Reilly ‘finds’ €18m to try to tackle A&E overcrowding and waiting lists

An €18m intervention fund has been set up as the latest initiative in tackling the politically sensitive and enduring issues of emergency department overcrowding and excessive patient waiting times.

The fund comes just two years after the government set up a Special Delivery Unit (SDU) tasked with doing just that and at a time when a number of hospitals have been ordered to slow down on scheduled surgery.

A spokesperson for Health Minister James Reilly said the directive to slow down elective procedures followed a spike in activity and an increase in hospital admissions due to “seasonal factors” such as respiratory illness.