Vol. 556 No. 5
147 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress on opening the 750 extra hospital beds promised for 2002; the number of patient bed nights which have been occupied to date in 2002 in these beds. [20923/02]
Following a comprehensive review of acute hospital bed capacity needs, the Government decided, in the context of the health strategy, to provide an additional 3,000 beds in acute hospitals over the next ten years. Earlier this year, I announced the first phase of these additional beds with the commissioning of an extra 709 beds in acute hospitals at a cost of €65 million. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that 272 of these beds have been commissioned to date. The latest advice to my Department from the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards indicates in excess of 600 beds will be in place by the year's end and that the remainder will be commissioned early in the new year. The following table shows the commissioning dates for these additional beds, which have become part of the overall bed stock of the acute hospitals. Overall bed occupancy rates are calculated on an annual basis and are, therefore, not available at this time.
Commissioning of 709 beds
|
Health board-authority |
No. of beds approved |
No. commissioned to date |
Date commissioned |
|
ERHA |
335 |
54 |
37 in May, 9 in August, 1 in July, 7 in January |
|
Midland |
11 |
0 |
|
|
Mid-Western |
78 |
56 |
21 in January, 6 in February, 29 in October |
|
North-Eastern |
38 |
14 |
14 in January |
|
North-Western |
38 |
31 |
31 in June |
|
South East |
76 |
48 |
12 in March, 10 in July, 4 in September |
|
Southern |
55 |
24 |
7 in March, 13 in July, 4 in September |
|
Western |
78 |
45 |
42 in February |
|
Total |
709 |
272 |
148 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of beds which have been closed in each of the major Dublin hospitals in 2002 to date; the average duration of closure; and the number of bed days lost. [20924/02]
The Department collects information on bed closures in acute hospitals from health agencies on a quarterly basis. Figures are being collated at present for the major Dublin hospitals, covering the first six months of 2002. The information cur rently available, in the format collected by my Department, is being communicated separately to the Deputy. It is a feature of all acute hospital systems that some beds are out of use for short periods. In the first six months of 2002 bed closures resulted from ward refurbishment, essential ward maintenance, staff shortages and the winter vomiting bug.
