Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy will appreciate that I am not able to give the answer she seeks. I apologise again on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, for his absence. I welcome the opportunity to address the House on this issue.

As Deputy Jan O'Sullivan stated, the emergency department in University Hospital Limerick is one of the busiest in the country, with more than 60,000 attendances annually. I commend all of the staff at the hospital and those working in other emergency departments which are currently under severe pressure. The opening of the new emergency department at University Hospital Limerick has been identified as a priority in the HSE national service plan 2017. An additional €1.4 million has been allocated to facilitate the opening of the new emergency department this year. I understand it is expected that the building will be handed over to the hospital group at the end of March. As the Deputy will appreciate, it is difficult, at this stage, to be definitive about the opening date given that a period of deep cleaning, commissioning and training of stall on the new equipment will be required before the new emergency department can open. However, I hope it will be operational as soon as possible.

The new facility will triple the size of the current emergency department and immeasurably improve the experience of patients in terms of their comfort, privacy and dignity. The Deputy will be aware that the new unit is being fitted out and recruitment of the additional staff required for the enlarged facility is ongoing. Pending the opening of the new facility, the hospital group is working to alleviate pressures in the emergency department by maximising the use of the model 2 hospitals in its region, namely, Ennis, Nenagh and St. John's hospitals, to free up beds in University Hospital Limerick.

In addition, the HSE winter initiative plan 2016-2017 has provided €40 million additional funding for winter preparedness. As part of this initiative, University Hospital Limerick was identified as one of the nine focus sites experiencing the greatest challenges in terms of emergency department pressures. As the figures on delayed discharges released today show, much of this funding has been put to good use. In line with this initiative, University Hospital Limerick is receiving an additional six home care packages per week until the end of February 2017. In the first three months of the winter initiative, that is, from October to December 2016, community health care services in the mid-west facilitated 1,672 discharges, most of which were from the University of Limerick hospital group. These discharges ensure patients do not experience delays once they have been medically discharged from hospital and free up capacity in the hospital, which is extremely important.

I also note that in early November, the operational hours of the medical assessment unit in University Hospital Limerick were extended by three hours per day. This unit facilitates the immediate assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients presenting with chronic medical conditions and represents a significant improvement for such patients.

I was also delighted to learn that a transit lounge to accommodate patients deemed medically fit for discharge or suitable for transfer to Ennis, Nenagh and St. John's hospitals opened at University Hospital Limerick earlier this week. The lounge will accommodate 15 patients and will open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It will be staffed by two staff nurses and one health care assistant. In opening the lounge it is hoped to turn around beds earlier in the day, thus making capacity available for admitted patients waiting in the emergency department or overflow areas.

I am assured that pending the opening of the new emergency department, the University of Limerick hospital group is working to identify ways and means to improve processes and systems in the emergency department and throughout the hospital group, with a view to improving service delivery. I apologise again that I cannot provide a definitive date for the opening of the new unit. I will convey the Deputy's request to the Minister and I am sure he will revert to her in due course.

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