Letterkenny University Hospital and Community Healthcare staff in the region are promising an integrated approach this winter.
They’re promising initiatives to support hospital admission avoidance, and promote patient flow across all acute and community healthcare facilities.
The inititives include recruitment of staff to maximise usage of community support services, and the enhancement of the minor injuries service the the Emergency Department through the recruitment of dedicated staff.
A GP Liaison Nurse will be recruited to support provision of the right care in the right place, and facilitate admission avoidance, while staff will be recruited to support and target weekend discharge from Letterkenny University Hospital.
Meanwhile, four additional Emergency Medicine Consultants for LUH have been sanctioned for recruitment by the Minister for Health.
Community Health Authorities will continue to provide rehabilitation, respite beds and short-stay beds to target admission avoidance and rapid discharge, and GP Access to Diagnostics and Out-of-Hours supports will be enhanced.
The joint statement says all involved will maximise usage of the outlined community support services by strengthening and standardising referral pathways to support admission avoidance, and discharge.
Statement in full –
Letterkenny University Hospital and Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo (CH CDLMS) implement Joint Winter Plan
Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) and Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo (CH CDLMS) are implementing further initiatives this Winter to support hospital admission avoidance and promote patient flow across all acute and community healthcare facilities through an integrated approach.
The initiatives will maximise the use of available resources to manage unscheduled care pressure and support an overall improvement to the patient journey. The initiatives identified for 2022/2023 below are focused on established best practice in relation to patient flow and the enhanced GP/Hospital Liaison will support the provision of care, in the right place at the right time.
LUH and CH CDLMS initiatives as part of the Winter Plan 2022/23 include:
- Recruitment of staff to maximise usage of community support services including community nursing service & chronic disease hub supports that will strengthen referral pathways to support admission avoidance and facilitate timely discharge seven days per week.
- Enhancing minor injuries service in ED through the recruitment of AMP staff.
- Recruitment of GP Liaison Nurse to support provision of the right care in the right place and facilitate admission avoidance.
- Recruitment of staff to support and target weekend discharge from LUH.
- 4 additional Emergency Medicine Consultants for LUH have been sanctioned for recruitment by the Minister for Health.
- CH CDLMS will continue to provide rehabilitation, respite beds and short-stay beds to target admission avoidance and rapid discharge.
- LUH and CH CDLMS will provide enhancement of GP Access to Diagnostics and Out-of-Hours (OOH) supports.
LUH and CH CDLMS will maximise usage of the outlined community support services by strengthening and standardising referral pathways to support admission avoidance and discharge.
Tony Canavan, CEO Saolta University Health Care Group stated “This Joint Winter Plan allocation will increase access for patients to a wider range of services in the community, decreasing demand on acute facilities. These measures will ensure we can provide the best possible support to the population in the coming months. Ultimately, reducing long waiting times in our EDs will require more beds in our acute hospitals and in community units and the teams necessary to staff them safely. This plan improves upon already established resources, and provides opportunities for improvement. Through collaboration between disciplines and services we can promote optimal patient care closer to home.”
Dermot Monaghan, Chief Officer, Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo stated “ CH CDLMS will continue to provide supports, through available national funds to support admission avoidance including Community Intervention Teams (CIT), Home Support, Aids and Appliances, GP Access to Diagnostics and GP Out of Hours (OOHs). Investment has been received for the recruitment a GP Liaison Nurse to facilitate admission avoidance. These measures will ensure the continued development of community services and the growth in care to people at home or in community-based HSE facilities so they don’t have to be admitted to hospital unless they really need to be”.
The winter plan can be accessed here –
https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/media/pressrel/winter-plan-2022-23.pdf
