Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1742. To ask the Minister for Health the measures she is taking to reduce waiting times at UHK accident and emergency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11868/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I would like to assure the deputy that every measure is being taken reduce the waiting times in our Emergency Departments including University Hospital Kerry.

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 in 2024 sustains the improvements achieved with the implementation of the 2023 UEC Operational plan. That plan has now been superseded by the UEC 2024-25 Plan, which was presented to Government in July last year.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.