Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 September 2020
95. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health his plans to increase capacity in hospitals permanently; his further plans to increase the current 45 ICU beds in view of the worrying recent increase in the number of Covid-19 infections and in anticipation of another wave of the virus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23677/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, commits to continuing investment in our health care services in line with the recommendations of the Health Service Capacity Review and the commitments in Project Ireland 2040.
The Health Service Capacity Review 2018 found that the net requirement in combination with health system reform is for an additional 2,590 hospital beds by 2031 (2,100 inpatient, 300 day case and 190 critical care). The Review identified an immediate requirement for 1,290 beds to address overcrowding and to ensure hospitals operated at 85% occupancy in line with other OECD countries. The National Development Plan provides for the addition of the full 2,590 beds by 2027.
The Department of Health is working with the HSE to increase acute capacity in hospitals throughout the country. In the context of the current COVID-19 Pandemic response, the HSE advised on 22 June 2020 that an additional 324 acute beds have opened since March, bringing the current total of acute beds in the system to 11,597 excluding critical care capacity. It should be noted that this is the total current bed capacity. However, beds are unavailable when they are temporarily closed for reasons such as infection control, maintenance/refurbishment, or staffing shortages.
In addition, the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) agreed to support the marginal costs of funding additional beds for three months to the end of March 2020 at a cost of €5.8 million. The HSE confirmed 197 of those beds had opened as planned. A further extension of this agreement has been approved until the 31st December 2020 at an estimated cost of €12 million.
Furthermore the HSE has indicated additional surge capacity of general acute beds of 1,633 in the event of a rise in Covid cases.
In relation to critical care capacity, the Health Service Capacity Review 2018 recommended that it be increased to 430 beds by 2031 (an additional 190 critical care beds). In early 2020, baseline permanent adult critical care capacity in Ireland was reported by the National Office of Clinical Audit (NOCA) to be 255 beds. Funding for a further 40 adult critical care beds, and two paediatric critical care beds, was provided as part of the response to Covid-19 in March 2020.
Surge ICU capacity supports the provision of critical care as required. Daily situational reports published by the HSE during recent months have reported potential critical care beds including surge as in the region of 430, with the number open on any given day subject to fluctuation in respect of available staff. My Department and the HSE have been engaging in regard to critical care capacity requirements in the public hospital system.
The future opening of additional acute and critical care bed capacity will be considered in the context of the Estimates discussions for the years concerned and on the priorities in the HSE's National Service Plans for those years.
