Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
3281. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the estimated full year cost of permanently increasing and fully staffing and on a permanent basis to bring the level of ICU beds to 560 in the hospital network. [41213/21]
View answerThe cost of a critical care bed has several determining factors. The HSE has advised that a new critical care bed 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 estimated to be €747k, based on 2018 data. 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.
Regarding plans to increase critical care capacity, as the Deputy may be aware, a Strategic Plan for Critical Care was noted by Government in December 2020. This Plan aims to increase capacity from a baseline of 255 in 2020 to 321 by end-2021, and to 446 in the longer term, fully addressing the recommendations of the Health Service Capacity Review. Funding of €52m provided for 2021 will see the 40 beds provided in 2020 retained permanently and a further 26 added, to bring permanent baseline capacity to 321 by the end of 2021. The HSE has advised that 42 of these 66 beds are now in place, bringing baseline capacity to 297, with the number open on any particular day fluctuating as a result of a variety of factors.
