Doctors have insisted that the Winter Initiative plan announced by the HSE to deal with overcrowding in the country's Emergency Departments (EDs) in the coming months, will not make any difference in the long term.

According to the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), the plan is ‘just a drop in the ocean compared to the substantial additional investment in healthcare that is required in Ireland'.

On Friday, the HSE announced its €40 million Winter Initiative for 2016/17 in order to address ‘the anticipated surge in health service activity normally associated with this time of year'.

It will begin to take effect in late October/early November and includes 55 additional acute beds, 950 additional home care packages and increased funding for aids and appliances to support patient discharge and help some patients to avoid hospital.

"Clearly every additional resource for the public hospital system is positive but this whole Winter Initiative idea is more about PR than reality. Unfortunately 55 extra beds is just a start," commented Dr Peadar Gilligan, an ED consultant and chairman of the IMO consultant committee.

He insisted that the problems in EDs nationwide occur all year, not just in winter, ‘and any solution which doesn't focus substantially on increasing the number of staffed beds is not a serious response to the problem'.

Dr Gilligan also pointed out that demand for hospital services this year will rise, partly because of a decision a year ago to cancel elective surgeries.

"Very often what might have been elective a year ago becomes critical now. We warned last year that cancelling elective procedures would have consequences and those consequences will include increased demand in the coming months from patients who were not treated last year," he noted.

The initiative has been welcomed by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO). However, it said that one key issue that has been left unresolved by the plan is the recruitment of additional staff who will be required if bed and service capacity is to increase.

Announcing its plan, the HSE said that the 55 additional acute beds this year follows the 300 beds opened in 2015. However, the INMO insisted that many of those 300 beds ‘are now closed due to staff shortages'.

"The success of this plan will depend on the ability of the HSE to recruit sufficient staff to now open all available beds," it insisted.

According to INMO general secretary, Liam Doran, while the additional funding and specific targets are ‘most welcome and absolutely necessary', the plan ‘runs the risk of falling short' as local services will not be able to recruit the required staff.

Meanwhile, the €40 million plan includes a €7 million fund which will be spent on a targeted waiting list programme for orthopaedics, spinal and scoliosis procedures

According to the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, as part of this, 600 patients will no longer be on waiting lists by the end of the year.

This €7 million will include €3 million to be spent on an additional 570 orthopaedic procedures in the Capagh Hospital. Another €2 million is also being provided specifically for scoliosis patients, in order to treat the 39 adolescent patients on the waiting list in Tallaght Hospital, and an additional 15-20 paediatric patients by the end of the year.

"I am adamant that the specific measures to address scoliosis waiting lists for adolescents and children be delivered. Timely procedures for these children is critical to give them the best possible chance to grow up with a good quality of life," Minister Harris said.