Conditions in hospitals and emergency departments 'not acceptable' – Donnelly

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said there would be a 'very substantial' increase in bed capacity and services at University Hospital Limerick. Picture: Gareth Chaney /Collins

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has branded conditions in some of the country's hospitals and emergency departments as "not acceptable".

Mr Donnelly appeared before the health committee to discuss challenges in hospitals including emergency departments, bed shortages and overcrowding.

He told members he had visited hospitals around the country to view the conditions.

"I've seen the distress overcrowding causes for patients, their families and our frontline staff," he said.

His remarks came on a day when 607 people were waiting on trolleys around the country for beds in the country's hospitals. That included 90 in University Hospital Limerick and 73 in Cork University Hospital.

Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane said the number of people on hospital trolleys and on waiting lists was "going in the wrong direction".

Mr Donnelly said progress was "under way".

The minister said there had been an 11% reduction in patients waiting longer than the maximum waiting list target of between 10 and 12 weeks.

"In March, we launched the 2023 waiting list action plan as the next stage of our multi-annual approach," he said.

"The Government allocated €363m to remove 1.66m patients from the waiting lists — this is projected to result in a reduction of 10% to the number of people on waiting lists.

"In the last month alone, we've seen a 5% reduction in the number of people waiting over the 10- to 12-week targets."

Fine Gael senator Martin Conway raised the issue of the number of people on trolleys at University Hospital Limerick, which he described as not acceptable.

Mr Donnelly agreed and said there would be a "very substantial" increase in bed capacity and services.

"They've asked for more capacity, they're getting more capacity," Mr Donnelly said.

The minister also said a proposal for a national elective hospital in Dublin was not progressed as it was on a private site that "would have cost a lot of a lot of money".

Government has committed to establishing standalone national elective hospitals in Cork, Galway and Dublin.

The rationale for elective hospitals is that they cater for high-volume, relatively low-acuity cases.

The elective hospitals will be focused on providing day-case, GI endoscopy, minor operations, outpatient treatment and outpatient diagnostics services.

In December, Government progressed planning of the development of hospitals in Cork and Galway but there was no announcement of a site for Dublin.

Social Democrat TD Róisín Shortall said there seemed to be "backtracking" on the proposal.

Ms Shortall said: "Certainly there has been an inordinate delay in progressing that proposal."

Mr Donnelly said there had been no divergence from the Sláintecare recommendations nor change of policy.

"I fully share your frustrations.

"It takes years longer than it should to build new hospitals in this country," he said.

Mr Donnelly said the department was moving through the public spending code on the matter "quickly" but added the code was not fit for purpose.

Asked by Ms Shortall why there had been no progress on a site for Dublin, Mr Donnelly said the review had recommended a site but there was "additional work required".

Mr Donnelly said a proposal for another site in Dublin would be on his desk "very shortly".