Professor Alan Irvine:

Tier 2 hospitals are hugely important. They get through much less complex work and give people the best care closest to home when they can. They need to be supported too. However, as has been frequently referenced, we run the public system at a 90% plus capacity. Now with social distancing that will come down. The HSE has stated it wants it to be 80% maximum. Our throughputs are going to be shredded as a result. The IMO submission stated 50% which is probably about right. It is probably at the higher end if we are trying to go from 40-patient clinics to 15-patient or 20-patient clinics. We are going to need much capacity, footprint and flow, much more than what we already have.

The level 2 hospitals are also cramped and overcrowded. They need capacity and modular build, just as much as the level 3 and level 4 hospitals.