David Stanton
Ceist:368 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans to upgrade the South Infirmary Hospital in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8303/02]
Written Answers. - Hospital Services.
The Deputy will be aware that the report of the top level steering group on acute hospital services in Cork, which was published last year, proposed a new model for the funding, planning and management of hospital services in Cork city, involving the transfer of funding responsibility for the Cork voluntary hospitals from my Department to the Southern Health Board with effect from this year.
There is a need to take an overall view of development requirements in respect of Cork acute hospital services particularly given the intention to provide a single service from multiple sites. Arising from the recommendations of the top level steering group an acute hospitals planning forum has been established as a vital and necessary step to create a climate for future collaborative and integrated development of hospital services in Cork. All the significant stake holders are represented on the Acute Hospitals Planning Forum. The first remit of the forum will be to draft a comprehensive strategic plan for the acute hospital services in Cork city. The development and future role of the South Infirmary-Victoria Hospital will be central to that strategic plan.
In the context of the national review of bed capacity, I recently announced the commissioning of an additional 709 acute beds in public hospitals at a cost of €65 million. An amount of €2.8 million is being made available to the South Infirmary-Victoria Hospital to provide 18 additional acute beds in 2002. Eight additional beds will be for cardiology services at the hospital and ten additional beds will be provided to deal with the increasing demand for day care services in the area of medicine and surgery.
My Department is also providing funding for the purchase of property adjacent to the hospital. This property will increase the hospital site and allow the hospital to consider future development options. In this regard, my Department has asked the chief executive officer at the South Infirmary – Victoria Hospital to write directly to the Deputy in relation to the future development of services at the hospital.