Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to address the House on this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris. While acknowledging the need for productivity improvements and reforms across the health service, the recently-published health service capacity review outlines that in order to reach international standards of bed occupancy levels, the acute hospital system needs additional beds. In response to this recommendation, the Minister, Deputy Harris, has asked the HSE to develop a plan to identify the location and mix of beds across the hospital system, which can be opened and staffed by November 2018. This will help to improve preparedness for the winter of 2018-2019 and relieve overcrowding in our hospital emergency departments. The Department of Health is engaging with the HSE to develop this plan as a priority. I can confirm that as part of this process, all hospital groups have been asked by the HSE to submit plans to increase capacity, including plans to develop modular builds. I understand that in that context, the University of Limerick hospital group is preparing a proposal for additional beds. I can assure the House that the Government is committed to investing in new capacity and making tangible reforms to our model of health care delivery. The findings of the health service capacity review published in January were considered in the context of the recently-published Project Ireland 2040 initiative. The commitment to significant investment in the health services in the national development plan demonstrates the Government’s intention to fundamentally improve our health service. The University of Limerick hospital group has identified a number of projects for future development. This includes a 96-bed ward block at University Hospital Limerick to address bed capacity needs and this project was funded to design phase. I am pleased to note that construction of this ward block is included in Project Ireland 2040. There has been very significant investment in University Hospital Limerick in recent years. The new emergency department opened only last May and other developments include the Leben Building, the cardiac unit, the car park and more besides. More recently, in September 2017, 17 new surge capacity beds opened in the old emergency department in Dooradoyle to alleviate overcrowding pressures. These beds will be converted to a medical short stay unit later this year. Also, a new surgical and pre-operative assessment unit at the hospital is projected to open in April 2018, which will further improve services at the hospital. The need to address bed capacity at University Hospital Limerick is recognised by all stakeholders and medium and long-term solutions are being developed. However, it is important to note that a number of construction projects are under way at University Hospital Limerick. It goes without saying that acute hospital campuses are complex sites. Therefore, all construction must be carefully planned and scheduled in order to ensure that patient care is not impeded or unnecessarily impacted upon.

I have noted what the Senator has said. One of the issues that he raised concerns modular bed units, with which I am unfamiliar. I will discuss the matter with the Minister on his behalf. I am not sure how modular bed units are constructed but if they are anything like modular housing, then can be put in place in a short period. I will convey all of these matters to the Minister.