Written Answers Nos. 1461-1480
1461. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health if he will report on developments in mental health services in County Wexford in 2023 in comparison with the existing services in 2022; the planned developments for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56351/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
1462. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health the number of hospice care/palliative care beds in CHO5; the location of each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56352/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday, 6 October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
1463. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown of the spend on ambulance services across Wexford between 2017 and 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56353/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1464. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health if a company (details supplied) has made a claim for the pandemic bonus payment for all its employees who qualified for the pandemic bonus payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56354/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy.
1465. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health if a company (details supplied) has made a claim for the pandemic bonus payment for all its employees who qualified for the pandemic bonus payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56355/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy.
1466. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health if a company (details supplied) has made a claim for the pandemic bonus payment for all its employees who qualified for the pandemic bonus payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56356/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy.
1467. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the progress and investment being made in the area of electronic health records across the health service, since 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56379/23]
View answerDespite the impact of the pandemic and subsequent ransomware attack in May 2021, significant progress has been made in the area of electronic health records (EHRs) since 2020.
The enterprise level EHR deployed in St. James Hospital, as the largest hospital in the country, has been continuously developed /optimised – which is an essential activity required to ensure the benefits of the investment in these large enterprise level EHRs in particular, is realised. Similar activities are being undertaken at our other large EHR deployments in the maternity hospitals (CUMH, Holles Street and the Rotunda (and the Kerry General maternity unit).
‘Lighter’ EHRs/ EPRs have been deployed at the National Forensics and National Rehabilitation hospitals.
Since 2020, Childrens Hospital Ireland completed their (extensive) procurement process, utilising the competitive dialogue process to secure the most suitable enterprise level EHR system for paediatrics. Contracts are in place, the team has been recruited, the vendors are in place and progressing well through the design and configuration stages of the programme, in preparation for commissioning of the site and associated systems.
The HSE has a number of procurements that are currently live and are directly related to the wider EHR programme. One of these relates to the technology required to deliver a national shared care record (something that ties together other site or region specific EHRs). Another relates to the procurement of a community based EHR. The HSE has also completed the first stage of this procurement and has shortlisted its preferred vendors ahead of the competitive dialogue procurement process.
All of these developments demonstrate significant progress in a relatively short period of time, mindful of the fact the vast majority of resources across the health service were effectively redirected towards addressing all aspects of Covid-19 and the fallout from the cyberattack for a considerable period of time since 2020.
1468. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health to provide the full details of the escalation protocol at the emergency department of UHL; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56397/23]
View answer1469. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health with respect to the escalating emergency in UHL to provide the criteria required to activate the escalation policy; how many patients were admitted; how many patients are awaiting treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56398/23]
View answer1470. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health with respect to the escalating emergency in UHL, if the criteria for escalation was met in the emergency department at UHL on 17 and 18 December 2022; if the escalation protocol was activated on the night of 17 and 18 December 2022 at the hospital; if the escalation protocol was implemented; if not, the reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56399/23]
View answer1471. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health with respect to the escalating emergency in UHL, UHL's recommended ratio of nursing staff to patients in the emergency department; the recommended doctor to patient ratio in the emergency department, that is, the number of nurses and doctors, respectively to the number of patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56400/23]
View answer1472. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health with respect to the escalating emergency in UHL, the figures on the nursing staff and doctors on duty in the emergency department on 17 and 18 December 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56401/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1468, 1469, 1470, 1471 and 1472 together.
Following a review of the tragic events in UHL in December 2022, and the very serious concerns identified in that report, the HSE Chief Executive has commissioned an independent investigation led by retired Chief Justice Frank Clarke. It is important that this investigation now progresses to provide an evidence-based report on the circumstances surrounding this incident and the outcome of this investigation is awaited.
