Seanad debates

Wednesday, 5 November 2003

National Development Plan Mid-Term Evaluation: Statements.

 

I wish to refer to an area in which I have a good deal of experience, namely, hospitals. The report states that there are sufficient hospital beds. That may be true but they are not much use if they are in the wrong place. One cannot count these just as bed spaces and expect them to work like clockwork. Investment is needed. I would argue that it is necessary to justify the claim that 3,000 is the right number. It may be that investment in primary care and in continuing community care would change the context in which acute hospital beds are necessary. I carried out a review of hospitals in Northern Ireland a couple of years ago and we formed the view that anything up to 15% or 20% of people in acute hospitals would be better off if they were looked after somewhere else. One might get a better investment that way.

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