Pressure On Emergency Departments Continues

The pressure on Emergency Departments (EDs) seen in recent weeks is likely to continue in the weeks ahead as the seasonal surge in demand continues, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has confirmed.

As part of the plans in place to deal with the surge in demand in EDs at this time of year, all hospitals have invoked escalation plans. This includes the opening of additional overflow areas, curtailing non-emergency surgery, providing additional diagnostics and strengthening discharge planning. Hospitals are currently taking these steps, as required, so that patients who need to be admitted to hospital are admitted to a bed as soon as possible.

In a statement, the HSE said: "As an immediate result of the implementation of these plans, hospitals successfully reduced the total number of patients waiting for admission by 30% – from 513 to 354 by 2pm.

"However, although the HSE anticipates the figures will continue to fluctuate, the collaborative arrangements now in place with the professional bodies and management are having an impact. We will continue with these measures.

"A total of €25m has been provided for delayed discharge patients in 2015. This is being used to provide home care packages and short stay beds for the greater Dublin area where the issue of delayed discharge is most pronounced.

"In addition, the HSE received an additional allocation of €3m in December to enable the release of an additional 300 Fair Deal approvals immediately. That money allowed for 109 patients to move to long term care in recent weeks."

(CD/JP)