No overnight beds in new hospitals for Cork and Galway

Sláintecare executive director Laura Magahy addressed the Oireachtas Health Committee, outlining progress on proposals to overhaul the health service in the coming years. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

New hospitals planned for Cork and Galway will not provide overnight beds, the Oireachtas Health Committee has heard. 

Sláintecare executive director Laura Magahy addressed the committee, outlining progress on proposals to overhaul the health service in the coming years. 

Elective hospitals are to be built in Cork, Galway and Dublin, with the site selection process now under way. 

“The goal is to bring these for Government decision before the summer for the actual selection of the sites. We will be working closely with colleagues in Cork and Galway to ensure their requirements can be met,” Ms Magahy said. 

Construction will begin on all sites within three years, she said.

However, Fine Gael's Colm Burke described the proposals as disappointing, saying many elective procedures require overnight stays which will not be catered for under the proposals. 

Ms Magahy defended the plans, saying up to 400 treatments will be available at the hospitals.

“Nine theatres in Cork, eight in Galway and 21 in Dublin is the thinking at the moment, that might change," she said.

Pressed again by Senator Sean Kyne, she said there is no agreement on the number of beds, but acknowledged they will offer day procedures only.

Aim to reduce waiting lists

Meanwhile, Ms Magahy said the aim to reduce waiting lists in hospitals and the community as part of the Sláintecare plan will be "well on its way" by 2023. 

Over the next three years, the Sláintecare programme will reduce waiting lists, roll out the consultancy contract, hire 7,000 new community-based staff and deliver 31 new primary care centres, she said.

It will also enable the Department of Health to invest in 32 community specialist hubs and provided the next stage of the healthy communities initiative.

Co-leader of the Social Democrats Róisín Shortall raised concerns on whether the work will be completed by 2023.

Ms Magahy said: "By the end of the three years, we will have the multi-annual plan substantially implemented, and that is to reduce the waiting lists so we will be well on the way to having the waiting lists down.

"All of this work has been enabled by the budget so we can hire the right staff and put in place the infrastructure."

She also said that a team from within the Department of Health, the HSE as well as representative bodies will oversee the Sláintecare consultant contract negotiation process.

One of the main goals of the €3.69bn plan is to increase the number of elderly people who can stay in their own home.

Ms Magahy said Ireland is an "outlier" in that it has more people going into nursing homes than any other country.