Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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21. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the optimum number or range of beds in the public system; the current number of available beds; the demographic projections taken into consideration when determining the optimum deployment of beds around the country; the way the existence of centres of excellence at major hospitals has impacted on the general medical services historically provided at those hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2411/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The HSE has advised that the total number of acute hospital beds available at October 2014 is 12,483, comprised of 10,488 in-patient beds and 1,995 day case beds. The number of acute beds available can fluctuate greatly over time for various reasons, including ongoing refurbishment and maintenance work.

While the number of resourced acute hospital beds is clearly an important factor in meeting service demand, acute hospital care is just one component of a healthcare delivery system. The understanding and focus has shifted to a more holistic approach in which the aim is to provide services for the patient or service user in the right place in the system where his/her needs can best be met. As set out in Future Health - A Strategic Framework for Reform of the Health Service 2012-2015,the Programme for Government has committed to a fundamental reform of our health services. Key to achieving this is the need to move from the current hospital centric model of care towards a new model of integrated care which treats patients at the lowest level of complexity which is safe, timely, efficient, and as close to home as possible.

The HSE National Clinical Strategy and Programmes will commence the development of Integrated Care Programmes in 2015 that will provide the framework for the management and delivery of health services which will ensure that patients and clients receive a continuum of preventative, diagnostic, care and support services, according to their needs over time and across different levels of the health system.

The formation of Irish acute hospitals into Hospital Groups, each with its own governance and management, will provide an optimum configuration for hospital services to deliver high quality, safe patient care in a cost effective manner. In essence, the majority of patients, those who require only a routine straight forward level of urgent or planned care should be safely managed locally, with treatment being delivered at home or as close to home as possible. Those who require true emergency or complex planned care can and should be safely managed in larger hospitals where all the relevant clinical expertise can be provided with consultant delivered high quality care available round the clock.