An extra 2,600 acute hospital beds will be needed by 2031 if the health reforms contained in the Sláintecare Report are implemented, a new review has found.

The Health Service Capacity Review, which has been published by the Department of Health, outlines projections of demand and capacity requirements for a number of health services up to 2031.

It states that the current health system is operating at or above capacity across most services, and demand is expected to increase significantly between now and 2031.

If key reforms and productivity measures are implemented, significant additional capacity will be required over the coming years, including:
-Almost 2,600 extra acute hospital beds
-13,000 extra residential care beds
-A 48% increase in the primary care workforce

"Increasing capacity in the health service is vital but this must be done based on evidence. That is why commissioning this Bed Capacity Review was a priority. It looks at the capacity needs of the health service not just now, but up to 2031. This kind of analysis is integral to future planning.

"The completion of this review is timely as we enter a new period of investment in our public services and it clearly outlines the need for investment and reform in the Irish healthcare system and provides quantitative evidence for this," commented the Minister for Health, Simon Harris.

He noted that as the population ages, this will ‘have particular impacts on the demand for health services, as older age cohorts tend to be the highest users of most health services'.

He insisted that the review will inform future investment and policy decision.

"It is clear that investment and reform must now happen in tandem and must be mutually supportive of each other," Minister Harris added.

The review was welcomed by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO). It pointed out that at the time of the publication (January 23), it recorded the second highest number of patients on trolleys (668), since it began its Trolley Watch service 15 years ago.

"The recruitment of nurses is key to the realisation of the necessary increased capacity and the simple reality is that under current conditions, the Irish health service is failing to either attract or retain nurses.

"All of these beds need a planned funded recruitment and retention strategy for nurses on a multi-annual basis. We are currently losing this battle and unless conditions are significantly improved for nurses this year, 2031 will remain an aspiration," commented INMO general secretary, Phil Ni Sheaghdha.

Meanwhile the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine (IAEM) called for a ‘rapid and positive response' to this issue.

"The inertia shown in addressing this glaringly obvious bed capacity deficit to date must not continue and political leadership needs to be shown to ensure that the necessary bed numbers, and the required healthcare professionals to staff them, are provided without further delay.

"The IAEM hopes that the Minister for Health will be able to convince his Cabinet colleagues of the need to respond positively and definitively to this report," it said.