Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

208. To ask the Minister for Health his plans for winter 2017 and 2018; his further plans to incorporate private hospitals to the winter task force in order that all possible facilities are used to facilitate patient care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23701/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In September 2016 the HSE launched its ‘Winter Initiative Plan 2016-2017’ which provided €40 million of additional funding for winter preparedness. This Initiative took a broad approach to managing Winter pressures in an integrated way across Acute Hospitals, Primary Care and in the community. Practical measures implemented included 90 additional beds, aids and appliances for over 4,450 patients, around 1,000 extra home care packages and 615 additional transitional care bed approvals.

Within this context the Winter Initiative also aimed to utilise as appropriate, all services at its disposal both public and private, to alleviative pressure in EDs. For example this Winter it funded a collaboration between the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and the Mater Private Hospital and under the enhanced measures put in place in January 2017, access to additional diagnostic services such as Ultra-sound and X-ray were made available to GPs, through existing private providers.

The Winter Initiative concluded in March 2017 and both the Department and HSE have undertaken a Lessons Learned process to collate the key learning from this Initiative in order to inform planning for Winter 2017 and 2018. In addition the Department is working with the HSE to develop a roadmap towards improving the patient experience and reducing the number of patients waiting for admission on trolleys nationally. This important work will provide a framework for the planning, development and monitoring of measures aimed at alleviating pressure on EDs and in particular Winter preparedness moving forward.

During 2017 the HSE will also continue to work with the NTPF and the Department to ensure the best use of public hospital capacity and the private hospital system to meet the needs of patients.