Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 November 2016
211. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of beds and wards in all public and voluntary acute hospitals, in tabular form; the number of those beds and wards that are currently closed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36824/16]
View answerThe Department of Health has been overseeing a range of measures to reduce the pressure of overcrowding in our hospital system.
There are a number of initiatives which have been directed towards increasing hospital capacity. As part of the 'Winter Beds Initiative, 2015-16', over 300 additional hospital beds were added to the system; these remain open.
Also a number of capital projects will contribute to hospital capacity and reduce overcrowding. These include the 75 bed ward block currently under construction at University Hospital Galway, an extension under construction at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and the new ED, which will open in Limerick University Hospital towards the end of 2017.
The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to conducting a bed capacity review. This review will be comprehensive, assessing current and necessary future bed capacity in hospitals as well as psychiatric, community, nursing home, long stay and rehabilitation beds.
Further, the ‘Winter Initiative Plan 2016-2017’, which has provided €40 million of additional funding for winter preparedness, became operational in October, 2016. The Initiative sets out a comprehensive range of actions, across primary, community and hospital services, to increase hospital avoidance measures, facilitate timely discharge from hospital and increase hospital capacity.
As part of the Winter Initiative, 18 step-down beds have opened in the Mercy Hospital in Cork. The HSE have advised that 28 of 55 additional acute hospital beds are expected to open in November/December.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
