Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 7 Dec 2000

Vol. 527 No. 5

Written Answers. - Hospital Services.

Liz McManus

Ceist:

24 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress made on the recently announced winter beds initiative; the number of accident and emergency consultants appointed; the number of anaesthetists appointed; the number of the 500 nursing home beds allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28902/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin): As the Deputy is aware a review of bed capacity has been initiated in both the acute and non-acute settings, on foot of the commitment by Government in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. The bed review is being conducted by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Finance and in consultation with the social partners. I presented the interim findings of the review to my Government colleagues as part of the estimates discussions and I identified a range of immediate investment proposals aimed at addressing identified service difficulties. I am pleased to say that funding of £25 million has been approved on foot of phase one of the review to alleviate service pressures on the acute hospital sector.

The investment package is being targeted at a number of key service areas and includes the provision of funding for the contracting of at least 500 additional private nursing home places by the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards, together with the provision of aids and supports for older people. The ERHA and the health boards are in the process of contracting the nursing home beds at present. I am advised by the health boards-Eastern Regional Health Authority that the number of beds allocated to date is 375.

Another key element of the initiative is the recruitment of an additional twenty-seven accident and emergency consultants and fifteen consultant anaesthetists. Due to the long lead-in time involved in appointing consultants, I have requested that these posts be filled as a matter of urgency, and initially on a temporary basis. The decision to fund the development of these two key services is being advanced in discussion with Comhairle na nOispidéal, as the body with statutory responsibility for structuring consultant posts. The matter will be considered at a meeting of Comhairle na nOispidéal on 15 December.

The second phase of the national bed review is now under way and involves the development of a longer term investment strategy for the acute and non-acute sectors. The review will also involve a detailed assessment of need, including an analysis of future bed requirements by medical and surgical speciality.