The HSE is considering reverting to “normal work practices” despite the numbers of people on trolleys waiting for beds in the hospital system still being “too high”, the Cabinet has been told.
The health service went on to an emergency footing after the Christmas period with staff asked to put in extra hours and some surgeries postponed as large numbers of patients sick with respiratory illnesses sought treatment.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly told his fellow Ministers that the numbers of patients on trolleys had reduced significantly from the peak of 772 recorded by the HSE on January 3rd, when the The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) reported a record 931 people waiting.
Mr Donnelly told the Cabinet the numbers seeking admission to hospital had “stabilised” over the last week, a Government spokesman said following Wednesday’s meeting. Mr Donnelly told his colleagues that this was being driven by higher weekend discharges and having senior clinicians on-site over the last two weekends.
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However, the Coalition said later in a statement that the “number of patients on trolleys is still too high”.
The INMO said 595 admitted patients were waiting for beds on Wednesday morning, 436 in emergency departments (EDs) and 159 on wards elsewhere in hospitals. The highest numbers of waiting patients were recorded by the union at University Hospital Limerick (60), Cork University Hospital (58) and Letterkenny University Hospital (49).
Ministers were told that pressures related to Covid-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are receding, but that “it is expected that significant levels of patients presenting to EDs will continue, particularly for the older age cohorts”.
The HSE, according to the statement, “believes the pressure on EDs has eased and consideration is being given to returning to normal work practices” with individual hospitals assessing local pressures as part of the process.
“Reducing rates of Covid-19 infection have been observed,” the spokesman said, adding that Mr Donnelly has asked the Department of Health and the HSE to begin planning now for next winter “including a review of this winter and to ensure early sanction of additional capacity agreed”.
Cabinet also agreed to a request from Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe to provide a previously-agreed sum of €30 million for a community solidarity and recognition fund to support projects in areas that have welcomed significant numbers of refugees from Ukraine and elsewhere.
Mr Donohoe also updated Government on the end of year expenditure position, telling colleagues that spending reached almost €89 billion across Government last year, an increase of €1.2 billion or 1.4 per cent.
The Government agreed to establish a range of Cabinet committees where policy work on proposals and ongoing issues facing the State is done before Ministers are asked to sign-off on new initiatives. They include a “Government co-ordination” subcommittee, another on children and education, and one on Brexit and Northern Ireland.
The Government approved the appointment of former Defence Forces chief of staff Vice Admiral Mark Mellett as chair of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority. Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien also got approval to appoint the Construction Industry Federation as the statutory registration body for the Construction Industry Register in Ireland.
Green Party leader and Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan updated Cabinet on the transport strategy for the Greater Dublin Area, and also to noted progress on commitments in the Climate Action Plan in relation to the electrification of transport.
