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The health services executive’s new Winter Plan, released today, promises an additional 251 hospital beds for acute patients this year plus 232 early next year.
In addition to the 483 extra acute beds, this year 89 subacute beds will be installed. A subacute bed is a lower-level bed than an acute bed, often as a means for a patient who is not yet ready for discharge.
There will be 17 additional intensive care beds to add to the 282 existing beds in the Intensive Care Unit.
Under the 30-page Winter Plan, approved by the Department of Health, most of the additional € 600 million in funding will be provided next year: € 200 million will be spent this year and € 400 million next.
The plan covers the period from now until April 2021.
HSE Executive Director Paul Reid has said that Ireland had 225 ICU beds at the start of the pandemic and that there are currently 282 beds in the system with the aim of improving these figures as part of the Winter Plan.
The HSE has said that 10,260 additional employees will be needed this year and next year for the core elements of the new Winter Plan.
The breakdown is 2,760 this year and 7,500 next.
Anne O’Connor, HSE Chief Operating Officer, Says 17 Additional Critical Care Beds Will Be Added As Part of Health Services Executive’s Winter Plan | Live Blog: https://t.co/DVwOnHw9iR pic.twitter.com/LdeUzD4aHk
– RTÉ News (@rtenews) September 24, 2020
HSE COO Anne O’Connor said the winter plan aims to maintain current bed capacity and keep 400 temporary beds that were open to deal with Covid-19 in place, as well as open more than 400 more.
The plan promises 20,000 more planned procedures. It says that the number of cars will be reduced by 30%.
20 Community Assessment Centers will also be established to help keep patients out of the hospital.
It is unclear exactly how many additional doctors, nurses and other healthcare personnel will be hired to service these additional beds and what facilities will be installed.
Just under five million overtime hours of home care will be provided.
General practitioners will also have access to more diagnoses in public and private hospitals.
Mr. Reid cautioned that we are heading into a wintry period as “probably none of us have ever experienced it before and hopefully will never experience it again.”
Speaking at an HSE press conference this morning, he said that the Government’s investment of € 600 million, along with other major health funds, will provide the health service with the support it needs to build resilience for the difficult months ahead. looming.
He urged people to follow public health advice. He said that the health service needs the support of the public.
Mr. Reid said that Ireland continues to obtain and receive significant levels of PPE and there is a strong supply projected for the winter period.
He said that price reductions are expected in the coming months, due to a better supply in the markets.
He said HSE would also continue to support Irish companies.
The Minister of State for the Department of Health, Mary Butler, has said that the Government’s funding of 600 million euros in the Winter Plan demonstrates the seriousness with which the Government views the challenges that await us in the winter months.
As Minister of Mental Health and Seniors, she said that it is very important that the plan has a strong focus on supporting these groups and that the correct comprehensive support is absolutely vital to ensure that this happens.
These include the improvement of the integrated multidisciplinary program for the elderly called the Integrated Care program for the elderly and teams to cover 57 community health networks.
Also speaking at the HSE press conference, Ms Butler welcomed the new ‘home first’ approach, which emphasizes providing extensive home care packages for those with more complex needs, including people with dementia, They are also supported by recruiting 10 additional people with dementia. advisers.
He said he fully supports the goals of the Winter Plan and commended the HSE for the wide range of commitments.
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Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organization (INMO) has said it does not see where additional beds can be opened with current staffing levels and HSE’s approach to recruitment.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Phil Ní Sheaghdha said that INMO has sought meetings with the HSE since March to discuss a funded workforce plan for nursing and midwifery, but said, “We are still waiting for that meeting, and now we have to refer this as a dispute to the Commission on Workplace Relations. ”
“This is really serious. We need to start making decisions about how we will staff the necessary extra beds. We will not open beds without staff.”
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