Waterford TD, Deputy David Cullinane critical of HSE capital plan

Waterford Sinn Féin TD, Deputy David Cullinane, has said the HSE's Capital Plan falls short of "necessary ambition".

Deputy Cullinane, who is his party's spokesperson on health, criticised the HSE Capital Plan which was approved by the Minister for Health on Wednesday, April 9.

Commenting on the matter to Waterford News & Star and waterford-news.ie, he said the plan lacks the necessary ambition to "turn the health service around".

He also expressed criticism over the lack of urgency in delivering elective centres, with just €5 million allocated to such major projects this year. Deputy Cullinane also expressed concern over the lack of a multi-annual capital plan, saying that the year-to-year approach has held back progress and failed to control costs.

He said major omissions from the plan are the inadequate investment in community services, particularly in clinical spaces, and the variety of community beds for intermediary and transitional care, commenting that such investments are necessary to improve hospital efficiency and increase community-based care options to improve discharge rates from hospitals.

“The HSE Capital Plan for 2025 falls far short of the necessary ambition to turn the health service around," he said.

"It is a continuation of the same failed, piecemeal, unambitious approach typical of Fine Gael in Government," he added. He went on to comment: "The lack of a multi-annual approach to capital investment and planning is a major cause of delay, which drives up costs and holds the health service back."

Describing the plan as having "several glaring omissions and shortcomings", Deputy Cullinane said: "There is a highly concerning lack of urgency around delivering elective centres, which are essential for tackling hospital waiting lists."

"There is just €5 million allocated to these projects in 2025," he said.

“The Capital Plan is not ambitious enough on hospital beds. It reinforces the previous Minister’s hospital bed plan, which is short 1,000 beds. There is no funding commitment in the Capital Plan for the lifespan of the hospital bed plan, either, which means hospitals do not have funding certainty to deliver new bed blocks as quickly as possible," he added. 

Deputy Cullinane said that in terms of using investment to reduce pressure on hospitals, one of the most impactful and cost-effective solutions would be to increase community-based step-down or intermediary care capacity. 

"That means low intensity care beds in local communities for people who cannot return home, but who do not need to be in hospital," he said.

“Hospital managers and doctors are telling me that they have nowhere to discharge patients to because of a lack of community-based care options, including intermediary care beds. Yet the Minister’s Capital Plan provides no solutions for this," he added.

He said the plan was in stark contrast to that proposed by his own party.

"Sinn Féin would implement a five-year capital plan and funding framework," he said.

"This would provide funding certainty to the health service while holding it to account by setting out ambitious objectives over the lifespan of that plan," he added.