HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid will tell an Oireachtas Committee today that the postponement of non-essential surgery due to Covid-19 has had a lasting impact on health services.
Mr Reid will appear before the Joint Committee on Health later today to discuss the HSE's Winter Plan. In his opening statement, he will tell politicians that the necessary decision in March led to a near standstill of scheduled healthcare activity.
Mr Reid will say that activity has now resumed, but there have been enduring consequences for the health services. He will say that the HSE's Winter Plan aims to ensure that hospitals are as prepared as possible for the anticipated seasonal pressures, which will be "more challenging this year than ever".