Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 16 Oct 1991

Vol. 411 No. 1

Written Answers. - Acute Bed Statistics.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

508 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the number of acute beds in the health services in each year from 1981 to 1990 inclusive in view of his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 153 of 21 May 1991 when he stated the information was being compiled within his Department and he promised to have it forwarded as soon as possible, which has not been done to date.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Hanlon)

The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below.

Numbers of Acute Hospital Beds 1981-1990

Year	Number of Beds
1981	16,168
1982	16,256
1983	16,159
1984	15,811
1985	15,807
1986	15,338
1987	13,774
1988	12,167
1989	12,156
1990	12,118

Acute bed numbers were reduced in the period from 1982 to June 1989 when they reached their lowest level at 11,248.

Following an injection of resources they increased on a phased basis to the levels shown. The figures in the table above are based on final annualised returns. They are compiled on the following basis: they include some short-stay district hospital beds but are exclusive of long-stay district hospital beds. In interpreting data on bed numbers it should be borne in mind that numbers are subject to variation during the course of a given year for reasons such as seasonal bed closures or the temporary opening of additional beds to cope with emergency situations.