Uncertain future for major health projects

The Government's revised capital spending plan for health has been criticised for lacking detail on which projects are going ahead and which have been long-fingered.

The Government's capital programme for health admits that it will not be possible to procure all hospital and other projects "through planned capital envelopes".

In response to this, it says, the Department of Health has both re-prioritised the timing of investment decisions and is exploring the potential for alternative means of funding investments such as leasing and asset disposal.

A total of €2.89 billion, including €1.6 billion for acute hospitals, has been allocated for health projects in the Government's revised €39 billion capital programme covering the period to 2016.

However, Fine Gael's Dr James Reilly has said there is a lack of detail in the plan about which projects will be funded and which will be dropped. He said the plan would see health capital spending slashed by €90 million in the next year.

The health capital programme states that infrastructure deficits persist in acute hospital care and in primary, community and continuing care. It says developing primary and community care can free up capacity in acute care.

The spending plan says priorities in the hospital area include the new national children's hospital, the development of the Mater Hospital, new radiation oncology facilities, a new A&E at Letterkenny Hospital and improved maternity hospital facilities.

The programme, however, does not state in detail how much will be invested in these projects and when they will be delivered.

For example, it is not clear from the report published yesterday whether the new children's hospital will be completed on schedule in 2014 or whether the new radiation facilities for cancer care will be provided on schedule around the same time.

It states that possible projects that can be funded through alternative finance include new acute facilities at Sligo Hospital, relocation of Dublin maternity hospitals to acute hospital sites and the modernisation of laboratory services.

The programme says 32 new primary care centres are scheduled to open by the end of 2010, with two opened last year, and a further 91 will be opened by the end of 2012.

The programme admits that infrastructure in all areas of the health service, including hospitals and primary care, needs improvement to improve facilities and meet regulatory standards, and investment is required to address this.

It says all capital investment projects must be consistent with the broad policy goal of achieving greater efficiency in healthcare.

Dr Reilly said Health Minister Mary Harney and the HSE must publish a comprehensive list of capital projects planned between now and 2016.

This should include at what stage projects are at, the impact of the reduction in the capital budget on timelines for completion and revised completion dates.

[Posted: Tue 27/07/2010]