Figures published by the European Commission reveal Ireland has the fifth lowest amount of hospital beds per capita in the EU.
The number of hospital beds has actually increased in Ireland by about 28%. However, Ireland only has 291 beds per 100,000 people, a figure 43% lower than the EU average of 516.
The figures in the report reflect only in-patient care beds and do not include day-care beds as well as outpatient care beds in hospitals.
The report also found that the average number of hospital beds per capita has actually decreased in the EU from 563 beds in 2012 to 516 beds in 2022.
The total number of hospital beds has also decreased in the EU from 2.48 million in 2012 to 2.31 million in 2022 – an overall decrease of 7%.
Although in Ireland the total number of beds has actually increased from 11,692 in 2012 to 15,009 in 2022.
The country with the highest number of beds per capita was Bulgaria with 823 per 100,000 people, followed by Germany with 766 and Romania with 728.
The lowest number of beds per capita was in Sweden with just 190 beds per 100,000 followed by the Netherlands with 245 and Denmark with 248.
The Commission’s report says that the reduction in hospital beds is not necessarily a bad sign and likely as a result of new scientific and technological developments that have significantly reduced the average length of star for in-patient procedures. As well as this many previously in-patient procedures are now provided by day-care or out-patient care.
The news comes as Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly recently launched the Acute Hospital Inpatient Bed Capacity Expansion Plan. A scheme that aims to increase Ireland’s hospital bed numbers by 3352 by 2031.
According to Donnelly, the plan was developed to meet the health demands of “our growing and ageing population.”
