Written answers

Tuesday, 31 January 2006

Department of Health and Children

Hospital Services

8:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 209: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason the problem of access to hospitals has not been solved with particular reference to bed availability and the use of trolleys in lieu of beds, in view of the fact that the problem has been evident for some time; her proposals to reduce the daily use of trolleys to the minimum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2979/06]

Photo of Mary HarneyMary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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There are increasing demands on the acute hospital system to provide more treatments and to provide more advanced and specialised procedures. The capacity of the acute hospital system continues to increase in response to these demands. In 2001, the average number of inpatient beds and day places available for treatment of patients in public acute hospitals was 12,145. The hospital returns for 2005 show that this number has risen to 13,255, an increase of 1,110 inpatient beds and day places. Some 90% of treatment places in acute hospitals are overnight inpatient beds. To these must be added approximately 1,700 acute beds in private hospitals to give the full extent of acute hospital capacity in the country, which is nearly 15,000 beds.

An Agreed Programme for Government includes a commitment to expand public hospital beds in line with the health strategy commitment to increase total acute hospital bed capacity by 3,000 by 2011. Substantial investment in additional bed capacity in acute hospitals has already taken place. Funding has been provided to open an additional 900 inpatient beds or day places in public acute hospitals. In addition, a further 450 acute beds or day places are in various stages of planning and development under the capital investment framework 2005-09. In July 2005 I announced an initiative which will provide up to an additional 1,000 beds for public patients in public hospitals over the next five years. The Health Service Executive has been asked to develop an implementation plan and to prioritise proposals with reference to the public hospitals' requirement for additional bed capacity.

The Estimates for 2006 include €60 million to open new acute hospital facilities, some of which will provide additional beds. These additional beds or day places will go some way to achieving our commitment in the programme for Government to increase total acute hospital capacity.

My Department, in conjunction with the HSE, will review public capacity requirements in the acute hospital sector in light of developments since the health strategy was published. The HSE continues to implement the various measures in the ten-point accident and emergency plan. These measures take a wide-ranging approach and are aimed at improving access to accident and emergency services, improving patient flows through accident and emergency departments, freeing up acute beds and providing appropriate longer-term care for patients outside of the acute hospital setting. My Department will continue to work with the HSE to ensure that patients who require acute care receive that care in the most appropriate setting.

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