Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Kelleher for tabling this important question on a matter which he has raised on a number of occasions. A Programme for a Partnership Government commits to the undertaking of a national hospital bed capacity review "to establish the number, type and location of beds required into the future recognising the need for a range of beds including critical care, palliative and day case bed stock", with the intention that this would form part of the preparations for the Government's review of the capital plan 2016-2021.This is important work that will enable the determination of future capacity requirements, provide a basis for planning our health and social care services and assist in informing investment decisions over the coming period.

While A Programme for a Partnership Government explicitly commits to a review of hospital bed capacity, I believe this also presents us with an opportunity to consider capacity requirements across the health service generally. We have talked in the House in the past about the shift to primary care and social care, and we have to look at all of the beds within all of the health service. While I appreciate that there are immediate strains within the acute hospital system, I am also conscious that our growing and ageing population is going to drive demand for health and social care services more broadly. The overall population increased by 6.8% over the period 2007 to 2016, while the numbers over the age of 65 increased by nearly 33%. This demographic pattern will continue in the coming years.

A comprehensive review that will assess current capacity and future capacity requirements across primary, social and acute care services will allow us to properly examine and determine how the system, as a whole, can respond to these challenges. My Department has commenced work on an overall model of care which will inform the assessment of future capacity requirements across the different parts of the health sector. This model of care will be informed by international best practice and the work underway has included engagement with experts from the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies in this regard.

My intention is that the capacity review will be undertaken by my Department rather than the HSE, with suitable external expert inputs as required. Initial work on scoping the project is already under way. I envisage that the review will commence very early in the new year and will be advanced sufficiently to enable it to contribute to next year’s mid-term review of the current capital plan.

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