Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 22 May 2001

Vol. 536 No. 5

Written Answers. - Hospital Accommodation.

Ivor Callely

Question:

181 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the fact that up to 50% of the hospital beds in the Eastern Regional Health Authority area are occupied by patients from outside the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14602/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The Eastern Regional Health Authority has completed a review of bed capacity. The analysis, which was accepted by the board in February, will inform the national review of bed capacity which is currently being finalised. I will bring the findings of the national review to Government shortly.

The ERHA study found that the overall inflow of hospital admissions from other health board areas represents approximately 20% of activity within the region. In 1998, 35% of elective activity in the eastern region was in respect of patients from other health boards, as were 46% of transfer cases. The eastern region accounts for 41% of all acute beds nationally and 41% of activity nationally.

The ERHA review report recommends that:

Inflow of patients from other health boards outside the eastern region for routine elective procedures requires particular examination and the development of strategies to achieve appropriate in-flow to hospitals in the eastern region.

It has long been the practice of Dublin hospitals to provide non-national specialty procedures to patients living outside the eastern region. I expect to see a reduction in the scale of such referrals as this Government's policy of addressing geographic imbalances in acute hospital service provision is implemented. Evidence of this policy can be found in the major capital developments being funded under the national development plan, for example at Limerick, Galway, Castlebar, Clonmel and Portiuncula hospitals.