Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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435. To ask the Minister for Health the actions that have been taken to relieve overcrowding pressure at Naas General Hospital over the coming months under the winter plan, with particular reference to reducing the number of persons on trolleys in the accident and emergency department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49335/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My Department is working with the HSE to ensure the most effective response to the winter challenges to unscheduled care provision. Within this context, the HSE requested singular integrated winter plans from Hospital Groups and Community Health Organisations in June 2018. Subsequently in September and October 2018, I met with Hospital Groups and Community Health Care Organisations to discuss their plans for winter preparedness.

The HSE Winter Plan 2018/19, which is currently under consideration by my Department, provides for a 4-week enhanced focus period from 17 December 2018 to 13 January 2019, targeting 9 key sites of concern. Naas General Hospital has been identified as one of these 9 sites, based on performance in previous winters.

As part of Budget 2019, an additional €10m in funding is being provided in 2018 for social care measures to enable older people to leave hospital and return to a more appropriate care setting, including their own home, as quickly as possible with the supports they need. My Department has sanctioned the release of €5 million of this additional funding to enable the deployment of social and primary care measures to support this transition.

Increasing bed capacity is a Government priority. Over the past 12 months an additional 240 beds have been opened, including 11 additional beds in Naas General Hospital and a further 78 additional beds are due to come on stream nationally in 2019.

My Department is currently in discussion with the HSE, in the context of the National Service Plan 2019, to identify the sites for investment and the associated number of beds, as part of an agreed capacity programme for 2019.