Mr. Liam Woods:

The next set of negotiations with the private hospitals, which are not the only response in capacity terms, and I can talk more about that, will be for a more medium-term view. We have to look at the coming winter, getting through that, the risks associated with Covid and flu being present and the demand on capacity, which we know is already constrained and, at the moment, is running at 92%. If we were to return all the work that is currently being done in the private system to the public system, that would immediately drive the public system toward 100%.

In terms of strategies, we have to continue some of some of the innovations that took place while Covid was very present with us, and it remains so in areas like outpatients and emergency departments, to reduce, in effect, the footfall in hospitals and grow the amount of work done in the community in primary care environments. That will include the provision of diagnostic and other services in the community. We are also looking at a range of activities in what will be referred to as intermediate care - care provision between the GP and the hospital.

They would very much be aligned with the kind of recommendations coming from the Sláintecare report. We are working to develop actively those kinds of arrangements right now.