Mattie McGrath warns of home support shortfall in winter plan
Mattie McGrath challenged the HSE over a shortfall in home support hours in the winter plan, saying the plan promises 23.62 million hours while the HSE is delivering only 11.4 million. He warned that 2,156 people are waiting for new or additional home help hours nationally, including 894 in Tipperary, and described the situation as chronic.
Home support shortfall
The winter plan promises 23.62 million home support hours, but the HSE is currently delivering 11.4 million, a gap that McGrath said will leave hospitals full while people cannot get home supports.
Waiting lists and local figures
McGrath cited 2,156 people waiting for new or additional home help hours across the country, with 894 in his county of Tipperary. He said families and carers are becoming ill while trying to secure support and warned the hospital crisis will worsen if the shortfall is not addressed.
Official reply and measures
The minister replied that there was no one in South Tipperary waiting for home care as of the end of August and referenced a reduction in waiting numbers from about 7,000 last year to 1,300 now. The minister said over 5 million was allocated last year and that this funding had a dramatic impact on reducing waiting times and improving hospital flow.
Staffing and sector challenge
Both the deputy and the minister flagged that the primary obstacle remains recruiting enough skilled personnel to work in the home care sector. The minister stated that getting workers into the sector is the biggest challenge to delivering the promised home support hours.
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I want to ask you about a reply I got from a repeat queue only today, regarding the winter plan. The winter plan promises 23.62 million home support hours, but the HSE are currently only delivering 11.4 million home support hours. This is chronic. Come on, the last question. The hospital will be full while you cannot get home supports. As we face into the winter plan, at what point are the HSE going to be up front here and deliver this? We know there are 2,156 people waiting for new or additional home help hours across the country. From our county of Tipperary, there are 894 in our area. This is chronic. Families are getting sick and carers are getting sick. If you do not deal with that, the hospital crisis is going to be much worse. It is overcrowded already. When are the HSE? What are the points of producing figures? If they hate to see Adam going to deliver? It is so frustrating for people that are trying to ring and beg and grouch to get home help hours. Then they are getting sick themselves when they do not have any support. T. She is surprised that the Deputy is raising that issue. I am informed that there is no one in South Tip now waiting for home health process as of the end of August. to talk to the Minister for Mary Butler. Last year there were about 7,000 people that have been waiting. That has been reduced to 1,300 now. One of the issues facing this sector is getting enough skilled personnel and workers into the home care work sector. That is actually our biggest challenge now. The resources have been allocated, over 5 million last year which has had a dramatic impact on reducing the waiting times and has had an impact and did have an impact on the flow through hospitals as well. But the issue will be getting personnel to work in the sector.
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