Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 March 2019
339. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health the status of the reopening of a ward at a hospital (details supplied); the recruitment that has taken place to date in regard to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10758/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Health, I recognise that hospitals are increasingly operating at or above capacity, with year-round demand pressures that are further challenged over the winter months. It is against this background that the Health Service Capacity Review 2018 recommended an increase in acute hospitals beds of over 2,600 by 2031 to support the projected increase in demand for services in the years ahead.
Increasing capacity is therefore a priority for the Government. Over the past 18 months, an additional 241 beds have been opened.
A Capacity Programme for 2019 has been agreed, which provides for the following increases to capacity, as set out in the National Service Plan 2019:
- 78 additional beds are planned for 2019, including the 40-bed modular build in South Tipperary General Hospital, the 30-bed ward in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, 4 HDU beds in Cork University Hospital and 4 HDU beds in the Mater Hospital;
- 75 acute beds and 70 community beds to come on stream in 2019 as part of the Winter Plan 2018/19, of which 43 acute beds have already opened. This includes 5 beds in Letterkenny University Hospital which are due to open in Q1 of 2019;
- preparation of 202 beds, of which 16 are critical care, by quarter 4 2019 with a view to bringing this extra capacity into operation in the first quarter of 2020, including additional beds in Letterkenny University Hospital.
In relation to the Deputy's query on the status of recruitment of staff and other operational matters, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly.
