Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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401. To ask the Minister for Health the data which were provided to a company (details supplied) in carrying out the health service capacity review 2018. [17796/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In carrying out the Health Service Capacity Review, activity and resource data was drawn from sources such as HIPE (the Hospital InPatient Enquiry system), the HSE, the Critical Care Programme, the Nursing Home Support Scheme, data from a survey of private hospitals and other surveys such as Healthy Ireland, published reports and stakeholder consultation, while waiting list data was drawn from the NTPF and the HSE.  Demand was projected forward on the basis of national population projections. CSO regional projections were used (M2F2 scenario), adjusted for recent CSO population data. 

The list of data sources used in the Capacity Review is included in Appendix D of the published Capacity Review - Main Report available at my Department's website.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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402. To ask the Minister for Health the reason the health service capacity review 2018 did not identify the number and location of the beds which have disappeared in the health service since the 2007 health service capacity review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17797/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Health Service Capacity Review examined current and projected demand and capacity across not just acute hospitals, but also primary and social care.  In terms of examining acute hospital capacity, the Review looked at bed numbers under four categories – Inpatient, Daycase, Acute Medical Units and Adult Critical Care and it took the year 2016 as its base year.  Future demand was projected across those four categories in line with demographic projections and non-demographic factors and the capacity required to meet this projected demand was then calculated.  It was not necessary to identify bed numbers going back to 2007 to carry out the analysis and projections.

For the Deputy's information, data on acute bed capacity at a national level is reported each year for the previous ten year period in my Department's annual publication Health in Ireland: Key Trends, and is available on the Health.gov.ie website.

As the Deputy has referenced, the overall number of acute beds nationally had decreased since 2007. However, I am pleased to say that there was a modest increase of 300 beds over the period 2013 to 2016 (or 2.5%).  A further 200 additional beds were opened this winter and more will open throughout 2018. I am determined that we will continue to increase bed capacity over the coming years to tackle overcrowding in EDs and waiting times for procedures and to sustainably meet the needs of an aging and growing population.

The Capacity Review makes clear that we need additional capacity across nearly all areas of the health service over the next decade and we now have firm commitments in the National Development Plan for a coherent and substantial programme of capital investment in our hospital system and in the community.  We now have a fully funded capacity review which will see an extra 2,600 beds introduced in our hospitals in the coming years and 4,500 more community beds. I am committed to front loading several hundred of these beds to ease pressure in our EDs next winter.