Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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690. To ask the Minister for Health to provide a detailed plan on addressing hospital overcrowding in Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42543/24]

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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691. To ask the Minister for Health to provide a detailed plan on addressing hospital overcrowding in Naas General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42544/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 690 and 691 together.

As our health system faces into what is traditionally the most challenging periods of the year, I would like to assure the deputy that every measure is being taken to ensure the smooth running of our hospitals over the winter period including Naas General Hospital and the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise.

We are making progress in reducing the number of patients on trolleys nationwide and intensive work is ongoing with the HSE in this regard. This reduction has been achieved despite a significant increase in the number of patients presenting to Emergency Departments, particularly in cohort of patients aged 75 years and older. The improved performance seen thus far in 2024 sustains the improvements achieved with the implementation of the 2023 UEC Operational plan in the latter half of last year. That plan has now been superseded by the UEC 2024-25 Plan, which was presented to Government in July this year. Priority actions are set out under four operational pillars: Hospital avoidance, Emergency Department operations, In-hospital care delivery and Discharge management. The actions are focused on balancing system capacity and demand while optimising patient flow.

Amongst the initiatives involved in the plan are:

• Vaccine Preventable Illness: The HSE is promoting the uptake of Influenza, Measles and COVID-19 vaccinations to improve compliance for all target groups including Healthcare Workers Specialist Care in the Community
• Community Specialist Teams (CSTs) for Chronic Disease Management to deliver 19,000 patient contacts each month. CSTs for Older Persons will deliver 11,750 patient contacts each month
• GP Out of Hours Work with GP Out of Hours Services to maintain/increase GP OOH contacts and reduce the level of GP OOH referrals to EDs
• NAS Care Pathways Maximize usage of existing NAS alternative care pathways
• Injury Units to provide a 7-day service, 8am to 8pm including Bank Holidays
• The operation of 10-bedded Virtual Wards in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) and in St Vincent's University Hospital (SVUH), scaling to 25 virtual beds for each site by year end to deliver 50 virtual beds in total.
• Providing additional and extended hours for senior decision makers and staff integral to supporting 7/7 operations.