Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

We are buying beds from the private sector for step-down care for hundreds of patients this year who no longer need to stay in hospital. I assure Deputy Kenny that this is working and has been happening over the past few weeks. People are moving from acute beds into private nursing homes. This is a costly way of dealing with it, but the Government is doing it. We are contracting for long-term nursing care beds for many people who need higher level care than would be available in the community. We are providing special home care packages for 500 people currently awaiting discharge from acute hospitals. This will help families and older people in their homes and communities and free up beds. We are ensuring we will be able to get access to general practitioners outside of normal working hours so that people do not have to go to accident and emergency units with normal problems.

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