page_title: Healthcare in the Republic of Ireland
section_title: Hospitals
hierarchical_section_title: Healthcare in the Republic of Ireland / Health care system / Hospitals
caption_attribution_description: English: The "Rotunda" maternity hospital, Dublin, Ireland- the oldest maternity hospital in continuous operation in Europe.
context_page_description: Health care in Ireland is two-tier: public and private sectors exist. The public health care system is governed by the Health Act 2004, which established a new body to be responsible for providing health and personal social services to everyone living in Ireland – the Health Service Executive. The new national health service came into being officially on 1 January 2005; however the new structures are currently in the process of being established as the reform programme continues. In addition to the public-sector, there is also a large private healthcare market.
  In 2010 Ireland spent €2,862 per capita on health, compared to a European Union average of €2,172 per capita, of this spending approximately 79% was government expenditure. In 2017 spending was the seventh highest in the OECD: $5,500 per head.
  Overcrowding has been an issue at hospitals in Ireland, with over 118,000 patients having to wait for a bed in 2019.
context_section_description: Hospitals in Ireland generally offer a full range of healthcare including accident and emergency services. Many hospitals in Ireland, such as Connolly Hospital at Blanchardstown, are operated directly by the Health Service Executive. There are also hospitals run on a voluntary basis by organisations who receive public funding but operate with some degree of autonomy. Included in this latter group are teaching hospitals (such as University Hospital Galway) operated in conjunction with a university and hospitals with a long-standing religious ethos e.g. Tallaght University Hospital in Dublin. There are also many private hospitals. Ireland has a lower than OECD-average number of hospital beds according to the 2013 OECD Health at a Glance Report The same report also noted that Ireland has fewer doctors (2.7 doctors per 1,000 population) and more nurses (12.2 nurses per 1,000 population) than average in other OECD countries.  Consultants in the publicly funded hospitals are allowed to spend some of their time (typically 20%, though there is little supervision) on private practice.
caption: The Rotunda Hospital in Dublin is the world's oldest maternity hospital, founded in 1745. It is also one of its largest, dealing with over eight thousand births in 2007.
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