Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Before the impact of Covid-19 on our health service became apparent, significant additional capacity was required in all aspects of care to provide access to high-quality services and to meet the needs of our growing population. I have raised for the past four years the issues of late discharges of care and the number of bed days lost because we were slow in discharging people, albeit through no one's fault.

A pilot project was undertaken at University Hospital Waterford this year. The managing director of the hospital bought capacity at a nursing home in Dungarvan. There was availability in the nursing home because it had been reconfigured, so she bought capacity of 20 beds for 12 weeks. At a cost of €1,000 per bed per week, as against €7,500 in an acute hospital setting, she was able to transfer people deemed fit by a consultant to be discharged but who probably could not go home, or whose nursing home was not ready or did not have the correct wraparound supports.

This pilot approach, of buying capacity in a nursing home, could be rolled out more widely. By transferring 20 patients who were not well enough to go home but who were well enough to leave the acute hospital setting, the director was able to free up 20 beds. There was a great saving. Instead of a bed costing €7,500 per week, it cost €1,000 per week. We must consider everything because we are going to have reduced capacity. We cannot predict the future but we are facing reduced capacity owing to Covid cases, non-Covid cases, the winter vomiting bug and a possible resurgence of Covid. We have to be prepared for this. Has the planning started? Is the Minister confident that challenges highlighted during the Covid pandemic can be addressed?

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