Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Calleary for raising this tragedy. Before I respond on the occurrences in Letterkenny, I express my condolences to the family of Mrs. Margaret Callaghan. I cannot begin to understand or appreciate how difficult it will be for them to get over her death, given that it potentially should not have happened.

When the emergency care hospital system is under pressure there will be potential for delays in the transfer of care patients from an ambulance to emergency departments. However, the ambulance turnaround performance is currently below target. In the period from January to October 2019, 85.5% of ambulances achieved a turnaround time of 60 minutes or less, which is below the target of 95%. Effective management of timely ambulance turnaround times is a challenge, and probably more of a challenge in some parts of Ireland than in others. The ambulance turnaround framework has been developed to try to address the issues that exist. Ireland has seen a growing demand for unscheduled care, with increased pressure on emergency departments during peak times and particularly in the winter. The key drivers of the ongoing emergency department overcrowding are increasing attendances and admissions nationally, high occupancy rates and a significant increase in delays of transfers of care. In the first ten months of 2019, the number of patients attending hospital emergency departments increased by 2.7% on the number last year and the number of emergency department admissions increased by 1% compared with the same period last year. The numbers on trolleys at 8 a.m. in Letterkenny University Hospital have been persistently high this year.

In preparation for the anticipated increase in demand over the coming winter, the HSE winter plan was launched earlier this year than in any previous year, on 14 November. The plan is supported by an additional €26 million in winter funding nationally. The funding will support access to the fair deal scheme and provide additional home care supports and transitional care to facilities in a timely manner to ensure that discharge happens more quickly and to reduce congestion in emergency departments over the winter. Nine winter action teams, each aligned to the community healthcare organisation, CHO, and associated acute hospital groups, have prepared their integrated winter plans. As I said, there are issues that might affect some parts of the country but not necessarily all parts of the country. These plans will focus on demand management and the reduction of staffing availability, timely access to the most appropriate care pathways for patients and appropriate and timely discharge from acute hospitals. I hope they will go a long way towards alleviating the situation that resulted in this lady's tragic death.

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