MIDCARE© Capacity - Strategic Population Level

Population growth rate (annual)

1.90% / yr

Consultant increase rate (annual)

6.00% / yr

Model 2 bed growth multiplier

× 1.000

Model 4 bed growth rate (annual)

3.50% / yr

Optimal bed occupancy (fraction)

0.85

Normal length of stay (days)

6.4 days

Normal specialist-to-bed ratio (per 1,000 bed-days)

0.904

Normal bed-to-patient ratio

0.00268 beds/person

Historic to 2025 Projection from 2025 (animated)

Population — Midwest

Consultants — Headcount

Model 2 Beds

Model 4 Beds

Data Sources for Default Parameters (National & Midwest)

Population growth rate (National 1.9%) — CSO Population & Migration Estimates April 2024 . Mid-West 0.98% annual growth (historic) for years up to 2022, and 0.5% (projected) after 2022, use a blended 0.8% for one consistent rate for simplicity.
Consultant increase rate (National 6.0%) — HSE Medical Workforce Analysis Report 2024–2025 (PDF) . Mid-West 2009–2024, 4.0% per year (historical mean). Forecast beyond 2024 7.0% per year (recent trend). Conservative single-rate ~5% per year.
Model 2 bed growth multiplier (National ×1.000) — Acute Hospital Inpatient Bed Capacity Expansion Plan (PDF) . Mid-West baseline: ×0.999
Model 4 bed growth rate (National 3.5%) — Acute Hospital Inpatient Bed Capacity Expansion Plan (PDF) . Mid-West baseline: 9.9%
Optimal bed occupancy (0.85) — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)'s (2018) . Mid-West 105.4% in the first half of 2025.
Normal length of stay (National 6.0 days) — Hospital Inpatient Enquiry (HIPE) Department Activity in Acute Public Hospitals in Ireland 2022 Annual Report (PDF) . Mid-West baseline: 5.0 days
Specialists (per 1,000 bed-days) (National 0.904) — Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) ; Mid-West baseline: 0.557
Beds per person (National) 2.5 hospital beds per 1,000 people. — HIQA Mid-West Data Analysis (2025) . The Mid-West: 2.2 per 1,000 population.