Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 October 2020
254. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the number of ICU units by public hospital in tabular form; the details of ICU surge capacity available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32031/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the start of the year, permanent adult critical care capacity in Ireland stood at 255 beds, according to the National Office of Clinical Audit. This included 204 Level 3 ICU beds and 51 Level 2 HDU beds. As part of the initial response to the pandemic, funding was provided for an additional 40 adult critical care beds in March 2020 as well as two paediatric beds. The HSE has advised that between 280 and 285 critical care beds are currently open, with the number open any given day subject to fluctuation in respect of available staff and other operational considerations.
Where necessary, the number of critical care beds can surge beyond the baseline of 280-285 as part of an emergency response. However, it is essential to understand that the use of surge capacity for critical care is necessarily tied to a reduction of services in other areas of the hospital. Moreover, the clinical advice is clear that the greater the reliance on surge ICU capacity, the greater the clinical risk with potential impact on patient outcomes.
Our critical care units have coped well so far, largely due to the fact that the curve was flattened successfully in early stages. As a result, our outcomes for Covid patients in ICU have compared well with other jurisdictions including the UK.
Budget 2021 will allocate funding totalling €52m in 2021 to critical care. This will retain, on a permanent basis, the 42 critical care beds put in place on a temporary basis this year and add significant new capacity. Funded adult critical care beds will increase to 321 by end 2021, an increase of 66 over the baseline number of 255 funded beds in 2020. Funding for 2021 will also include money to allow for the development of a workforce plan as well as education initiatives to grow the critical care workforce.
In relation to the specific information requested by the Deputy, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to him.
