The health service is entering its peak pressure season, with flu cases rising rapidly across the country. Yesterday morning, 330 patients were reported on hospital trolleys.
To address these challenges, Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill recently published an updated sectoral plan for health until 2030 under the National Development Plan.
Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Minister MacNeill said overall trolley numbers are down compared with last year.
“At the weekend, there were only 84 people on trolleys around the whole country across 29 hospitals," said the minister.
“We're very considerably down on last year.”
However, she expressed concern that patients on trolleys are concentrated in certain hospitals, particularly in the West and Southwest:
“Galway is by far the worst this week."
Minister MacNeill told the show she is overseeing trolley numbers extensively, and “watching it like a hawk," as she explained that "it's about patient safety."
On staffing, MacNeill said 24-7 rostering is in place for nurses and other medical professionals, but warned that flu season is hitting hard.
“We have 330 people in hospital with flu. Last week, it was 150."
"This is a bad flu,” she told Pat.
A busy hospital. Image: AlamyThe minister asked listeners to get vaccinated if they want to enjoy the holidays this year:
“If you'd like to spend Christmas week at home eating turkey, get your flu vaccine," she urged.
“If you haven't had the flu vaccine, please go and get it, because not only will it protect you, but it'll protect the people around you and it'll protect our health care system."
MacNeill highlighted measures being taken to ease pressure on hospitals, including additional support through GP practices.
“We are paying GP practices to carry out additional two-hour clinics, including early morning, evenings, and weekends."
The extra clinics will provide around 20,000 additional hours of GP care, supporting an estimated 140,000 patients.
The initiative is designed to help those with respiratory illnesses stay healthy and reduce the strain on hospitals.
She also drew attention to the cost of medicines and its impact on the system:
“Right now, we're spending over three billion euros a year on drugs every single year. That's more than the cost of the children's hospital. It's half the cost of the entire Department of Justice budget," she said.
"The state is paying the rest from taxpayers' money. But the cost is very significant,” she stated.
Written by Annemarie Roberts
