Vol. 510 No. 5
30 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the strategic plan, if any, he has to meet hospital and general health service requirements over the next ten years, with particular reference to hospital beds, surgical and medical needs, strategic deployment of facilities to meet population profile changes and waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22925/99]
I have adopted a strategic and planned approach to meet hospital and general health service requirements since coming into office. In this regard, the strategic framework which I have adopted relates to policy documents such as the national health strategy and the cancer strategy, together with reform and policy measures relating to the hospital services which I have initiated, such as the report of the review group on the waiting list initiative and the cardiovascular health strategy.
In addition, I have allocated significant additional revenue and capital funding to enable the acute hospitals to meet the hospital care needs of the growing population. I allocated an additional £44 million and an additional £71 million in 1998 and 1999 respectively over the 1997 level of £17 million for service development funding provided for acute hospitals. As regards capital expenditure, I allocated £144 million in 1998 and £155 million in 1999 for capital developments, including hospitals, and this compares with capital allocations of £112 million in 1996 and £127 million in 1997. These allocations have resulted in a significant expansion of acute hospital services and in infrastructural developments in acute hospitals throughout the country. In the medium-term it will be possible for me to be more specific about the range and rate of development of the services when the national development plan is published shortly.
