Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Coffey for raising this issue.

Acute hospitals are organised into seven hospital groups, the formation of which is a key element in the reform of our health services. The establishment of acute hospitals into a small number of groups provides an optimal configuration for hospital services to deliver high-quality, safe patient care in a cost-effective manner. The establishment of hospital groups is a key enabler for the reorganisation of services across hospitals, with associated benefits in terms of providing care in the most appropriate setting and delivering a safe quality service.

Significant progress has been made in the implementation of the hospital group construct, with individual hospitals within the groups starting to work together to support each other, providing a stronger role for smaller hospitals in delivering less complex care and ensuring that patients who require true emergency or complex planned care are managed safely in larger hospitals. Chairpersons are in place for six of the hospital groups. Board members are currently in place for the University Limerick hospital group. In late 2016, the Department commenced advertising, through the Public Appointments Service, PAS, for candidates for appointment to the hospital group boards. This process began with campaigns in respect of the Saolta University Healthcare Group board and chair and the University Limerick hospital group board. Those campaigns have been completed. Arrangements to advance the South/South West hospital group and the other hospital group board vacancies, including phased timetable for PAS campaign, is under consideration, informed by the experience gained from the first two campaigns.

The projects under way at University Hospital Waterford are the new ward block and a decontamination facility to support the endoscopy department. Recently completed projects at University Hospital Waterford include: an upgrade of infrastructure, as approved in the hospital’s development control plan, including the development of utilities, power supply and roads to facilitate future development at the hospital; upgrade to the theatre air-handling units; refurbishment and upgrade of the acute mental health department; provision of a CT scanner in the emergency department; and a cystic fibrosis unit, with the provision of four isolation rooms, part-funded by the local cystic fibrosis group.

Future investment in hospitals must be considered in the context of the overall acute hospital sector infrastructure programme, the prioritised needs of the hospital groups and the overall capital envelope available to the health service. Nevertheless, the HSE will continue to apply the available funding for infrastructure development in the most effective way possible to meet current and future needs, having regard to the level of commitments and the costs of completion already in place. The Department of Health is working with the HSE and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to conduct a mid-term review of the capital programme. The Department is also conducting a bed capacity review. This will assess projected health care needs over the next decade and the associated infrastructural requirements to meet these needs.

The investment in the palliative care unit and other facilities which the Senator referred to are welcome. Unfortunately, I do not have any information on the report of the review team in 2014. I will contact the HSE on foot of the Senator raising the matter with me and come back to him with that information.