Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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126. To ask the Minister for Health the progress he has made in his analysis of the way private accident and emergency departments will be used during peaks in public accident and emergency department usage. [4410/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Emergency Departments in public hospitals provide comprehensive 24/7 emergency care to all patients. Currently EDs in private hospitals do not offer a 24 hour service and only a minority provide services at weekends.

I recently met with the Private Hospitals Association to discuss how private hospitals can contribute to meeting urgent health priorities, including demand for emergency care and waiting list management. There is significant experience of private hospitals assisting in addressing lengthy waiting times for scheduled care. Funding of €20 million has been allocated to NTPF in Budget 2017 rising to €55 million in 2018 and I am aware that the NTPF has been engaging with private hospitals in this regard.

In September 2016 the HSE launched the ‘Winter Initiative Plan 2016-2017’ which provided €40 million of additional funding for winter preparedness. Last month, in response to significant pressures in EDs, a series of enhanced measures were added to this Initiative. One such measure has involved availing of additional capacity in certain private hospitals to support the public hospital system.

So far, the Winter Initiative has delivered 75 newly-opened additional acute hospital beds. Also, as of 24 January, delayed discharges have reduced nationally to 469, freeing up hospitals beds to alleviate ED pressures. In addition under the Initiative: over 3,900 patients have availed of aids and appliances; over 780 additional homecare packages and 410 additional transitional care beds have been provided, enabling patients to be discharged from hospital sooner .

Every week, with my Department, I meet with senior HSE officials to monitor the Winter Initiative and ED performance. I can assure the Deputy that this is a very strong focus on reducing Emergency Department overcrowding in all my interactions with the HSE, hospitals and other interested parties.