Richard Bruton
Question:151 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has received recent reports on the hospital service on Dublin's north side. [16383/03]
Written Answers. - Hospital Services.
I am not aware of any particular reports having been recently prepared relating to hospital services on Dublin's north side. If the Deputy provides some further information, I would be glad to have the matter examined.
Thomas P. Broughan
Question:152 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the recent audit undertaken by RTE showing that up to 500 hospital beds have been closed, half of them in Dublin; the way in which he reconciles this with the commitment to increase total bed capacity by 3,000 during the period of the health strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17532/03]
The Government decided, in the context of the health strategy, to provide an additional 3,000 acute beds in hospitals over the period to 2011. This decision was taken on foot of a detailed national review of bed capacity entitled Acute Hospital Bed Capacity – A National Review, which was published in January 2001. Funding has been provided to commission an additional 709 acute beds, representing an increase of 6% in acute beds, in the period 2002 to 2003. My Department has been informed by health agencies that 551 of these beds are now open. At present my Department is examining the regional issues associated with the allocation of the remaining 3,000 acute beds.
The Deputy will appreciate that, due to the nature and complexity of the acute hospital system, the number of beds in use at any one time may fluctuate. On the day following the report by RTE that 500 hospital beds had been closed, my Department contacted health agencies and was informed that, in fact, a total of 338 beds were temporarily out of use for various reasons, including those of a financial nature.
It is a feature of all acute hospital systems that some beds are out of use for short periods. In 2002, bed closures resulted from ward refurbishment, essential ward maintenance, staff leave, seasonal closures and infection control measures. The total bed days lost in 2002 as a result of these closures is equivalent to an average of 269 beds being closed, which represents approximately 2% of the overall available beds. Traditional seasonal bed closures take place during the summer months in hospitals around the country.
Under the Health (Amendment) (No. 3) Act 1996, health agencies are required to deliver a level of service consistent with their approved budgets. Given the level of funding available this year, the structuring of overall service plans by health agencies for 2003 may involve some containment of service activity in order to manage within budget. In order to contain activity and remain within budget some hospitals have temporarily closed some beds in 2003. These closures are in addition to the normal seasonal closures that take place in hospitals around the country during the holiday periods.
Joe Sherlock
Question:153 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of the promised 850 hospital beds under the proposed public private partnership which are available in regard to his announcement in 29 July 2002; the hospitals in which they are available; the number in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17556/03]
The 850 additional community nursing unit, CNU, beds which I announced in July 2002 under the pilot public private partnership, PPP, will be provided in 17 new sites in the Eastern Regional Health Authority, ERHA, and Southern Health Board, SHB, areas.
The ERHA proposes to develop nine CNUs, three in each of the area health boards. The proposed sites are in the following locations: Clonskeagh Hospital, Newcastle Hospital, County Wicklow, and Tivoli Road, Dún Laoghaire in the East Coast Area Health Board; St. Joseph's Hospital, Raheny, St. Mary's Hospital, Phoenix Park, and Verville, Vernon Avenue, Clontarf, in the Northern Area Health Board; and St. Loman's Psychiatric Hospital, Palmerstown; Brú Chaoimhin and Cherry Orchard Hospital in the South-Western Area Health Board.
The Southern Health Board proposes to develop eight CNUs in the following locations; St. Finbarr's Hospital, Farranlea Road, Wilton and Ballincollig in the south Lee area; St. Stephen's Hospital and the Orthopaedic Hospital in the north Lee area; Mount Alvernia, Mallow in the North Cork area; and Bantry in the west Cork area and Tralee in Kerry.
There are a number of stages in the PPP process which must be completed before these facilities will be provided. Public sector benchmarks, PSBs, are currently being prepared by the ERHA and the SHB, with the assistance of business advisers and the National Development Finance Agency, which will be submitted for approval to the Department of Finance this summer. They will test whether the PPP proposal offers value for money in comparison with the most efficient form of public procurement. If approved by the Department of Finance, the next stage for the ERHA and the SHB will be to advertise in the Official Journal of the European Communities for consortia to design, build, finance and partially operate the facilities.