Michael McHale , 2025-05-14 11:14:00
2024 progress report highlights reduction in trolley numbers but record ED presentations
The Minister for Health has published an updated programme for the implementation of Slaintecare, highlighting 23 priorities in the areas of improving access, service quality and increasing capacity.
‘Path to Universal Healthcare: Sláintecare & Programme for Government 2025+’ outlines a reform programme to be implemented between now and 2027, recognising that some of these reforms will continue over a longer timeframe.
The launch of the plan coincides with the publication of the 2024 Slaintecare Progress Report, which noted reductions in waiting times and trolley counts, but increases in the number of people presenting to emergency departments.
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said: “As Minister for Health, ensuring better access to healthcare in Ireland and reducing the time that patients are waiting for care is a priority. In the Programme for Government we committed to further reduce waiting times, targeting all patients to be seen within the Sláintecare targets of 10 and 12 weeks.”
Sláintecare 2025+ sets out 23 individual projects that the Government aims to prioritise over the next three years.
Among them are plans to build five more primary care centres, with a total of 179 currently operational.
Plans are also in place to Increase activity levels in Enhanced Community Care Programme services with target delivery of 1,626,435 patients to be seen through the Community Healthcare Networks in 2025.
Four new communities are to be added to the Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme (SHC), while a new National Sexual Health Strategy and National Mental Health Promotion Plan will also be published and implemented.
The plan also includes a recommitment to establishing six surgical hubs in Cork, Dublin (two sites, one already open) Galway, Limerick and Waterford, and exploring the provision of an additional surgical hub for the North-West.
Four new elective treatment centres (Cork, Dublin (2 sites) and Galway) are also promised, with the total additional capacity to be provided by the centres estimated to be 977,700 annually.
The 2024 Slaintecare Progress Report noted that there was an 11 per cent reducton seen in daily trolley numbers in emergency departments, despite the overall number of people presenting to EDs rising by eight per cent compared to 2023.
There was a 12 per cent reduction in the total number of patients waiting over 12 months for an appointment for a procedure since December 2023, and a corresponding reduction of approximately 20 per cent in the number waiting over 18 months.
Since 2020, 1,195 new acute inpatient beds have been added to the public healthcare system. The Acute Inpatient Bed Capacity Expansion Plan was published in 2024 setting out a total planned capacity for delivery of 3,438 additional new acute inpatient beds and 929 replacement acute inpatient beds over the period 2024 to 2031.
Preferred sites for Elective Treatment Centres in Dublin at Connolly Hospital and the current Children’s Hospital in Crumlin were also identified last year. These are in addition to the sites previously identified for Cork (St Stephens Hospital) and Galway (Merlin Park).
