‘Lack of home help to blame for late hospital discharges’

Fianna Fáil has blamed a lack of delivery on home help hours for the the 599 people who were discharged from hospital later than needed.

The party’s spokesperson on older people, Mary Butler, said that the latest figures on delayed discharges make it crystal clear that all of the promised extra 800,000 hours of home help must be delivered in 2019.

The latest HSE figures show that there were 599 delayed discharges from hospitals in June alone and that 18,662 bed days were lost as a result.

Health Minister Simon Harris has already promised that no home help hours will be cut this year following reports that the HSE is planning to target the service in order to keep within budget.

“When it comes to home-care, not only with there be no cuts, there will be additional hours provided this year,” said Mr Harris pointing to the additional home-help hours promised.

“I have been very clear in my discussions with the HSE that they must and will deliver on all of those commitments.”

However, Ms Butler said the HSE is already failing to deliver on that commitment.

“Recently I pointed out that the HSE was not meeting its target of providing home help to 53,000 people. The actual number receiving of home care is 52,382 - 618 fewer than the HSE commitment. This deficit is not too far removed from the number of delayed discharges in our hospitals.

“Similarly, if the levels of home help and support that we saw in the first five months of this year continue then we will come in some 400,000 hours short of what was promised by the HSE this year.

“It is essential that home help targets are met. Older people want to be in their own homes and not to be stuck in hospitals which are already facing serious overcrowding pressures.”