IHCA says the draft Emergency Department Task Force Action Plan lacks clear, concrete, workable recommendations
IHCA says the draft Emergency Department Task Force Action Plan lacks clear, concrete, workable recommendations
10 February, 2015: The Irish Hospital Consultants Association today said that further engagement on the Action Plan discussed at the Emergency Department Task Force meeting on 2nd February 2015, is needed prior to its finalisation.
Speaking about the draft Action Plan discussed at the ED Task Force meeting, Dr Gerard Crotty, President of the IHCA said:
“The IHCA feels strongly that the Action Plan must confirm the overall objective that no patient should have to wait on a trolley after the decision to admit has been taken in an emergency department. This is essential from a medical care perspective. Targets for the delivery of acute care should be based on medical need and not budget limits which are inadequate. Furthermore, additional beds and appropriate front line staffing levels must be provided to address the chronic overcrowding in acute hospitals and the trolley crisis, which is creating unacceptable levels of risk and danger to patients. We feel the draft Action Plan lacks clear, concrete, workable recommendations to provide the increased capacity that is needed.”
Acute hospital and mental health services need to fill a large number of vacant consultant posts on the agreed 2008 Consultant Contract terms. Additional consultant posts need to be approved and filled as recommended in several reports over the years. The State and health service management must honour the terms agreed in the 2008 Consultant Contract to recruit and retain the number of high calibre consultants that are urgently needed to provide care to patients who are enduring unacceptable delays.
The IHCA shares the concerns of the Minister for Health and HSE management in relation to the urgent need to implement sustainable solutions to address overcrowding in acute hospitals and their emergency departments. However, the Association feels that the draft Action Plan lacks an adequate commitment of resources to meet the targets to deliver the care patients need.
ENDS
For more information:
James Dunny, FleishmanHillard, +353 16188417/+353 863883903 james.dunny@fleishmaneurope.com
Fiona Murphy, FleishmanHillard, +353 16188470/+353 878194464 fiona.murphy@fleishmaneurope.com