Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 17 Apr 2002

Vol. 552 No. 1

Written Answers. - Hospital Accommodation.

Derek McDowell

Question:

272 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Health and Children the locations of the 650 additional beds which he proposes to make available within the health service in 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11029/02]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

A comprehensive strategic policy framework for the acute hospital sector is set out in the new health strategy, Quality and Fairness – A Health System for You. Central to this policy framework is the decision by the Government to significantly increase bed capacity in acute hospitals over the next ten years.

A detailed analysis of acute hospital bed capacity needs has been conducted by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Finance and in consultation with the social partners. The subsequent report, Acute Hospital Bed Capacity – A National Review, which was published on 16 January 2002, helped to inform the Government in its decision to provide a total of 3,000 additional acute beds for public patients over the next ten years. This represents the largest ever concentrated expansion of acute hospital capacity in Ireland. In tandem with the publication of the report, I announced the first phase of these additional beds with the commissioning of an extra 709 acute hospital beds in the current year at a cost of €65 million. The locations of these additional beds are as follows:

St. James's Hospital	74
St. Vincent's Hospital Elm Park incorporating St. Michael's Hospital, Dún Laoghaire	42
St Joseph's Hospital, Raheny	70
Naas General Hospital	91
Beaumont Hospital	37
Temple Street Hospital	14
Adelaide and Meath Incorporating the National Children's Hospital, Tallaght	7
Tullamore General Hospital	6
Portlaoise General Hospital	5
Limerick Regional Hospital	55
Croom Orthopaedic Hospital	17
Nenagh General Hospital	6
Our Lady's Hospital, Navan	14
Louth County Hospital, Dundalk	14
Monaghan General Hospital	10
Sligo General Hospital	30
Letterkenny General Hospital	8
Wexford General Hospital	10
Kilcreene Hospital, Kilkenny	28
Waterford Regional Hospital	24
St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny	14
South Victoria Hospital, Cork	18
Mercy Hospital, Cork	13
Tralee General Hospital	16
Bantry General Hospital	8
University College Hospital, Galway	30
Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe	3
Mayo General Hospital	45
Total	709

Derek McDowell

Question:

273 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of beds available in each acute hospital in December 2001; and the number he expects to be available in December 2002. [11030/02]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The information requested by the Deputy is set out on the following table. The table shows the average number of in-patient beds available for use by health board area and hospital for the month of December 2001.

As the Deputy will be aware, a detailed analysis of acute hospital bed capacity needs has been conducted by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Finance and in consultation with the social partners. The subsequent report, Acute Hospital Bed Capacity – A National Review, which was published on 16 January 2002, helped to inform the Government in its decision to provide a total of 3,000 additional acute beds for public patients over the next ten years. This represents the largest ever concentrated expansion of acute hospital capacity in Ireland.

In tandem with the publication of the report, I announced the first phase of these additional beds with the commissioning of an extra 709 acute hospital beds in the current year at a cost of €65 million. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that 98 of these beds have been commissioned since the announcement. My Department has also been advised by the ERHA and the health boards that an additional 23 beds will come on stream by the end of April 2002 with a further 49 beds by the end of May 2002. The balance will be introduced on a phased basis over the next 12 months.

Health Board Area and Hospital

In-Patient Beds

	Public	Private	Non-Des.	Total
Eastern
Beaumont	475	106	32	613
Cherry Orchard	97	0	0	97
Coombe	105	65	38	208
Hume Street	23	8	0	31
Inc. Orthopaedic, Clontarf	85	11	0	96
James Connolly	208	21	13	242
Loughlinstown	109	23	6	138
Mater	409	44	33	488
N.R.H., Dún Laoghaire	123	0	0	123
Naas	125	7	6	138
National Maternity	75	56	25	156
Our Lady's, Crumlin	158	58	22	238
Peamount	50	10	0	60
Rotunda	117	53	14	184
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear	25	15	0	40
St. James's	513	99	81	693
St. Luke's & St. Anne's	108	29	3	140
St. Mary's, Cappagh	88	14	13	115
St. Michael's, Dún Laoghaire	77	21	5	103
St. Vincent's	348	44	34	426
Tallaght	301	89	27	477
Temple Street	102	14	0	116
Total Eastern	3,781	787	352	4,920
Midland
Mullingar	146	34	7	187
Portlaoise	108	20	1	129
Tullamore	127	25	8	160
Total Midland	381	79	16	476
Mid-Western
Ennis	66	16	6	88
Limerick Maternity	53	27	19	99
Limerick Regional	219	110	13	342
Nenagh	42	14	8	64
St. John's	40	42	4	86
St. Nessan's, Croom	33	20	0	53
Total Mid-Western	453	229	50	732
North-Eastern
Cavan	141	30	3	174
Dundalk	81	24	6	111
Lourdes, Drogheda	177	88	23	288
Monaghan	105	15	6	126
Navan	114	28	10	152
Total North-Eastern	618	185	48	851
North-Western
Letterkenny	197	60	94	351
Manorhamilton	51	6	0	57
Sligo	212	75	14	301
Total North-Western	460	141	108	709

Health Board Area and Hospital

In-Patient Beds

	Public	Private	Non-Des.	Total
South-Eastern
Cashel	53	14	4	71
Clonmel	141	36	3	180
Kilkreene, Kilkeny	51	10	0	61
St. Luke's, Kilkenny	165	32	9	206
Waterford Regional	360	91	12	463
Wexford General	143	37	16	196
Total South-Eastern	913	220	44	1,177
Southern
Bantry	58	6	4	68
Cork University Hospital	373	120	62	555
Erinville	49	24	0	73
Mallow	65	11	0	76
Mercy	156	64	27	247
South Infirmary/Victoria	117	53	0	170
St. Finbarr's	184	24	19	227
St. Mary's, Gurranebraher	74	38	13	125
Tralee	276	32	14	322
Total Southern	1,352	372	139	1,863
Western
Castlebar	156	49	8	213
Merlin Park, Galway	199	31	8	236
Portiuncula, Ballinasloe	114	65	11	190
Roscommon	90	23	5	118
University Hospital, Galway	382	104	29	515
Total Western	941	272	59	1,272
National Total	8,899	2,285	816	12,000

Note: All figures are provisional.