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Health Strategies

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 June 2021

Wednesday, 30 June 2021

Questions (320)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

320. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the progress made to develop elective-only hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28266/21]

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Written answers

The development of elective hospital facilities in Dublin, Cork and Galway is in line with the National Development Plan 2018, the 2018 Health Service Capacity Review and was recommitted to in the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy & Action Plan 2021-2023 (May 2021).

In 2019 the Sláintecare Programme Implementation Office (SPIO) established an Elective Hospitals Oversight Group, under the joint governance of the Health Service Executive, Department of Health and Sláintecare, to guide the development of the elective sites. The Elective Hospitals Oversight Group has the following terms of reference:

1. To develop the elective hospital capacity with a ten-year horizon of need, which facilitates the separation of scheduled and unscheduled care.

2. To provide quicker, higher quality, safer care for selected, elective patients.

3. To create capacity for acute hospital sites and reduce/eliminate outlier boarding (trolleys).

4. To drive down waiting lists, both outpatient, inpatient and day case.

5. To reduce cancellations.

6. To reduce acute hospital footfall.

The Oversight Group is following the process outlined in the Public Spending Code, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Guide setting out the value for money requirements for the evaluation, planning and management of large public investment projects in Ireland. As required under the Code, a Strategic Assessment Report has been completed and approved for the development of Elective Hospital facilities. This sets out the rationale for investment, the alignment of the programme with strategic requirements of Government, some initial options and potential costs, and the governance of the programme.

The Preliminary Business Case (PBC), in accordance with the Public Spending Code, is also under preparation. As part of the PBC process, the Elective Hospitals Oversight Group made a public call for site submissions from members of the public, the HSE and Land Development Agency. The closing date for this call was 4 June. Sites submitted are undergoing evaluation to examine their suitability, including a multi-criteria assessment and cost effectiveness assessment with a view to the Preliminary Business Case recommending a single preferred site option in each of the three locations.

Once completed, under the Public Spending Code, the PBC will be assessed by the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform and submitted to Government for its consideration.

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