Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 September 2023
10. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if more beds will be opened at West Kerry Community Hospital; the current bed and staffing breakdown; how this compares with each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40649/23]
View answerMy question concerns West Kerry Community Hospital and efforts to get more beds for the hospital. It has been a long-running saga to try to get more beds opened in the hospital. Given the current number of bed versus what was originally envisaged, there is quite a difference between the numbers. We need assistance in getting more beds open.
I thank Deputy Griffin for the question and for his constant advocacy for West Kerry Community Hospital. It is not the first time the Deputy has raised it here on the floor of the Dáil.
West Kerry Community Hospital provides important and valued services for people in the west Kerry area. The hospital has 46 beds registered, of which 35 are long-stay beds and 11 are short-stay beds, including two respite and one palliative care bed. The maximum number of people who can be safely accommodated in the hospital are currently being accommodated.
The intention of the HSE is to continue to sustain the current workforce to maintain the 46 beds in the centre into the future. Considerable efforts are also being made to increase staff numbers and bed capacity in west Kerry, as well as to facilitate clear pathways for the transition of patients from the acute sector to the community.
However, similar to other hospitals in remote locations, staff recruitment challenges have unfortunately had an impact. Cork Kerry Community Healthcare continues to endeavour to recruit staff to increase the number of community beds for the region and maximise the services available. The HSE will continue to seek qualified and interested candidates through recruitment campaigns undertaken at national, regional and local levels.
I advise the Deputy that the HSE is collating the information requested concerning current staffing levels and the breakdown of staffing and beds over the past five years. I will arrange to have this information forwarded to him in the coming days.
I agree with the Deputy, especially in respect of rural areas. The whole premise of Sláintecare entails the right care at the right time, as close to home as possible. When people need long-term care or short-stay, respite or palliative care, it is important to provide that service in their own community.
I appreciate the Minister of State's response and the efforts being made. In recent years, we had the appalling images of a very elderly lady being moved out of a hospital far away from home, a place with which she had become familiar and was comfortable, because of a shortage of beds. This is the type of thing we do not want to see repeated. I raised it here at the time. I have been in constant contact with the HSE locally regarding efforts to recruit staff. I seem to be getting the same answers over and over, namely that efforts are being made to recruit staff, that we cannot recruit staff and that, if we do recruit staff, it is only when others have retired. It is very frustrating for people. Given the growing population in the locality, it does not auger well. It points to an inevitable shortage of beds again in the future.
If the current efforts to get more beds and staff are not working, maybe we need to alter the approach. It is the same story over and over, and it is not working. Maybe we need to consider different recruitment ideas because the current approach is just not working.
I have made it crystal clear in the Department, working with the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and to the new chief executive of the HSE, Mr. Bernard Gloster, that I am not prepared to see any more public beds close. It is as simple as that. The statistics for the past 12 months show it is not the case that we have closed public beds.
Let me refer to the current situation on care for older people provided in private and voluntary nursing homes and community nursing units such as West Kerry Community Hospital. These are mainly hospitals for older people. Providing these supports is important. Currently, 81% of supports are provided by private nursing homes, 3% are provided by voluntary nursing homes, and only 16% are provided by the rest. Therefore, I have made it very clear that I will not stand over the closure of any of these beds. We have to become inventive in recruiting people into these areas, and I will work with the HSE to determine what we can do. The maximum number of people who can be safely accommodated in the hospital, which is 46, is currently being accommodated.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Tá níos mó leapacha ag teastáil anonn. Caithfimid rudaí nua a dhéanamh chun banaltraí a fháil sa Daingean agus beidh na leapacha ag teastáil sa todhchaí. We will need those beds in the future. It is as simple as that. If the current recruitment processes are not working, we need to consider doing things differently. I am not being cynical but I must say that I keep getting the same answers back from the HSE, namely answers referring to recruitment drives and efforts. At what point do you have to say that this is ridiculous and that we are getting the same answers over and over again and no nurses in? We know there are various reasons for this but we need to consider different models. It is inevitable that if this continues, not only will we not get more beds but we could also see closures of beds. The latter is what nobody wants to see but I believe it will be coming down the line unless there is a change of tack by the HSE.
I agree with what the Deputy says. Pending the recruitment of additional staff, Cork Kerry Community Healthcare plans to increase bed capacity at West Kerry Community Hospital. That is what I am trying to achieve. It is important to have community nursing units giving people options regarding where they would like to spend the latter days of their lives. The Sláintecare model is to give the right care at the right time, as close to home as possible. We are aware that there are challenges in recruitment. I do not always buy the view on the geographical locations. Many people choose to live in rural Ireland, in the most beautiful parts of the country, but I will certainly keep this as a focus because I want to see all beds open in our community nursing units across the country.
