Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach, the Leader of the House, Senator Cassidy and Senator Glynn. I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. The Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar provides an extensive range of quality-driven acute services to the population of Dublin, the midlands and, in particular, to people in the Longford and Westmeath area.

I am pleased to say that the transfer of patients to the upgraded ward areas, which are part of phase 2B of the capital development at Mullingar, has been completed. The total bed complement now comprises 158 inpatient beds, 24 day beds, six medical assessment unit beds and 11 observation unit beds, giving a total of 199 beds overall. A key priority has been to move patients from the four old nightingale wards in the 1930s building to the recently completed wards. These wards are a major improvement in terms of the standard of care which can be afforded to patients. The rationale behind the reconfiguration of inpatient beds to day beds involves encouraging a greater emphasis on the practice of day care medicine which forms part of the HSE's transformation programme. The reconfiguration of the bed complement in the new hospital which will include a significant increase in the number of day ward beds will reduce the cancellation of inpatient elective surgical work at the hospital. This will be done through the ring-fencing of day beds in the surgical ward for surgical procedures. The reconfiguration will also facilitate the treatment of gynaecology patients at the hospital on a day basis. The provision of additional day ward beds for such procedures will help to reduce the level of cancellation of inpatient gynaecology procedures at the hospital. The reconfiguration will also increase the availability of medical day ward procedures in areas such as cardiac intervention and colonoscopies. This will reduce the need for inpatient admissions to the hospital. The reconfiguration will also increase the throughput of the existing medical assessment unit which has received much favourable comment.

The revised bed complement has been fully endorsed by the consultant surgeons and obstetricians at the hospital. In addition, the focus for the hospital, by agreement with all relevant consultant staff, is to increase the throughput of surgical and gynaecology work at the hospital. The provision of additional day ward beds I have detailed will facilitate this increase in workload. This approach is in line with the proposals at national level to increase the usage of day beds in our acute hospitals. The current usage of day beds in Mullingar hospital is still behind the international norms for bed utilisation. The adjustment in beds taking place will help to improve the situation, thereby making the hospital even more effective in providing care and treatment in the future.

The increase in the provision of day beds will ensure the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar will treat more patients in 2010 than in 2009. It should be noted that inpatient activity in the hospital to the end of September was 0.2% ahead of last year, while day case activity had increased by 6.2% year on year. Hospital funding is linked with performance through the national Casemix programme which compares costs and activities across the 37 hospitals which participate in the Casemix budget model and reviews the allocation of over €4.5 billion in acute hospital funding. The programme continues to be developed and rolled out in new hospitals as well as hospitals which are already within the programme.

The budgetary allocation for the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar has increased significantly by 17.9% in the last four years, from €54.8 million in 2006 to €64.6 million in 2009. The hospital has been recognised as one of the most efficient in the country in the context of the annual Casemix adjustment. The increases I have mentioned include the positive Casemix adjustment figures in respect of each of the last two years. The extra money gained by the hospital was €2.01 million in 2008 and €1.9 million in 2009. I am confident the hospital will continue to provide the best possible quality of care for all its patients.