Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

173. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons treated in University Hospital Limerick emergency department in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019. [40071/19]

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

This is a very busy period for our health services, with many hospitals reporting significant numbers of patient attendances. For the first eight months of 2019, the number of patients attending hospital EDs increased by 2.9%, and the number of ED admissions increased by 1.7% compared to the same period last year.

Trolley numbers for the year to date from January to August were 71,532, a 3% increase compared to 69,446 for the same period last year.

The Department is engaging extensively with the HSE this year to identify mitigating actions to bring down trolley numbers and waiting times in the ED.

With regard to the Deputy's specific question, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly with the requested information.