Vol. 535 No. 4
186 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children the estimated number of extra hospital beds needed in the Eastern Regional Health Authority region and in the country as a whole; the time frame for the delivery of these extra beds; the average capital costs and the average running costs involved in the provision of these beds. [12864/01]
As the Deputy is aware, I initiated a national review of bed capacity in both the acute and non-acute sectors, on foot of the commitment by Government in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. The review is being conducted by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Finance and in consultation with the social partners. It involves the development of a long-term investment strategy for the acute and non-acute sectors and will include a detailed assessment of future bed requirements in response to increasing demand and changing demographics. The review is now at an advanced stage and its findings will be brought to Government shortly. The capital and revenue costs associated with the provision of additional beds are being examined by my Department.
In parallel with this review, the Eastern Regional Health Authority recently completed a comprehensive acute bed needs assessment for its region. The study identified a requirement for 1,276 additional acute beds by 2011 to meet increasing demands. The objective of the ERHA review was to determine whether additional acute beds are required within the eastern region based on good standards of efficiency, population characteristics and medical/health care developments.
The ERHA review also identified a need to increase the number of non-acute beds for the care of older people in the region. This is seen as essential in order to allow for increased capacity and throughput in acute hospitals. The work of the ERHA will inform the preparation of a national assessment of bed requirements.
