merrion street

"I want to recognise again the intense efforts of all our staff across the health service and the very difficult conditions patients experience at this time of high pressure in our emergency departments.

"I met again today with senior staff in my own Department and continue to be regularly updated by senior officials in the HSE.

"It is vital that we begin to see an impact from the exceptional measures being undertaken to reduce overcrowding in our EDs and tomorrow I will be directly updated by each Hospital Group CEO on this.  While recognising that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, we must continue to ensure the lessons that can be learned from those hospitals performing better are applied across the system.   

"I want to reassure the public that all the Winter Plan measures funded by increased investment by Government, like increased access to home care, transitional care and diagnostics along with additional acute bed capacity, are being implemented to deal with the extra pressures our health service is experiencing.

"I've today made very clear to the HSE that they have my support in taking any enhanced measures necessary to help increase discharges, most particularly access to diagnostics, senior clinical attendance and community supports."