Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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227. To ask the Minister for Health the status of his plans to further expand early supported discharge services for stroke patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6297/17]

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The most recent National Stroke Audit reported that patients who suffer a stroke in Ireland now have a better chance of surviving and with less disability; and that the health service has made significant cost savings in terms of saved bed days, people returning to work and reduced costs of residential care.

There are already 3 Early Supported Discharge (ESD) pilot sites for stroke at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital & HSE North Dublin, Galway University Hospitals and Tallaght Hospital. Good clinical outcomes and high patient and care satisfaction rates are reported across all three sites.

There is a business case available to the HSE for the expansion of the HSE’s National Stroke Programme and the Irish Heart Foundation submitted a business case for the expansion of ESD services. Funding of such service developments are a function of the annual Estimates process; and it is in this context that the expansion concerned will be pursued this year.