Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Burke for raising this issue. Emergency department, ED, overcrowding is a priority issue for me and for the Government and I acknowledge the difficulties the current surge in ED activity is causing for patients, their families and the staff who are doing their utmost to provide safe, quality care in very challenging circumstances. The Minister for Health convened the emergency department task force in December 2014 to develop long-term solutions to overcrowding by providing additional focus and momentum in dealing with the challenges presented by the current trolley waits. The task force comprises senior doctors, lead hospital consultants, Health Service Executive national directors, union representatives and senior officials from the HSE acute hospitals directorate and the Department of Health. The task force will provide additional focus and momentum in dealing with the challenges, complementing the ongoing work of the special delivery unit and taking a service-wide approach including social care, primary care and acute care. The aim is to develop effective measures that will achieve sustainable, integrated and effective improvements across all services related to the ED trolley waits.

At their meeting last Monday, the task force discussed a draft action to specifically address ED issues with a view to a significant reduction in trolley waits over the course of 2015.

The Minister for Health and I are determined that the action plan be completed as soon as possible, taking the views of the task force into account, and then operationalised without delay. The task force is due to meet again on 9 March. In the interim, all hospitals have escalation plans to manage not only patient flow but also patient safety in a responsive, controlled and planned way that supports and ensures the delivery of optimum patient care. These plans include opening the establishment of additional overflow areas, the reopening of closed beds, the provision of additional diagnostic scans and additional ward rounds by consultants to improve the appropriate flow of patients through the hospital system. The Government has provided additional funding of €3 million in 2014 and €25 million in 2015 to address delayed discharges. The actions being taken include the provision of additional home care packages, additional transition beds in nursing homes, 300 additional fair deal places and an extension of community intervention teams.

With regard to the issue of appointing representatives from the private nursing home sector, both the HSE and the Department of Health have given the matter serious consideration. It is acknowledged that private nursing homes have a valuable contribution to make in respect of specific issues such as delayed discharges and patient flow from acute or transitional care into long-term care. The position of private nursing homes does mean that, given their business interests, they have a very specific interest in how services are provided. It is considered that the existing membership of the task force is well placed to best cover the broad nursing home requirements. That said, the HSE will engage positively with private nursing homes and invite input and submissions from them on the work of the ED task force and other relevant issues under HSE's remit.

On a personal basis - this is something I will discuss with the officials - I do not have a difficulty with representatives of the private nursing home sector being on the group. They are key to how it is managed. Also, it would be remiss of us if we did not ensure GPs were part of this as well. The only way to stop the type of crisis we have seen this year and in the past from happening in the future is by ensuring that people are well maintained within their own community, and GPs are key to all of that.