Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly.

In 2012 the emergency medicine programme recommended the establishment of injury units in model 2 hospitals to provide unscheduled emergency care for patients with non-life threatening or limb threatening injuries. It was envisaged that due to their locations these injury units would provide a convenient level of emergency care while ensuring patient safety and equitable standards of care within an emergency care network. Some 15 local injury units are now open around the country and each one is providing an important service to its local community. There is clearly a large and growing demand for these services. Approximately 140,000 patients attended injury units in 2022. This is an increase of over 30% since 2019 and represents around 7% of all urgent and emergency activity in Ireland. However, the impact of this level of service is not just local. These injury units also play an important role in reducing the waiting times for patients in emergency departments throughout the country by providing a level of care locally and the Deputy referenced this. Injury units are for the treatment of minor injuries that are unlikely to need admission to hospital, such as broken bones, dislocations and burns. Patients may be referred to an injury unit by a GP or sent to one from an emergency department. Injury units require access to appropriate clinical space and onsite access to X-ray facilities.

I am advised the HSE commenced a review of injury units and medical assessment units in October 2022 with the aim of identifying areas of best practice that could be rolled out across the country. This review also looked in detail at the activity, capacity, staffing and operation of existing units across the model 2 Hospitals, as well as areas having the most potential need for additional injury units. An implementation plan for the recommendations from the review is now being developed. While all recommendations will of course be subject to resource and other considerations, including alignment with urgent and emergency care national and local plans, the development of these services in areas such as Carlow will be considered as part of the implementation plan.

Unfortunately, I do not have an update on the primary care issue, but I will get one from the Minister for the Deputy.

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