Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am answering questions on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, who is appearing before a committee. She sends her apologies.

I welcome the opportunity to address the House on the issue of additional beds in Galway university hospitals, GUH, raised by Senator Kyne. While additional beds are an important part of the solution to emergency department overcrowding and waiting lists at GUH, it is also important to acknowledge that our response must not be solely based on the provision of extra beds but also on the provision of alternative pathways of care outside the acute sector in line with Sláintecare's right care, right place, right time philosophy.

I acknowledge the scale of the challenge facing our acute hospitals as we head into what is expected to be a difficult winter with increasing levels of Covid-19. The Government is taking action to mitigate the challenges presented. The Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, published the 2021-22 winter plan on 15 November. The plan centres on three core objectives - emergency department avoidance, patient flow and hospital egress - to mitigate the expected challenges in providing emergency care this winter while also continuing to respond to Covid-19. This year's winter plan recognises that a whole-of-system response is required and outlines how the HSE proposes to manage winter challenges across primary, community and acute care, including measures to allow the public system to access private healthcare capacity.

GUH provides regional services for a wide range of specialties and is also a designated centre for cancer and cardiac services. It has a total of 712 inpatient beds across the specialties - 639 in University Hospital Galway, UHG, and 73 in Merlin Park University Hospital - and approximately 3,500 whole-time equivalent staff.

We continue to invest in UHG to improve services to patients. Six additional critical care beds have recently been opened in GUH. The number of beds open on any particular day is subject to fluctuation as a result of variety of factors. Building works have commenced on the cardiothoracic ward in UHG to provide 12 cardiothoracic beds and are scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2022. The new radiation oncology unit is under way and is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2022. GUH also has access to additional beds in the private hospitals in Galway under the safety net arrangements. Work is progressing to complete a temporary extension to the emergency department to provide additional accommodation. The phased handover is scheduled for the end of April 2022. Merlin Park saw the commencement of building work to deliver two orthopaedic theatres with ancillary accommodation for the provision of elective procedures, which are expected to become operational in January 2022. Finally, the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy and Action Plan 2021-2023, approved in May, commits to progressing an elective-only hospital in Galway. The Department of Health is engaged in the preparatory work necessary to seek Government approval to proceed with this project.