Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 81: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding step-down beds being made available in the major urban centres in order that patients in acute hospitals who are ready to be discharged to such beds can be transferred and thereby relieve pressure on acute beds and the emergency departments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34677/10]

Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I understand that the Deputy is referring to all step-down beds, including those designated for short-term and long-term residential care. The HSE provides significant short-term care, including over 750 designated respite care beds benefiting an estimated 19,000 people. It also provides in excess of 1,000 dedicated rehabilitative, convalescence and assessment beds within its own facilities. At present, the HSE is working to reconfigure services within its own facilities to ensure that the best possible use is made of public resources with regard to the provision of both long-term and short-term residential care services. In addition, the Department of Social Protection provides a respite care grant which may be used to purchase short-term care in private nursing homes.

With regard to long-term care, the introduction of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme in October 2009 means that long-term nursing home care is accessible for all who need it. Previously, private nursing home care was unaffordable for many people and, in some cases, people had to sell or re-mortgage their homes in order to fund their care placement. Under the new scheme, each person makes a contribution towards their care based on ability to pay and the State meets the full balance of the cost of care. Therefore, the introduction of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme has had the effect of ensuring that all nursing home beds, public and private, are affordable and accessible for those who need them; it has effectively increased affordable capacity.

It is notable that, of those ready for discharge from the acute sector, over 75% require long-term nursing home care. The positive impact of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme on discharges from the acute sector is evident. A comparison of data from August 2009 with data from August 2010 indicates that overall delayed discharges have reduced by 33%, or approximately 300 cases, nationally. Within the Dublin Academic Teaching Hospitals, the numbers discharged to long-term residential care each week have more than trebled over the same period.

Finally, the Government has also increased public nursing home capacity. Over the past four years, 385 additional beds and 292 replacement beds have opened nationally. Of these, 263 additional and 168 replacement beds were in Dublin and 37 additional beds were in Cork. Further additional and replacement beds are scheduled to open in the major urban centres before the end of this year.