Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The health service is currently experiencing its largest multi-annual capacity growth since the HSE was established. This is based off a number of multi-annual strategies. Since 2020, we have opened 1,019 acute beds nationally. This is expected to reach 1,204 acute beds by the end of 2023 - an additional 185 beds over the current position and well ahead of the 2018 capacity review target. The objective of the HSE's 2023 national service plan is to bring critical care capacity to 352 beds, an additional 94 beds since 2020.

Progress is being made on new elective hospitals in Cork, Dublin and Galway. Approval in principle at gate 1 of the public spending code was given to the sites at Galway and Cork at the end of 2022. The HSE is progressing the development of elective surgical hubs as quickly as possible and considering all options to expedite the delivery of these units in south Dublin, north Dublin, Galway, Cork, Waterford and Limerick. The first of these, in south Dublin, is expected to be operational before year end and the rest following next year.

As well as this infrastructural investment, there has been a net growth in workforce of 21,910 whole-time equivalents, WTEs, an increase of 18% since 2020. In July 2023, the total workforce of the HSE stood at 141,722 WTEs.

Health and social care workforce planning is a top priority for Government. The Department is developing a health and social care workforce strategy and action plan and a planning projection model. Initial workforce planning projections are due to be completed in quarter 3 of 2023. The Department and the HSE are planning a refresh of capacity targets in the 2018 health service capacity review. This will cover both infrastructure and workforce to ensure we are developing the right level of capacity and plans to meet the needs of the population.

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