Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 December 2019
296. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health the number of the 190 new beds he announced recently which will go to Naas General Hospital; when the new beds will be introduced into hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53580/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) has agreed, at my request, to support the marginal costs of funding additional beds for three months to the end of March 2020. This initiative will support the commitment by the HSE and my Department to alleviate winter pressures in our hospital system. Hospitals have been invited to make submissions to the NTPF to utilise this funding. To date, the NTPF has approved in principle, subject to appropriate governance and oversight, 172 additional beds. These beds will be funded from the NTPF budget at a cost of approximately €4.6 million. This will include 25 additional beds in Peamount Hospital to facilitate egress from Naas Hospital, St. James' Hospital and Tallaght University Hospital.
Furthermore, the NTPF is currently assessing further proposals which are still being received. Given the challenges facing the Emergency Departments, with the exceptionally high use of trolleys for patients, I would urge all hospital groups and individual hospitals, which have not already done so, to engage with the NTPF to identify proposals to provide additional bed capacity for the winter period.
