James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 190: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of beds closed nationally at end October 2009; the location of same; the number closed due to cost containment measures, infection control and other matters; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41024/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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In line with international best practice, the measurement of performance of the health service in Ireland must increasingly focus on measurement of service outputs and patient outcomes, rather than primarily on inputs such as funding, staff and bed numbers. The exact number of beds available at any one time will fluctuate depending on the steps taken by each hospital to manage infection control issues, maintenance and refurbishment and to stay within its annual budget.

Irrespective of this, the HSE has concentrated on delivering the levels of activity promised in its 2009 National Service Plan. The latest HSE Performance Management Report shows that by the end of August, approximately 19,000 more patients had been treated as inpatients and day cases combined than had been treated at the same stage last year. The continued efforts by hospitals to reduce the length of time a patient remains in hospital, and converting inpatient procedures to day case work is unquestionably in the interests of patients. It also allows hospitals to treat more patients.

All initiatives which deliver better outputs and better outcomes for patients, within the more limited resources available to us, will continue to have my support. Indeed this type of approach was a central message in the recently published ESRI report. The detailed information requested is held by the Health Service Executive and I have asked the Executive to provide this information directly to the Deputy.