Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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275. To ask the Minister for Health the extra bed capacity provided in Cork city and county since 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14904/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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It is recognised that hospitals are increasingly operating at or above capacity, with year-round demand pressures that are further challenged over the winter months.

It is against this background that the Health Service Capacity Review 2018 recommended an increase in acute hospital beds of over 2,600 by 2031 to support the projected increase in demand for services in the years ahead. The National Development Plan provides for the full 2,600 beds over its lifetime.

The HSE has provided my Department with the average number of inpatient beds and day beds/places in the South/South West Hospital Group, between 2014 and 2018. It is outlined in the following table.

Over the past 18 months, an additional 241 beds have opened, which included 30 acute beds in Cork University Hospital.

In line with the Sláintecare Action Plan, a capacity programme for 2019 has been agreed. This includes 5 additional acute beds in Cork University Hospital under the 2018/19 Winter Plan, which have now opened, and a further 4 high dependency unit beds to open in early 2019. In addition, the National Service Plan 2019 provides for the preparation of 202 additional beds, to be operational in Q1 2020, including 3 inpatient beds in Mercy University Hospital and 8 inpatient beds in Cork University Hospital.

Average number of inpatient and day beds/ places in the South South West Hospital Group from 2014 to 2018