Martin Daly warns 1,263 discharge delays hit West-Northwest
Martin Daly set out figures showing HSE West-Northwest recorded 1,263 delayed transfers of care and argued the region with the highest needs is receiving the least resources. He highlighted long waits for residential care, primary care, and cancer treatment and called attention to stark regional disparities.
Delayed transfers of care
Martin Daly said that recent parliamentary question figures show HSE West-Northwest accounted for 1,263 delayed transfers of care from hospital into the community due to lack of access to residential care, care in the community and rehabilitation. He noted that this represents about one-third of the national total despite the region serving less than one-fifth of the population.
Residential care backlog
Of the 1,263 delayed transfers, Martin Daly recorded that 938 related to residential care, roughly half the national figure in that category. He linked this shortfall to shortages in residential places and post-hospital supports across the region.
Regional needs and service pressures
Martin Daly underlined that the region has the highest number of medical cards and the highest number of people in receipt of disability, and listed Roscommon-Galry, Mayo-Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and West Cavan as areas affected. He warned of the longest waiting lists for primary care, the longest hours on trolleys and the longest delay between cancer diagnosis and access to cancer treatment.
Government response and next steps
In reply the Taoiseach thanked Martin Daly for raising the issue and acknowledged his knowledge of health services in the West and Northwest. The Taoiseach said regional health organisations have been created to provide a full view of population, budgets and staffing to better align resources with need and said he would ask the Minister for Health and the Minister for older people to examine the figures and come back directly to Martin Daly.
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Figures I received in a recent parliamentary question showed that HSE West-Northwest accounted for 1263 delayed transfers of care from hospital into the community due to lack of access to residential care, care in the community and to rehabilitation. That accounts for one-third of the national average in spite of HSE West-Northwest looking after less than one-fifth of the population. And of those, 938 of those delays related to residential care, roughly half the national figure for that category. This is the region that has the highest number of medical cards, the highest number of people in receipt of disability, and we're talking about Roscommon-Galry, Mayo-Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and West Cavan. We have a situation with the longest waiting lifts for primary care, the longest number of hours on trolleys and the longest delay between diagnosis of cancer and getting to cancer treatment. It would appear to me that the region with the most need is receiving the least resources. Townish to respond. Well, thanks very much to Deputy Daly for raising this issue and I appreciate genuinely his own expert knowledge as well as his knowledge of the TD in relation to the health services in the West and the Northwest as well. I mean, one of the pieces of work we've undertaken as a government is trying to create these regional health, not trying to, we have created them, these regional health organisations so we can see the full prism, the full spectrum of health, population, budgets, staffing and that should allow us to be much more analytical in making sure that where we're putting the resources meets the needs and demands of an area and the demographic profile. In front of you raising this today, I'll ask both the Minister for Health and the Minister for older people to look at the figures you've put on the record of the House and come back to you directly. Thank you.
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