Mr. Tim Daly:

I would sound a note of caution on how we make those international comparisons. We use them, in the main, in two ways. We look at the different counting rules and definitions that different health systems will use for hospital beds or a GP, etc. Behind these headline indicators there is a raft of other factors within the system that are driving this. It is not the case that every country has exactly the same health system and that therefore it is possible to make like-for-like comparisons. The Deputy is right when he speaks about where the comparators are versus what is a younger population. Given that the population is going to be ageing more quickly in comparison to other health systems, it is even more worrying than it might otherwise be.

Why was a caution not provided with these metrics? The results seem counter-intuitive. The degree of integration within the health system is an issue. In a previous answer Mr. MacGinnis spoke about some of the factors that lead to the better use of resources, which mean that less capacity is required to deal with demand.

The policy and incentives surrounding the system that allows patients to flow through is another issue. The third issue - the figures for which are contained in chapter three - is public health and drivers such as size and age of the population as well as its relative health. These things are driving that slightly counter-intuitive view.

The Chair asked about bed capacity.