Vol. 513 No. 2
90 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has satisfied himself that the provision of beds at Waterford Regional Hospital is adequate; the proposals, if any, he has in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2087/00]
In considering the delivery of service in the acute hospital sector, it is appropriate to examine the overall level of service provided in the sector rather than to simply focus on the number of beds available at any given time. This reflects major changes that have been taking place in medical practice, resulting in reduced average in-patient lengths of stay, a continuing shift in the delivery of care from an in-patient to day case basis and the increasing provision of treatment at outpatient level. In developing and delivering service plans, the implementation of an appropriate mix between in-patient, day case and out-patient care is a major consideration for local management in seeking to maximise overall activity. As part of this process, activity in the acute hospital sector is planned over a 12 month period having regard to anticipated levels of emergency admissions and the overall resources available. In achieving the activity targets set out in the annual service plan, temporary bed closures would form a part of the normal bed management function performed by local management as part of its efforts to optimise the overall activity delivered within the resources available. They also, of course, facilitate staff annual leave, refurbishment works and the scaling down of elective activity at times of low demand such as the high summer period and at Christmas.
The total discharges, both in-patient and day case, in the acute hospital system for the period January to September 1999 was 631,998. This huge volume of overall activity represented an increase of over 4% on the same period in 1998. In particular, the level of hospital care being provided on a day case basis showed a very significant increase, up over 12% in the first nine months of 1999 over 1998 levels. The increasing delivery of care at this level reflects trends in modern medical practice and is indicative of a service that is increasingly focusing resources in a manner that is best suited to the needs of the public.
