Written Answers. - Hospital Services.
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:
423
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the position in regard to the Naas Hospital development programme; the extent to which previously identified objectives have been achieved and concluded; the next phase of the development proposals; when this is likely to be concluded; the full scope of the original proposals; the extent to which these have been achieved and the further proposals in this regard; the degree to which spending to date is on target with original and mid-term projections; the further anticipated extent of expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3756/03]
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:
428
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the degree to which accident and emergency facilities are available at Naas General Hospital, Naas, County Kildare; if improvements are contemplated in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3761/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 423 and 428 together.
A major development programme in two phases, phases 2 and 3A, has been approved and is under way at Naas General Hospital. Construction of phase 2 commenced on site in November 1999. Phase 3A, which includes additional accommodation and enabling works for future phases, phases 3B and 3C, commenced on site as a variation to the phase 2 contract in April 2002. The additional phase 3A accommodation includes a pathology department, further out-patients department facilities and administration accommodation. The planned completion date for phases 2 and 3A is September 2003, with a staged handover of departments that began in August 2002.
Accident and emergency facilities are currently provided from temporary accommodation and include six treatment cubicles and a single bay resuscitation room. The new facility, which is programmed for handover in March 2003, will include a triage area, eight treatment cubicles, eight observation beds, two bay resuscitation rooms, x-ray room, plaster room, bereavement room and office accommodation. It is anticipated that phases 3B and 3C will be procured on a phased basis with construction planned for commencement in late 2003 with completion in 2004 to 2006. This will include the provision of an extra 62 beds in new accommodation at the hospital. The new facilities for Naas General Hospital will include the following:
Phases 2 and 3A
Main Entrance Concourse
Administration
Medical Records Department
Chaplaincy Department
Out-Patient Department
Accident and Emergency Department
Radiology Department
Pharmacy Department
Pathology Department
Geriatric Day Hospital
Operating Department
Intensive Care and Coronary Care Units
In-Patient Wards
Geriatric Rehabilitation and Assessment Ward
Staff Changing
Central Supplies Department
On-call accommodation
Phases 3B and 3C
In-Patient Wards – 62 extra beds
Physical Medicine Department
Day Services Department
Catering Department
Mortuary and Post Mortem Facilities
Waste Management Department
It is proposed to re-schedule the provision of the hospital sterile supplies department as a separate construction contract. The estimated total cost of the project at 1996 costs was €50 million approximately. This cost excluded inflation to completion and the extra 62 beds and their necessary ancillary support accommodation. The current projected total cost of the entire planned development is €110 million approximately. Spending to date is generally on target with the revised programme agreed with the contractor following the variation to increase the scope of the contract.
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. My Department provided funding to the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards for the commissioning of 520 of these additional beds in 2002. This exceeds the target of 450 public beds as announced in the health strategy. In addition, indicative funding has been notified to the ERHA and the health boards for the commissioning of a further 189 beds in the current year. On 23 November 2002 the new ward accommodation provided under phase 2 of the project was successfully opened. The next phase of the development includes provision for a further two wards with a total of 62 beds. Pending completion of this phase, 31 acute beds have been retained in the old hospital building following the commissioning and transfer of services into the new ward block.
The additional accommodation in the new ward block together with 31 beds in the old hospital has brought the bed complement of Naas General Hospital to 193, including 30 acute psychiatric beds. This is an increase of approximately 60 in the number of beds available and allows for a very substantial increase in the inpatient capacity of the hospital in a very short time period. It is planned to reopen a further 31 beds in the old hospital pending completion of phase 3. A decision will be made on re-opening these beds very shortly based on the availability of staff, the successful operation of the already expanded facilities at the hospital and demand for additional beds. Operation of the additional 62 beds in the old hospital is being funded under the national bed capacity initiative.
