HCCI Home Care Data Series Issue 3 – Review of 2023
Read our coverage in the Irish Times: Homecare providers informed that HSE will not fund extra hours for existing clients
The HCCI Home Care Data Series is the definitive source for information and statistics on the Irish home care sector. Using data from a variety of sources including parliamentary questions, HSE publications and sectoral reports, the HCCI Data Series is an accessible and insightful study of key statistics in home care, HSE home support delivery and waiting lists.
A record 22.1m hours of HSE-funded home support was delivered in 2023, an increase of 1.3m hours from 2022, that has brought the waiting list down by 12% to 5,863. Strong growth nationally in home support delivery is reason for optimism about the future of Ireland’s home care sector.
However, the Eircode lottery for home care persists with this issue revealing stark differences in waiting lists and home support growth between Dublin and its commuter belt compared to the rest of the country.
The stark contrast in access to home care is revealed in the comprehensive report – HCCI Data Series: Review of 2023 – which shows that waiting list reductions are primarily occurring in Dublin and its surrounding areas with waiting lists growing or stagnating across the rest of the country. The data also shows the independent home care sector’s growth in delivery suggests improved recruitment and retention in Dublin and its hinterland, and capacity to deliver additional hours this year and into 2025.
HCCI is calling on the Government to commit €211 million in Budget 2025 to the home care service to tackle waiting lists, increase home care delivery and improve pay and conditions for home care workers.
Key statistics – HCCI Home Care Data Series 2023
- A record 22.1m hours of HSE home support was delivered in 2023, a 6% increase.
- 13.9m hours (63%) were delivered by the independent sector (private & non-profit).
- 8.2m hours (37%) were delivered by the HSE.
- There was a 1.3m increase in delivery in 2023, 1.2m was delivered by the independent sector and 100k delivered by the HSE.
- The waiting list declined by 810 (12%).
- The highest waiting lists are in CH0 4 (Cork/Kerry) = 1,400, CHO 5 (South East) = 877 and CHO 2 (West) = 821.
- These 3 CHOs saw a decline or stagnating delivery of hours.
- The lowest waiting lists are in CHO 9 (North Dublin) = 19, CHO 6 (Dublin South East) = 235 and CHO 7 (South Dublin) = 406.
- These 3 CHOs achieved a growth in hours above 10%.
- This data reveals that the Eircode lottery for home care persists, with this report revealing stark differences in waiting lists and home support growth between Dublin and its commuter belt compared to the rest of the country.
