Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 December 2025
862. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health the emergency department waiting time targets under the HSE Winter Plan; the extent to which Naas General Hospital is meeting these targets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69109/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Minister would like to thank the deputy for his question and assure him that the HSE and the Department of Health have targets set to minimise the amount of time patients spent in Naas Emergency Department and in Emergency Departments across our health system.
The Unscheduled Emergency Care Plan 2025-2026 had key performance indicators that set focused targets to meet the rising number of patients presenting at Emergency Departments.
The Patient Experience Time (PET) target is set at 97% of all attendees are see within 24 hours and for the over 75s cohort that target is set at 99%.
What follows is the PET compliance and 24 hr breaches for Naas General Hospital for this year up to the end of October and how they relate to the same period in 2024
• 92.7% of patients were discharged or admitted from the ED within 24 hours of registration: an increase in compliance of 0.9 percentage points compared to 91.9% for the same period in 2024;
• 87.5% of patients aged 75 and over were discharged or admitted from the ED within 24 hours of registration: a decrease in compliance of 1.2 percentage points compared to 88.8% for the same period in 2024;
• 2,257 patients waited for 24-hours or more: down 3% (-65) compared to 2,322 for the same period in 2024;
• 756 patients aged 75 and over waited for 24-hours or more: up 21% (+133) compared to 623 for the same period in 2024;
A key target of the HSE’s current Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) Operational Plan 2025/2026 is to ensure 99% of elderly patients are either admitted or discharged from the ED within 24 hours.
Improvements have been achieved on a national level compared to the same period in 2024 with increases in compliance for all patients being discharged or admitted within 24 hrs now at 96.9% and with patients over 75 yrs being discharged or admitted within 24 hrs now at 93.8% but there is much more work to do in this area.
As we enter the busiest period for urgent and emergency care the HSE currently hold daily national Urgent and Emergency Care operational oversight meetings, chaired by senior management, regarding emergency department situation reports.
The Winter 2025 Vaccination Programme began on the 15/09/2025. The low rates of uptake of vaccines among healthcare workers across all regions and care groups is a concern. A nationwide communication programme is underway to address this issue.
Over the coming weeks/months there will be a sustained focus on operational grip, leadership and UEC performance in sites of concern.
The 3rd iteration of the UEC Plan also includes targeted actions and reform initiatives such as providing additional and extended hours for senior decision makers and staff integral to supporting 7/7 operations.
The priority is to protect access to emergency care for those who need it most. The public are being asked to help by seeking alternative treatment pathways through other trusted services such as GPs, Out-of-Hours GP services, pharmacists, and their local injury unit. As always, people who do require emergency care are encouraged to attend EDs where they will be prioritised.
