Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is extremely conscious of the distress overcrowded Emergency Departments cause and the very challenging working conditions in hospitals throughout the country.

This winter is the first winter we are using an all-year approach to urgent and emergency care, since the switch last year from annual winter plans recognising that the required investment, changes and supports go beyond winter.

I am delighted to report important progress on behalf of all patients, and this is due to the huge efforts of healthcare workers across the country that deserve our appreciation and thanks.

Overall, there was an 8% reduction in the 8am trolley numbers last year compared to 2022, and due to the laser sharp focus on UEC from July to December, those six months returned over 20% less trolleys than 2022. To put that into context, it equates to 15,000 less patients waiting on trolleys in the second half of the year. There has also been a concerted focus placed on reducing the number of elderly patients, aged 75 and over, waiting on a trolley for over 24 hours and the second half of 2023 delivered a 40% reduction in that number (4,600 patients).

The plan for 2024 is a simplified follow-on, bringing continuity and sustainability to the improvements achieved so far. This does not mean that the system is fixed, but we are moving in the right direction. There is a wide variance in the UEC performance across different hospitals, with only seven sites accounting for half of all trolleys last year. We need to continue supporting those sites under pressure and insisting upon consistent implementation of the reforms and changes that we know work.

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