Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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17. To ask the Minister for Health the reason behind the 40% increase in trolley numbers in Sligo University Hospital in March 2017 relative to March 2016. [20785/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In September the HSE launched its Winter Initiative Plan which provided €40 million of additional funding for winter preparedness. The Initiative concluded at the end of March.

A range of practical measures to address ED overcrowding were implemented, including 90 additional beds, aids and appliances for over 4,450 patients, around 1,000 extra homecare packages and 615 additional transitional care bed approvals.

During the Winter Initiative delayed discharges reduced from 638 in September 2016 to 434 in December and were maintained below 500 from mid-December through to end February. This had a positive impact on trolley numbers and freed-up beds for use by patients awaiting admission. Further, since the start of 2017 there have been approximately 5% less patients waiting on trolleys nationally compared to the same period last year.

However, since the start of 2017, there has been an increase of around 20% in trolley numbers at Sligo University Hospital. During March, Sligo ED experienced an increase of nearly 9% in attendances, on March 2016.

Following the Winter Initiative my Department and the HSE are currently engaged in a process to commence winter planning for next year and to achieve an improvement trajectory in ED performance. A key learning from this year's Initiative has been the need to put in place measures to support capacity and process improvement in Model 3 hospitals.

As such, the HSE's Special Delivery Unit will be working closely with Sligo University Hospital to identify improvements that can be made to support patient flow through the Hospital, reduce trolley numbers and improve patients' ED experience.