Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 July 2020
1055. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number and types of beds in the public health system on completion of the bed capacity review; the number of beds of each type added since; and the number of additional beds that must be added to reach the required numbers as identified in the bed capacity review, in tabular form. [18943/20]
View answerThe Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, commits to continuing investment in our health care services in line with the recommendations of the Health Service Capacity Review and the commitments in Project Ireland 2040.
The Health Service Capacity Review 2018 found that the net requirement in combination with health system reform is for an additional 2,590 hospital beds by 2031 (inpatient, day case, critical care). The Review identified an immediate requirement for 1,290 beds to address overcrowding and to ensure hospitals operated at 85% occupancy in line with other OECD countries. Approximately 770 additional beds have been provided to date. The National Development Plan provides for the addition of the full 2,590 beds by 2027.
Sláintecare are working to frame an interagency multi-annual plan, to deliver on the recommendations of the Health Service Capacity Review (2018). The key recommendations of the Health Service Capacity Review (2018) encompass increased human and infrastructural capacity, including:
- Increase of 2,590 acute beds by 2031
- Increase of 3,840 in primary care workers by 2031
- Increase of 19,460 home care packages by 2031
- Increase of 12.5m home help hours by 2031
A delivery timeframe and associated milestones for the achievement of the resource requirements (finance, human resources, infrastructure, equipment, etc.) is being finalised. There has been an agreed approach to be adopted for the implementation of the Capacity-Access Joint Action Programme and entails the following five workstreams:
- Workstream 1: Healthy Living
- Workstream 2: Enhanced Community Care and Capacity
- Workstream 3: Enhanced Acute Care and Capacity
- Workstream 4: Scheduled Care Access
- Workstream 5: Unscheduled Care Access
Work had been progressing under each of the above workstreams, and in particular, initiatives under Healthy Living are being rolled out. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been necessary to revisit the plans that were drafted in February 2020 to see what can and cannot be progressed in the Capacity-Access Programme for the remainder of 2020 and into 2021.
The future opening of additional acute bed capacity will be considered in the context of the Estimates discussions and on the priorities in the HSE's National Service Plans.
In relation to the question of the existing number and types of acute beds in the system, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to provide a response to the Deputy directly.
