Written answers

Thursday, 1 December 2016

Department of Health

Accident and Emergency Departments

Photo of Jackie CahillJackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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17. To ask the Minister for Health the reason for the substantial increase in emergency department overcrowding in South Tipperary General Hospital over the past two years. [38047/16]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Trolley numbers nationally have been high in November due to increased ED attendances, greater incidence of infection in several hospitals and a high rate of elective activity in hospitals to address waiting lists.

It is unacceptable that patients wait on trolleys for long periods especially elderly and vulnerable patients. Over the coming months it is essential that the health service plans effectively for expected surges in emergency care demand. My Department, working with the HSE, has been driving a range of measures to improve patient ED experience times.

Following the formation of Government an additional €40 million was provided to assist in the management of winter pressures. Utilising this additional funding the HSE developed the Winter Initiative Plan 2016 – 2017 which was published in September. Key aspects of this plan are being implemented at hospital and community services level across the country.

South Tipperary General Hospital is one of nine hospitals which have been targeted in this year’s Winter Initiative. In order to alleviate ED overcrowding at the hospital, a range of specific measures have been put in place. These include the expansion of access to Community Intervention Teams services to support the hospital by facilitating hospital avoidance and timely discharge. Additional homecare packages are also being provided; from 3 October to the 5 February, an additional 3 homecare packages per week will be provided in the Sth Tipperary area. Additional access to aids and appliances to support timely discharge will also be provided. A tender process to establish a National Framework Agreement for Temporary Accommodation is currently being evaluated. Based on the outcome of this process, the HSE will consider options, to provide additional capacity at the hospital.

Today the HSE convened a Winter Initiative Health Summit and I met with Hospital Group CEOs, as well as hospital and Community Health Organisation managers, to reinforce the importance of driving key performance improvements across primary, acute and social care to reduce ED overcrowding and to plan for expected surges in demand in our EDs in the New Year.

I can assure the Deputy that there is a very strong focus on reducing ED overcrowding in all my interactions with the HSE, hospitals and the wider health service.

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