Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 October 2020
277. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of permanently increasing and staffing fully and on a permanent basis to bring the level of ICU beds to 560 in the hospital network. [27799/20]
View answerThe cost of a critical care bed has several determining factors. The HSE has advised that a new critical care will typically cost between €1m and €1.5m, depending on a variety of factors, including design, construction, equipping and all other associated capital costs.
The HSE has advised that the average annual cost of running a critical care bed is €747k. However, it should be noted that this figure includes costs for both ICU and HDU beds, with the ICU beds the more expensive of the two. It should also be noted that the impacts of COVID-19 and the new recommendations on distance requirements on costs are yet to be determined.
My Department and the HSE are currently engaging in regard to critical care capacity requirements in the public hospital system. However, in order to provide the Deputy with more detail on costs associated with additional critical care beds, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to him as soon as possible.
