Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 November 2021
615. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of additional permanent critical care ICU beds that will be delivered as part of the winter planning within the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57169/21]
View answer616. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health his plans to increase permanent critical care ICU bed capacity from the current level of 6.5 beds per 100,000 persons to a minimum of the European Union average of 11.5 beds per 100,000 persons on a yearly basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57170/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 615 and 616 together.
The Health Service Capacity Review, which was noted by Government in 2018, recommended that an additional 190 critical care beds should be in place by 2031, bringing the total to 430. Accordingly, the Strategic Plan for Critical Care, which was noted by Government in December 2020, aims to increase capacity from the 2020 baseline of 255 critical care beds, to 446 over time, to fully address, and in fact surpass, the Capacity Review’s recommendations in regard to critical care.
Funding to increase critical care capacity is provided through the annual Estimates and service planning process, and in line with the Strategic Plan for Critical Care.
Very significant funding of €52m was provided by Government in Budget 2021 to commence implementation of Phase 1 of the Plan. This provides for the permanent retention of 40 additional critical care beds which were funded temporarily in 2020 as part of the Covid response, and for the opening of a further 26 beds in new build capacity. The HSE has advised that 42 of these beds are now open, bringing baseline capacity to 297 although the number of beds open on any given day fluctuates as a result of a variety of factors.
An additional €10.5m is being provided in 2022. This will bring the number of permanent critical care beds from 255 in 2020 to 340 by the end of 2022/early 2023. This represents a 33% increase, or an additional 85 beds funded since 2020. Phase Two of the Plan will see further beds added through the development of new build capacity at five prioritised sites, subject to necessary approval processes.
Minister Donnelly published the HSE Winter Preparedness Plan for Winter 21/22 on the 15th November. The Plan centres on three core objectives: ED avoidance, patient flow and hospital egress to mitigate the expected challenges in providing emergency care this winter while also continuing to respond to Covid 19. The Winter Plan contains a number of initiatives to deliver its core objectives of ED avoidance by treating people at home or in the community and by allowing them to return home following hospitalisation quickly, such GP Liaison nurses, various community teams, the expansions of the NAS PathFinder programme and additional home support hours. This year’s Winter Plan recognises that a whole system response is required and outlines how the HSE proposes to manage these challenges across primary, community and acute care including measures to allow the public system to access private healthcare capacity.
