Health

Hospital overcrowding worsens as HSE to publish 2017 plan

The Health Service Executive will publish its €14 billion service plan for 2017 today.

The plan is expected to commit to improvements in emergency department overcrowding, as well as increased hospital funding.

HSE Service Plans have been forced to deal with cuts, or secure major savings in recent years.

But as a result of Budget 2017, the HSE has been given an extra €450 million next year.

However, any increase in pay for the executive’s 105,000 staff, arising from future public pay discussions, would have a significant impact on its budget.

Next year, hospitals will see a modest increase, as will mental health.

However hospital overcrowding is getting worse and the real winter is still ahead.

Yesterday, there were 541 patients on trolleys or on wards, waiting for a bed, among one of the highest levels seen this year.

From 2017, the HSE has to ensure no more than 236 patients are on trolleys on any single day.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Irish Patients’ Association has said that while a huge amount of money has been allocated for the HSE National plan for 2017, there are huge problems in the system that have to be addressed.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Stephen McMahon said that over €27,000 a minute will be spent running the health system next year.

He added that that expenditure will be to maintain the status quo, and that there are long waiting lists, bed shortages and recruitment problems that have to be tackled.

Mr McMahon said the numbers on trolleys increased by 29% in the first nine days of this month compared to the same time last year.

Furthermore, he said that hospital consultants have a pay claim in for next year which could cost hundreds of millions.

Full Story from RTE News

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