Written answers

Tuesday, 2 February 2016

Department of Health

Hospital Beds Data

Photo of John BrowneJohn Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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67. To ask the Minister for Health if hospital acute bed capacity here is sufficient and if the norm for hospital bed occupancy should be 85% capacity, as is the case in other countries; the details of the acute bed capacity here on 1 January 2016 and the number of additional beds that are required in order that the bed capacity here will have a norm of 85% occupancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3929/16]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The number of acute beds reduced by 1,845 between 2005 and 2011. Last year additional funding of €18 million was provided to support acute hospitals over the winter period by providing additional bed capacity and other initiatives to improve access to care. As a result of this an additional 301 beds were commissioned across various locations and to date 202 of these beds have been opened. Taking into account these beds recently opened, there are 10,705 acute beds available beds in January 2016.

In short I have reversed the policy of previous Governments to reduce the number of acute hospital beds.

The HSE advised that the occupancy rate to the end of December 2015 for hospitals with an emergency department is 91.1%which is above the norm of 85%, although there is variation between hospitals and over time.

It is not just a case of how many beds you have but the type of beds, how efficiently they are used and the extent to which primary ambulances and community care contributes to reducing the need for acute hospital stays. The understanding and focus has shifted from an over-reliant on in-patient acute beds to a more comprehensive range of care options as are found in advanced health systems. The aim is to ensure the patient or service user has his or her needs met in the most effective way possible with the majority of care provided through community based facilities, supported by appropriate technology and specialist expertise. The HSE is continually developing and improving day services and developments which facilitate hospital admission avoidance that include:

- Increased provision of Community Intervention Teams delivering services outside of hospitals;

- Better access to diagnostics on an ambulatory basis so that people don't have to be admitted just for tests;

- The development of infusion clinics in hospitals so that people can have chemotherapy and other therapies without having to stay overnight;

- Increased day surgery rates;

- Medical Assessment Units and Acute Medical Assessment Units opened at all major hospitals;

- Intravenous administration of antibiotics whether organised at outpatients departments, in the community or at home, which can deliver bed-day and cost savings and reduce risk of healthcare associated infections; and

- Better use of technology to support patients and primary care professionals in managing illnesses and accessing specialist opinion and support.

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