Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 249: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on the fact that Ireland has one of the lowest ratios of acute beds to population in Europe where the EU average is 4.4 beds per 1,000 of population; the action she intends to take to correct this situation; the breakdown of the numbers, types and definitions of beds provided since 2001; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3027/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The World Health Organisation's European Health for All database of June 2005 shows that the number of acute care beds in Ireland in 2003 was three per 1,000 population and that the EU average for the same year was 4 per 1,000 population.

The organisation advises caution in the interpretation of the cross-country data in the database. Health data recording systems and practices vary between countries, as do the availability and accuracy of data. Data comparability is also limited owing to differences in definitions and/or time periods or other national specifics in data recording and processing. For example, the Irish data do not include day beds. Day activity is now a significant component of hospital-based care. There has been a rapid movement in the last few years towards day case work where a variety of routine and complex treatments, surgery and diagnostic tests can now be performed with the patient being admitted and discharged from hospital on the same day. In addition, the Irish data do not include acute beds located in private hospitals, whereas some other countries include private beds and/or long term care beds.

It should also be noted that the acute bed numbers per capita do not take account of variations in the age structure of the population in different countries. Acute bed usage tends to be concentrated in the older age groups both in terms of admission rates and average lengths of stay. Within the EU, Ireland continues to have a significantly younger population than the average.

In 2001, the average number of in-patient 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 in-patient beds and day places. Almost 90% of treatment places in acute hospitals are overnight in-patient beds. To these must be added approximately 1,700 acute beds in private hospitals to see the full extent of acute hospital capacity in the country, that is, nearly 15,000 beds.

The 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 in-patient beds-day places in public acute hospitals throughout the country. The Health Service Executive has informed the Department that at the end of 2005, 806 of these beds-day places were in place and the remaining 94 beds-day places will come on stream over the coming months. The majority — 80% — of additional beds-places provided so far are overnight in-patient beds. In addition, a further 450 acute beds-day places are in various stages of planning and development under the capital investment framework 2005-09.

I announced in July this year 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 begin 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-day places will go some way to achieving our commitment in the programme for Government to increase total acute hospital capacity.

The Department, in conjunction with the Health Service Executive, will be reviewing public capacity requirements in the acute hospital sector in the light of developments since the health strategy was published.