Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The measures outlined in the winter plan are very good in theory but will be very difficult to implement in practice. They are superimposed on an already congested system which has no spare capacity. Hospital capacity in Ireland runs at approximately 95% to 97%. It is well recognised that a hospital which runs at 85% of capacity or more works very inefficiently, so we are already in a congested system which is working inefficiently. One should not propose putting extra pressure on that system.

The winter initiative proposes reducing the number of outpatient appointments over the period from 17 December to 13 January, but that will further congest the appointments system. More than 500,000 people are waiting for an outpatient appointment but the Government's winter plan proposes extending their wait. It also proposes reducing elective admissions. Our elective admissions run in the region of 72,000 patients. Reducing elective admissions during this period will, of course, free up beds for urgent cases at the winter peak, but that will postpone the calling of patients for elective admissions and extend that waiting list. The plan refers to decreasing diagnostics within hospitals to free up those diagnostics for acute and emergency care but those diagnostic services are already at full capacity.

It proposes discharging patients early, having extra accident and emergency department consultants available and extra consultants on wards to discharge patients. The community cannot cope with the current level of discharges. Our community intervention teams and public health nurses are worked to the bone, but the Government proposes discharging more patients into a system that cannot cope.

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