to address delayed discharges. This funding will be targeted at hospital and community services which can demonstrate initiatives to address specific needs of delayed discharge patients most positively and therefore improve timeliness for admissions from emergency departments and waiting lists.

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