Pádraic McCormack
Question:67 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children the estimate he has made of bed shortages in the public hospital service. [14838/01]
Other Questions. - Hospital Services.
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:238 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the extent to which the Ballymascanlon discussions centred around the need to provide extra facilities for patients requiring hip replacements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15061/01]
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:239 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children if, in the course of the Government meeting in County Louth, any consideration was given to the methodology and funding requirements of patients seeking eye surgery; the full extent of the plans put in place to deal with the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15062/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 67, 238 and 239 together.
As Deputies are aware, I initiated a national review of bed capacity in both the acute—
What was that word, "review"?
—and non-acute sectors on foot of the commitment by the 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. The review is now at an advanced stage and the findings will be brought to Government in the near future. Preliminary indications are that the review estimates that approximately 5,000 beds will need to be provided over a ten year period to 2011.
At a special meeting on 14 May, the Government discussed a wide variety of issues and concerns in the health service, ranging from primary care through all aspects of health care. Discussions on hospital services primarily focused on the emerging need to increase bed capacity.
Overall hospital waiting list figures have gone down by almost 25% since December 1999. The waiting list for orthopaedics and ophthalmology reduced by 29% and 27% respectively over the past year. Notwithstanding these reductions, I am concerned at the number of people still awaiting surgery. It is my intention to pursue continual reductions in waiting lists and waiting times for hospital treatment in 2001. Dedicated funding of £34 million was allocated in 2000 to health agencies to enable hospitals to carry out waiting list procedures, and a further £34.5 million has been provided for 2001 to achieve further reductions in waiting lists. The overall target is to ensure that no adult will wait more than 12 months and that no child will wait more than six months for treatment.
Under the National Development Plan 2000-2006, this Government is committed to investing £1 billion to improve acute hospital facilities and to enhance the capacity of the sector to respond to increased demand for services.
Did I hear the Minister say that another review is taking place which is being conducted by the Department of Finance? How many reviews of the health service are now taking place? It is astonishing to hear the Minister say that 5,000 beds are required. What is the possibility that those beds will be supplied?
Would the Minister comment on the statement made at the nurses' conference in Galway today that his Department should examine the number of public beds being allocated to private patients in public hospitals?
We are moving away from the substance of the question.
No, it is entirely relevant.
It is about shortages.
We want to know the number of beds that are available for patients.
The Deputy's question is really a statistical one.
It is not.
If the Minister was allowed to do so he might comment on the statement that was made, which was carried in the media today.
I already have.
Will the Minister indicate what is the percentage of beds in public hospitals that are being occupied by private patients?
This is the eighth review we have heard about since Question Time started.
I did not say another review was being undertaken.
(Interruptions.)
I know the Deputies are obsessed with reviews because their spokesperson is obsessed with them as well.
Deputy McCormack has asked his question and we have time for just one other supplementary question.
The bottom line is that last year, as a result of the commitment in the PPF, the Government commissioned the first objective, scientifically-based study of bed capacity, projecting up to and beyond 2011, and to have a strategic framework in place in terms of the number of additional beds required in the short, medium and longer terms. The preliminary results were presented to the meeting last week. A more comprehensive presentation will be made to Cabinet in the form of memoranda and so on, but the indications are that 5,000 beds will be needed over the ten year period up to 2011. That is a significant challenge for the health service as it is not just a matter of putting beds into wards, but of providing the necessary backup and so on. The question asked for a figure and I have replied accurately.
Does the Minister accept the review is being paid for by public money and that the public is entitled to a little more information?
A brief question Deputy as I wish to allow Deputy Mitchell to ask a question.
How many of the 5,000 beds will be in the acute and non-acute sectors? For example, what percentage of the beds will be rehabilitation beds? We are not being given the same detailed information the Minister gave to the Cabinet. Now that the review is almost complete, will the Minister kindly give the House a breakdown of the figures as to the exact need identified by the review body?
Does the Minister agree the cost of support services for a bed is about £400,000? If there is a need for 5,000 beds we are talking about the need for additional investment of £2 billion for those beds alone between now and 2001.
The Minister referred to the meeting in Ballymascanlon. Is it an accurate reflection of that meeting to suggest that the Minister for Finance told him he had two chances of getting that sort of money?
That issue does not arise in this question. I call on the Minister to reply.
Will the Minister give the House an assurance that resources will be found to provide the beds required to meet the health needs of the State?
Will the Minister deal with my question regarding the percentage of private and public beds?
Deputy Mitchell's proposition is incorrect and totally inaccurate.
The Minister does not wish to deal with my question.
Deputy McCreevy has been far more generous to the health service than any of his predecessors, including Deputy Mitchell's predecessor—
Deputy McCreevy has not improved the situation.
—and the Minister for Finance during the rainbow Government.
The situation is getting worse.
The record speaks for itself.
As regards Deputy McManus's question, I indicated in my reply that these were the global figures sought by Deputy McCormack. I have given the preliminary indications emerging from the review. There will be a further comprehensive presentation to Government and we will make the full report available to the public in due course. However, this concerns the acute hospital sector. Further work needs to be done regarding the elderly, community backup and community infrastructure.