Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Kelleher for his question. We all acknowledge the distress caused to patients and families, and indeed the impact on staff, when cramped and overcrowded conditions are experienced in some of our hospital emergency departments. I have outlined on many occasions what we need to do to break that cycle. I have referred to the bed capacity review and the need for significant capital investment. We need to turn Sláintecare into a reality and take some services out of our acute hospitals and put them into primary care. I opened a primary care centre in Castlebar, County Mayo, last Friday. In April of this year, there were 517 people were awaiting X-rays at Mayo General Hospital. That figure has now been reduced to zero as a result of the decision to provide such facilities in the primary care system.

By the end of September, emergency department attendances had increased this year by over 1.8%, or more than 16,000 patients. This includes a 5% increase in emergency department attendances by people over the age of 75. In this context, trolley numbers and patient experience times are showing some small improvements on this time last year. That is not to suggest there is anything to be triumphalist about. HSE data show that on 13 November 2017, over 1,000 fewer patients were waiting on trolleys this year compared to last year. It is important to acknowledge the progress that is being made by our hospital and our front-line staff.

According to the HSE's TrolleyGAR figures, which are published on the HSE website at 8 o'clock every morning, every day so far in November there have been fewer patients on hospital trolleys than there were on the same day last year. There have been fewer patients on trolleys 15 days in a row. Winter started on 1 November, presumably, and it is now 15 November. On every single one of those days, there have been fewer patients on trolleys. I accept that the number of patients on trolleys is still far too great. I do not accept the idea of constantly referring to new records at a time when some of our front-line staff and management personnel are making significant progress.

Several hospitals are showing significant overall improvements in trolley numbers. According to HSE data for the period to the end of September, the number of people on trolleys at Mayo General Hospital, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and Beaumont Hospital has reduced by between 30% and 40% compared to the same period in 2016. The Deputy is right when he suggests we have an awful lot more to do. I think we all share a view on what needs to be done in the medium term. What are we going to do right now as we come into the winter? I am happy to confirm that €40 million in additional funding has been made available as part of budget 2018 to address winter pressures and waiting lists over the rest of this year. A further €45 million has been allocated for measures to improve access to unscheduled care and other acute hospital priorities. That means more home care packages.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

Some of this funding is already being utilised within the system, with an additional 45 home care packages and 20 transitional care beds being provided each week for the duration of the winter period. This funding will allow patients to return home or go to an appropriate community setting, when clinically appropriate, thereby helping to alleviate some of the pressures our hospitals are experiencing. Funding will be provided to increase bed capacity this winter and as part of service planning for 2018. The Department of Health is undertaking a health service capacity review in line with a commitment in the programme for Government. The findings of this review, which are due to be published before the end of the year, will provide an evidence base for future capacity decisions. All hospital groups and community health organisations have developed and put in place integrated winter preparedness plans for their localities focused on planning and escalation preparedness, maintaining patient flow processes and ensuring public health preparedness.

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