Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

157. To ask the Minister for Health if he discussed the critically important need for an elective-only hospital for mid-west region with the executive management team of University Hospital Limerick during his visit to the facility on 16 and 17 February 2022; his plans to fast-track the case for an elective-only hospital in the mid-west region; if three options are being explored (details supplied); the timeline for the development of an elective-only hospital for each of the options being explored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21397/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Department of Health is committed to improving services at University Limerick Hospital Group and ensuring patient-centred care for the people of the Mid-West. In recent years, there has been significant investment in University Limerick Hospital Group, providing additional infrastructure and services right across the Group. The Department will continue to work with the HSE to ensure services, facilities and patient experience at ULHG continue to be developed into the future.

Health capital investment decisions are informed by Programme for Government priorities, sectoral policies, strategies and reform initiatives set out in Sláintecare. The Department of Health engage with the HSE in the planning for and delivery of capital projects. The HSE is responsible for the planning and delivery of health services and management of health infrastructure. In this role, they have developed robust assessment and appraisal procedures that adhere to public financial procedures. As part of these procedures, project proposals must be prepared by the relevant Hospital Group. Proposals are then forwarded to the relevant HSE service directorate for support and sign off before being submitted to the HSE National Capital and Property Steering Committee for consideration and recommendation for inclusion in the project pipeline.

The Cross Party Sláintecare Report in 2017 articulated a new vision for healthcare in Ireland, including the provision of elective only hospitals, providing protected capacity for elective care. The “Elective Hospitals Oversight Group”, under the joint governance of the Department of Health and HSE has been guiding the development of the elective hospital proposals, following the process outlined in the updated Public Spending Code, setting out the value for money requirements for the evaluation, planning, and management of large public investment projects.

The provision of additional protected capacity for elective care is further confirmed by the Government Decision, in December 2021 and subject to the necessary approvals and requirements under the Public Spending Code being met, on a new National Elective Ambulatory Care Strategy. This new strategy aims to change the way in which day case, scheduled procedures, surgeries, scans and outpatient services can be better arranged to ensure greater capacity in the future and help to address waiting lists. The development of additional capacity will be provided through dedicated, standalone Elective Hospitals in Cork, Galway and Dublin. It is important to note that the locations chosen will allow for new facilities of a size and scale to implement a national elective care programme that will tackle waiting lists on a national basis. This means that the new facilities will be designed to maximise their capacity and in doing so will operate to cover as a wide catchment area as possible, extending beyond existing and future health areas including the mid-west.