Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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94. To ask the Minister for Health his strategy for the community hospitals in County Donegal and the future development of all community hospitals within the county; his plans for the long term bed accommodation of St Joseph's Hospital, Stranorlar, Lifford Community Hospital and Ramelton Community Hospital in view of the conflicting information provided by his predecessor on 26 January 2016 and the various HSE statements on that matter of long stay beds within these three community hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48095/17]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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While the care delivered to residents in our community hospitals is generally of a very high standard, many of theses services are delivered in buildings that are less than ideal in the modern context. It is important therefore that we upgrade our public bed stock and this is the aim of the 5 year Capital Investment Programme for Community Nursing Units which was announced last year. This provides the framework to allow for an enhanced programme to replace, upgrade and refurbish these care facilities, as appropriate.Significant work was undertaken to determine the most optimum scheduling of projects within the phased provision of funding to achieve compliance with National Standards.

This investment programme will see the provision of two new centres in Donegal, namely in Ballyshannon and also a 130 bed centre, centrally located in Letterkenny.

Since the announcement in 2016, and following discussions with public representatives, Health Forum members and local community groups, local HSE management in CHO 1 agreed to review overall requirements for the area. The Terms of Reference for the Rhatigan's review were as follows:

1. Assess current and future needs for short/long term bed capacity taking into account of up to date census data from the Central Statistics Office.

2. Based on current planning norms define scale of public/private provision required to meet this need up to 2026.

3. Assess the adequacy of existing facilities in St Joseph’s Hospital Stranorlar, Ramelton and Lifford, taking account of amended legislation governing residential care standards 2016.

4. Recommend changes to the approved capital programme, if appropriate, taking into account capital and revenue costs, geographical factors, integration of care with acute services and time frames for delivery.

5. Make specific recommendations regarding dementia care provision.

6. Based on the above to finalise brief and options appraisals for infrastructural developments proposed.

I understand that the review has been completed and a report is to be submitted to the HSE’s National Social Care Division in the first instance, and then the HSE’s National Capital Property Steering Group.

Any proposals for changes to the approved Capital Investment Programme for Community Nursing Units would have to be considered in the context of capital funding available to Health, potential revenue implications and compliance with the agreed capital approval process.