Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Conway for raising this very important issue. I am here on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, who wishes that I update the House on the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick.

There is no doubt that too many patients continue to wait on trolleys for admission to hospitals on a daily basis. I wish to acknowledge the distress that overcrowding in emergency departments causes to patients, their families and the front-line staff who work in extremely difficult conditions in hospitals throughout the country.

Tackling overcrowding in emergency departments is a key commitment of this Government, and additional funding of €40 million has been made available in 2017, as part of the 2018 budget, to address the winter pressures on waiting lists across the country. This additional funding is aimed at reducing overcrowding in our hospital, including University Hospital Limerick through the provision of extra capacity and additional support.

The emergency department at University Hospital Limerick is one of the busiest in the country with 65,000 attendances annually. Demand for service in the emergency department continues to rise. The HSE data for the end of October 2017 indicated that attendance at the emergency department has risen by almost 5% and that admissions through the emergency department has increased by more than 10% as compared to the same period last year. In recognition of the high demand, funding of €24 million was provided for the new emergency department at University Hospital Limerick, which opened in May 2017. The new emergency department is three times the size of the former emergency department and provides modern, safe and fit for purpose facilities that meets patients' and families' expectations. At the same time the new facility provides high quality comfortable accommodation that protects patients' privacy and dignity. Notwithstanding this investment, the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick continues to be challenged and there are too many patients on trolleys on a daily basis. Mindful of this issue, the Minister for Health and his officials in the Department convened a meeting in October with the chief executive officer of the University Hospital Limerick and the HSE to discuss this issue. Following this meeting, an emergency department improvement plan was submitted by the University Limerick Hospital Group. The plan is being implemented and is being monitored by the Department of Health. In addition, as part of the €40 million funding announced for the winter measures as part of budge 2018, 17 new beds have been opened in University Hospital Limerick in December and this site is availing of four additional home care packages and two additional transitional care beds per week during the winter months. In addition, as part of a proactive and integrated approach to winter planning, the hospital groups, hospitals and the community healthcare organisations, CHOs, and primary care providers have put in place winter plans in order that the health service is ready for the increased demand for health services and, in particular, for emergency department services in the months ahead. I can confirm that University Hospital Limerick has such a plan in place.