Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 26 Mar 1992

Vol. 417 No. 7

Written Answers. - Admissions to Public Hospitals.

Godfrey Timmins

Question:

78 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the number of admissions of public and private patients to public hospitals in the past year; and the extent to which this will be altered by his new designation of beds.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Connell)

The compilation of hospital in-patient statistics for the year 1991 is not yet complete. There were 525,137 in-patient admissions, and a further 137,775 day cases, in acute public hospitals in 1990 i.e. 662, 912 in all.

The public or private status of every patient was not being identified until the introduction of the new arrangements on foot of the Health (Amendment) Act, 1991. Consequently it is not possible to provide a breakdown of the above figures as between public and private patients.

I have previously indicated that I expect the new arrangements, including the designation of beds, to improve the position of public patients for two reasons. First, the number of public beds has been increased; secondly, public patients will have greater access to public beds as private non-emergency patients cease to occupy them. However, this improvement will not be at the expense of private patients — the number of private beds will be sufficient to cater for the level of private activity and will be increased, on a self-funding basis, as the need arises.