Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The 2018 health service capacity review was clear on the need for a major investment in additional capacity in both acute hospitals and in the community, combined with wide-scale reform of the manner and location of the provision of health services. Approximately 800 beds have been provided on a permanent basis over the number available at the end of 2019. We have hired more than 6,000 staff - doctors, nurses, midwives and therapists - since last summer.

On 7 October the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, published an acute waiting list action plan, aimed at mitigating the impact of the pandemic and the cyberattack on scheduled care activity this year. He is also establishing a ministerial task force to oversee a long-term multi-annual plan to address this enormous challenge. He has said that reducing waiting lists will be a priority for us throughout 2022. The Department, the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund are focusing on improving access to elective care in order to reduce waiting times for patients. These plans include increased use of private hospitals; funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals; funding "see and treat" services for minor procedures while providing at the same time an outpatient consultation; providing virtual clinics; and increasing capacity in the public hospital system.

He has accepted that a key part of the solution for the Saolta group is additional beds and the expansion of facilities. I earlier outlined many of the recent and current developments under way at each of the hospitals across the group. All these are significant steps in addressing the needs and will provide additional capacity and staff to meet the needs of the population. The Department of Health and the HSE will continue to work with the local group management to further improve the patient experience in the Saolta University Hospital Care Group.

The 50 beds in Portiuncula hospital have been out of operation for some time and the additional 12 beds relate to where the hospital could not have the old Victorian-style units.

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