Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 1 Feb 2000

Vol. 513 No. 3

Written Answers. - Hospital Accommodation.

Alan Shatter

Question:

189 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of available acute hospital beds in each hospital at 31 December 1996 and 31 December 1999; the number of these beds available to patients at the end of each of these years; and the number of acute hospital beds not available for use. [2239/00]

Alan Shatter

Question:

191 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of hospital beds closed during 1999; and the number of bed days lost during that year in each hospital. [2276/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 191 together.

Details of the number of bed closures and resulting bed days lost in 1999 are set out in the following table. It should be noted that, for the purposes of accurate comparison, the figures exclude closures which occurred as a result of the nurses' strike.

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 out-patient 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 their 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 December 1998 was 809,099. At out-patient level, the figures show that 1,960,126 attendances were recorded in that period. This huge volume of overall activity represented an increase of 3% over 1997 levels. This upward trend in overall activity continued in the first nine months of 1999. Overall discharges, in-patient and day case, were up 4.18% over the same period in 1998, which include an increase in day cases of 12%. 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.

BEDS CLOSED in 1999

EHB AREA	Number of DesignatedBeds	December1996	December1999	Monthly average number of beds closed	Monthly average number of beds closed as a % of bed complement	Monthly average number of bed days lost	Monthly average number of bed days lost as a % of beds days available
Adelaide	180
Beaumont	627	627	32	5%	713	0.31%
Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital	126	126	8	6%	97	0.21%
Coombe	237	237	3	1%	30	0.03%
Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin	258	258	4	2%	59	0.06%
National Maternity Hospital, Holles St.	206	206	8	4%	178	0.24%
Hume St.	31	31	3	8%	23	0.20%
James Connolly Memorial, Blanchardstown	257	257	0	0%	0	0.00%
Meath	288
National Children's	66
Mater	483	483	61	13%	1,904	1.08%
Naas	94	94	25	27%	0	0.00%
Peamount	60	60	0	0%	0	0.00%
Rotunda	189	189	9	5%	62	0.09%
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear	90	90	22	25%	494	1.50%
St. Colmcille's	150	150	13	9%	358	0.65%
St. James's	700	700	15	2%	222	0.09%
St. Luke's/Anne's	172	172	2	1%	9	0.01%
St. Michael's	95	95	10	10%	176	0.51%
St. Vincent's	472	472	17	3%	480	0.28%
The Children's Hospital, Temple St.	144	144	6	4%	98	0.19%
Tallaght		464	0	0%	0	0.00%
Totals	4,925	4,855	22	0%	4,903	0.28%

MHB AREA

Mullingar	188	188	8	4%	92	0.13%
Portlaoise	140	140	0	0%	0	0.00%
Tullamore	177	177	11	6%	106	0.16%
Totals	505	505	19	4%	198	0.11%

MWHB AREA

Croom	99	99	20	20%	552	1.53%
Ennis	94	94	2	2%	72	0.21%
Limerick Regional	393	397	8	2%	176	0.12%
Limerick Maternity	116	116	0	0%	0	0.00%
Nenagh	66	74	4	5%	113	0.42%
St. John's	104	104	5	4%	144	0.38%
Totals	872	884	39	4%	1,056	0.33%

NEHB	Number of DesignatedBeds	December1996	December1999	Monthly average number of beds closed	Monthly average number of beds closed as a % of bed complement	Monthly average number of bed days lost	Monthly average number of bed days lost as a % of beds days available
Cavan	184	184	1	0%	18	0.03%
Dundalk	143	143	10	7%	237	0.45%
Monaghan	149	149	13	8%	342	0.63%
Navan	190	190	18	9%	277	0.40%
Our Lady of Lourdes, Drogheda	367	367	27	7%	615	0.46%
Totals	1,033	1,033	68	7%	1,489	0.39%

NWHB

Letterkenny	317	317	6	2%	137	0.12%
Manorhamilton	61	61	0	0%	0	0.00%
Sligo	340	340	18	5%	300	0.24%
Totals	718	718	24	3%	437	0.17%

SEHB

Cashel	81	81	0	0%	0	0.00%
Clonmel	177	177	1	0%	0	0.00%
Kilcreene	91	91	7	8%	168	0.51%
Kilkenny	179	198	6	3%	74	0.10%
Waterford	393	393	2	1%	27	0.02%
Wexford	196	196	4	2%	41	0.06%
Totals	1,117	1,136	20	2%	310	0.07%

SHB

Bantry	68	68	0	0%	0	0.00%
Cork University Hospital	566	566	15	3%	274	0.13%
Erinville	56	56	0	0%	0	0.00%
Gurranebraher	126	126	4	3%	10	0.02%
Mallow	69	69	0	0%	10	0.04%
Mercy	255	255	7	2%	168	0.18%
South Victoria	186	186	17	9%	288	0.42%
St. Finbar's	133	133	0	0%	0	0.00%
Tralee	354	354	3	1%	8	0.01%
Totals	1,813	1,813	46	3%	757	0.11%

WHB

Mayo General	270	276	2	1%	25	0.03%
Merlin Park Galway	202	202	6	3%	48	0.07%
Portiuncula	212	212	11	5%	281	0.36%
Roscommon	120	120	1	1%	15	0.03%
University College Hospital	516	538	29	5%	682	0.35%
Totals	1,320	1,348	48	4%	1,051	0.21%
Overall Totals	12,303	12,292	286	2.3%	10,201	0.22%