Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Urgent and Emergency Care pressures are no longer just experienced during winter periods and levels of high daily presentations and congestion are now being experienced throughout the year. While significant investment has been driven through Winter Planning and National Service Plans over the past three years, a new approach to Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) planning in now required in response this changing and increasing demand profile.

This approach is twofold:

• The delivery of an operational plan for Urgent and Emergency Care for the remainder of 2023, which was signed off by Government in July; and
• The delivery of a 3-year multi-annual Urgent and Emergency Care Strategy to provide a Vision and Framework for UEC for the next 3 years, which is expected to be submitted to Government in the Autumn.

The Urgent and Emergency Care Operational Plan 2023 outlines targeted reform activities and initiatives which will run to the end of 2023, utilising current investment in hospital and community settings to ensure better outcomes in Urgent and Emergency Care.

I am aware of the letter received from a group of General Practitioners in Donegal expressing their concerns at the situation at Letterkenny University Hospital. A large number of meeting requests are received by my Office, and the request to meet with the Donegal GPs is being actively considered, and a response will be issued shortly.