£3m cash injection to tackle NI health service winter pressures
An extra £3m is to be shelled out on tackling winter pressures in Northern Ireland’s hospitals.
The cash injection will target three key areas:
• Recruitment of care in the community staff
• Care packages for elderly dementia patients
• Equipment
The additional funding has been finalised following discussions involving health trusts and the Health and Social Care Board.
A Department of Health spokesman said: “Hospitals across NI are facing ongoing winter pressures, resulting in growing numbers of patients experiencing long waits in Emergency Departments. The situation in EDs reflects wider pressures on the HSC system, involving staffing, community care and bed capacity.
“A central factor behind the rising demand for ED care is the increasing numbers of older people with multiple health problems – often requiring longer in-patient stays and more complex community care packages when they are discharged.”
The spokesman added that latest figures from December 24 to January 15 showed that hospital EDs performed better than the same period a year ago, despite a rise in attendances and admissions.
Demand for ED care has, however, continued to increase during this month. Trusts are continuing to manage the situation and are working together collaboratively.
Department of Health Permanent Secretary Richard Pengelly said: “We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to staff for working through these pressures. We are sorry that too many patients continue to experience long waits. All feasible steps to ease the pressures are being taken.
“Every one of us can also all do our bit to help staff help us. That means using services appropriately and doing all we can to help stay well.”
The central “stay well” messages are that the ED is the place to go if you are seriously ill or injured – and that you look at the online A-Z symptom checker which can be found at: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/health-conditions-a-z
There is also advice on ice on reducing the risk of falls is available at: http://www.hscboard.hscni.net/helping-older-people-stay-independent-winter-preventing-falls