Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for Health established the emergency department task force in December 2014 and it held another meeting today. Obviously it is working on a serious plan to regulate this in a way which will not have these surges which occur every so often becoming full-blown crises.

The Deputy is aware the Government provided €25 million in the last budget, on top of an additional €3 million in late 2014, to address delayed discharges in hospitals. This is targeted at hospital and community services which can demonstrate initiatives to move patients from acute or transitional care into long-term care or to enable them return home with appropriate supports.

The HSE has advised the Minister that additional beds to cope with surge pressures are now open, and all non-urgent elective procedures have been cancelled. Urgent and cancer surgeries will continue. The role of consultant doctors in terms of ensuring additional ward rounds and patient transfers has been emphasised by the Minister, particularly because of the change of rota of junior doctors. The use of additional capacity in non-acute hospitals, particularly to provide rehabilitation care, is being expedited in Saint Luke's, Cappagh and Navan. Ambulance bypass cover arrangements will be put in place in exceptional circumstances and with the prior agreement of the group CEO.

The plans are working, with numbers below the high occurrence on 6 January, although they are not satisfactory by any means. I understand the number this morning was 298. This area is a priority focus for the Minister, together with the task force, to see whether it can be dealt with. Some hospitals are more difficult than others. The Minister has just answered a Topical Issue matter on the subject and a Private Members' motion will be taken this evening when there will be greater opportunity to discuss these events.

In respect of nursing homes, obviously there is a growing need for places with an aging population. The physical location of many of them is not as close as one would like them to be for the transfer of patients from heavily populated areas. It is an issue which must be addressed.

The fact the emergency department task force has been set up and has held a number of meetings, including one today, is indicative of the priority being attached to it by the Minister for Health and the HSE.

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