Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 84: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she is satisfied that sufficient bed accommodation at all hospitals throughout the country will be provided to meet expected requirements over the winter period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45562/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Service Executive is constantly working to ensure that sufficient bed capacity is available in the acute hospital system.

Findings from a recent second National Bed Utilisation Review indicate some improvements with regard to bed utilisation in hospitals during 2008. However, there is still significant scope to improve the way in which beds in the acute hospital system are managed. The Review shows a slight reduction in the number of patients admitted who could have been cared for elsewhere (13% down to 12%). There has been a more significant reduction in the number who could have been cared for in an alternative care setting (down from 39% to 34%). There has been a significant increase reported in the number of elective surgical patients admitted on the day of surgery (up from 25% to 41%). While there was an 8% increase in evidence of discharge planning, there has been no change in predicted dates of discharge.

Hospitals need to improve their admission and discharge processes to ensure that people are appropriately admitted and that their care is efficiently managed both during their hospital stay and their follow up care in the community. Each patient should have an expected date of discharge within 24 hours of admission, patients need to be discharged in a more proactive manner at weekends and communication between the hospital system and primary care services needs to be improved. These measures are reflected in a new Code of Practice on Discharge Planning which has been issued by the HSE with a view to effecting further improvements in overall bed utilisation.

As part of the HSE Winter Initiative, hospital managers have been asked to develop an action plan to reduce the average length of stay in hospital of patients, based on the findings of the Bed Utilisation Study and to increase the rate of day surgery in line with best international practice.

The HSE is also increasing long-stay capacity to free up beds in acute hospitals over the Winter period. By the end of this year, 279 additional long-stay beds will have been made available to patients. A further 503 new long-stay beds will be provided in 2009. In addition, in early 2009 the HSE will provide 245 additional contract beds to alleviate delayed discharges pressure on the acute hospital system.