Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. She had many questions but I will deal with those relating to Cork University Hospital, CUH, a facility I know well. This morning, the number of patients waiting on trolleys in Cork University Hospital was 55 and the Health Service Executive, HSE, trolley system reported 431 patients waiting on trolleys nationally. This is an increase on the same day last year when there were 296 patients on trolleys. The number of patients waiting on trolleys at Cork University Hospital this morning is exceptionally high. The HSE has confirmed that South/South West hospital group personnel were on-site and community teams were actively seeking additional community beds to support discharges. In addition, the national director of acute hospitals in the HSE will visit CUH today.

The HSE identified specific issues and challenges on the site. The first was a significant capacity demand mismatch, with high rates of attendance and admission and a low rate of discharges. The hospital remains in full capacity protocol, with the highest trolley count this year on the site. Key actions are now under way in Cork University Hospital to improve the position for patients and these include full mobilisation of all resources, escalation meetings with both the group chief executive officer and chief compliance officer and meetings scheduled with consultants. There is to be a review of diagnostics and cancellation of diagnostics tomorrow and Thursday. Community health organisation representatives are on the site to review patients for transfer to step-down facilities and there will be identification of patients to expedite transfers to local rehabilitation units. There will be utilisation of private capacity, with five beds being made available in the Mater Private. There will also be use of private ambulances to transfer patients.

The Deputy is right that a serious challenge has arisen in CUH as of last night and again today. We are responding with the seriousness that is needed. We need to and are putting the extra resources and the priority systems in place to respond to that in accordance with the needs of patients there.

See this speech in context