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How many beds? Capacity implications of hospital care demand projections in the Irish hospital system, 2015-2030

Author

Listed:
  • Keegan, Conor
  • Brick, Aoife
  • Walsh, Brendan
  • Bergin, Adele
  • Eighan, James
  • Wren, Maev-Ann

Abstract

Existing Irish hospital bed capacity is low by international standards while Ireland also reports the highest inpatient bed occupancy rate across OECD countries. Moreover, strong projected population growth and ageing is expected to increase demand for hospital care substantially by 2030. Reform proposals have suggested that increased investment and access to nonacute care may mitigate some increased demand for hospital care over the next number of years, and it is in this context that the Irish government has committed to increase the supply of public hospital beds by 2600 by 2027. Incorporating assumptions on the rebalancing of care to nonhospital settings, this paper analyses the capacity implications of projected demand for hospital care in Ireland to 2030. This analysis employs the HIPPOCRATES macrosimulation projection model of health care demand and expenditure developed in the ESRI to project public and private hospital bed capacity requirements in Ireland to 2030. We examine 6 alternative projection scenarios that vary assumptions related to population growth and ageing, healthy ageing, unmet demand, hospital occupancy, hospital length of stay, and avoidable hospitalisations. We project an increased need for between 4000 and 6300 beds across public and private hospitals (an increase of between 26.1% and 41.1%), of which 3200 to 5600 will be required in public hospitals. These findings suggest that government plans to increase public hospital capacity over the 10 years to 2027 by 2600 may not be sufficient to meet demand requirements to 2030, even when models of care changes are accounted for.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Keegan, Conor & Brick, Aoife & Walsh, Brendan & Bergin, Adele & Eighan, James & Wren, Maev-Ann, 2018. "How many beds? Capacity implications of hospital care demand projections in the Irish hospital system, 2015-2030," Papers RB201825, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:esr:wpaper:rb201825
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    Cited by:

    1. Henry, Edward & Brick, Aoife & Keegan, Conor, 2021. "Utilisation of dental and optical Services in Ireland – Baseline analysis for the Hippocrates Model," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number SUSTAT99.
    2. Walsh, Brendan & Kakoulidou, Theano, 2025. "Projections of national demand and bed capacity requirements for older people s care in Ireland, 2022 2040: Based on the Hippocrates model," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS214.
    3. Brendan Walsh & Seán Lyons & Samantha Smith & Maev‐Ann Wren & James Eighan & Edgar Morgenroth, 2020. "Does formal home care reduce inpatient length of stay?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(12), pages 1620-1636, December.
    4. Brendan Walsh & Samantha Smith & Maev-Ann Wren & James Eighan & Seán Lyons, 2022. "The impact of inpatient bed capacity on length of stay," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 23(3), pages 499-510, April.
    5. Rodney P Jones, 2020. "Would the United States Have Had Too Few Beds for Universal Emergency Care in the Event of a More Widespread Covid-19 Epidemic?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-14, July.
    6. Brick, Aoife & Walsh, Brendan & Kakoulidou, Theano & Humes, Harry, 2025. "Variation in day surgery rates across Irish public hospitals," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    7. Connolly, Sheelah & Flanagan, Ellen, 2024. "Current and projected demand for nurses working in general practice in Ireland," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS180.
    8. Murphy, Aileen & Bourke, Jane & Turner, Brian, 2020. "A two-tiered public-private health system: Who stays in (private) hospitals in Ireland?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(7), pages 765-771.
    9. Cinaroglu, Songul, 2021. "Changes in hospital efficiency and size: An integrated propensity score matching with data envelopment analysis," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    10. Brick, Aoife & Keegan, Conor, 2020. "Utilisation of public acute hospital services in Ireland — baseline analysis for the hippocrates model," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number SUSTAT100.
    11. Connolly, Sheelah & Keegan, Conor & O'Malley, Seamus & Regan, Mark, 2022. "Extending eligibility for general practitioner care in Ireland: cost implications," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS156.
    12. Walsh, Brendan & Keegan, Conor & Brick, Aoife & Connolly, Sheelah & Bergin, Adele & Wren, Maev-Ann & Lyons, Se n & Hill, Leonie & Smith, Samantha, 2021. "Projections of expenditure for primary, community and long-term care Ireland, 2019 2035, based on the Hippocrates model," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS126.
    13. Whyte, Richard & Wren, Maev-Ann & Keegan, Conor & Brick, Aoife, 2020. "An analysis of trends in Irish public healthcare expenditure and staffing," Papers WP660, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    14. Rodney P. Jones, 2022. "A Model to Compare International Hospital Bed Numbers, including a Case Study on the Role of Indigenous People on Acute ‘Occupied’ Bed Demand in Australian States," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-27, September.
    15. Walsh, Brendan & Nolan, Anne & Brick, Aoife & Keegan, Conor, 2019. "Did the expansion of free GP care impact demand for Emergency Department attendances? A difference-in-differences analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 101-111.
    16. Walsh, Brendan & Brick, Aoife, 2023. "Inpatient bed capacity requirements in Ireland in 2023: Evidence on the public acute hospital system," Research Notes RN20230101, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    17. Brick, Aoife & Keegan, Conor, 2020. "Paying more to wait less: Estimating the cost of reducing Ireland's public hospital waiting lists," Papers WP688, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    18. McQuinn, Kieran & O'Toole, Conor & Disch, Wendy & Shiel, Eva & Kenny, Eoin, 2023. "Quarterly Economic Commentary, Spring 2023," Forecasting Report, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number QEC2023SPR, March.
    19. Smith, Samantha & Walsh, Brendan & Wren, Maev-Ann & Barron, Steve & Morgenroth, Edgar & Eighan, James & Lyons, Se n, 2019. "Geographic profile of healthcare needs and non-acute healthcare supply in Ireland," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS90.
    20. Walsh, Brendan & Wren, Maev-Ann & Smith, Samantha & Lyons, Se n & Eighan, James & Morgenroth, Edgar, 2019. "An analysis of the effects on Irish hospital care of the supply of care inside and outside the hospital," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS91.

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