Seán Sherlock
Ceist:374. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of high-dependency units operating in the State based on population; and the location of each. [39323/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 26 November 2020
Ceisteanna (374)
Freagraí scríofa
Critical care is defined by the Joint Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine Ireland (JFICMI) as "a service that provides curative and life support treatment for critically ill patients". Critical care units may have a combination of High Dependency Unit (HDU) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds, with clinical teams resourced and skilled to provide these levels of care.
Care provided in a HDU, as described in the JFICMI National Standards for Adult Critical Care Services, 2019, involves the "active management by critical care team to treat and support patients with primarily single organ failure". An ICU provides care for patients who require support for two or more organ failures, or who require invasive mechanical ventilation.
Currently, the ratio of ICU to HDU beds in Ireland is 3:1 and is reflective of demand. At the start of the year, permanent adult critical care capacity in our public hospitals 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. I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy with a current breakdown of HDU beds in our public hospital system.