As the Deputy’s questions relate to operational matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly on these.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
1473. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of missing staff in each profession, grade, section and CHO location in the HSE, for example how many ward nurses are needed to achieve the correct patient to nurse ration in hospitals in CHO1; and how many psychiatrists are missing in each CAMHS area. [56403/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
1474. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each profession and grade that have joined the HSE in each of the past ten years; and the number in each profession and grade that have left the HSE in each of the past ten years. [56404/23]
View answerAs this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently not in a position to answer PQs due to industrial action. It is hoped that normal services will resume soon. In the meantime, this Department will continue to refer PQs to HSE for their direct reply as soon as possible
1475. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the workplace planning occurring within the Government to ensure that there are enough persons in each profession within the HSE each year; and the details of the number of places that have been provided in third level institutions in Ireland in each of the past ten years to supply each medical professional category in Ireland. [56405/23]
View answerHealth and Social Care workforce planning and ensuring an appropriate pipeline of suitably qualified healthcare professionals in Ireland is a top priority for the Government.
• Over the period 2011 to 2021 first year Medicine Enrolments grew from 1,129 to 1,403 – an increase of 24%. Source: Spending Review 2022: An Analysis of Medical Workforce Supply.
• Over the period 2011 to 2021 first-year Nursing and Midwifery places in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) grew from 1,570 to 2,032 – an increase of almost 30%. Source: Spending Review 2022 A System Dynamics Model of Nursing and Midwifery Workforce Supply.
• Over the period 2014-2021 first year student enrolments in Health and Welfare programmes grew from 6,000 to 6,855 an increase of 14%. Source: hea.ie/statistics
My department is committed to ensuring that there is an appropriate supply of healthcare professionals to meet demand for health services. As part of this commitment, the department is heavily invested in the ongoing education of healthcare staff to support recruitment and retention. Data from Health in Ireland Key Trends 2022 (DOH 2022) shows students graduating as both undergraduates and postgraduates in the fields of medicine, pharmacy and nursing and midwifery were seen to increase consistently over the period of 2014 and 2020. The total graduating students in 2014 stood at 4,841 which then increased by nearly 30% to 6,264 in 2020. Of the 6,264 graduates in 2020, 31.1% were from the field of medicine, 59.7% came from the field of nursing and midwifery, while the remaining students graduated from the pharmaceutical field.
Department of Health officials engage on an ongoing basis with colleagues in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that we train enough graduates with the skills necessary to support the delivery of health and social care services and to develop a strategic approach to workforce planning for the health sector.
In July 2022, Government signed off on an agreement with the Irish Medical Schools to increase the number of student places available annually for Irish/EU Students in Irish Medical Schools by 200 over the five years. This has seen an additional 60 EU students in September 2022, climbing to 120 in September 2023 and up to 200 by 2026.
An additional 662 student places have been provided in the Higher Education Sector on health-related courses in the academic year 2023/24. This includes approximately 200 student places across Nursing and Midwifery and all Allied Health Professionals in Northern Ireland.
Ireland is currently developing a Health and Social Care Workforce Planning Projection Model to address long-term workforce planning needs of health sector. The Key outcome of this project is that we will have necessary tools, processes, and technical capacity to produce rolling health and social care workforce planning action plans and implement targeted policy measures for health and social care workforce reform. The project will provide Health and Social Care workforce demand and supply projections spanning short, medium and long-term time horizons.
1476. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of medical professionals that leave Ireland each year; and if he has considered making it a stipulation of a college degree in each health service profession that each health service graduate practices in Ireland for at least five years before travelling abroad. [56406/23]
View answerThe HSE has undertaken a project using doctors Medical Council numbers to track the actual numbers of doctors leaving and returning to the Irish health system over time. Data was sourced from the National Doctors Training and Planning Doctors Integrated Management E-System (DIME). DIME records registration, training and employment details of all Consultant and Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs) in Ireland who are employed in the Public Service. As part of this work doctor retention was examined focusing on the risk of exit from the Irish system at the beginning and end of training i.e. following intern year and end of postgraduate training programme. The findings indicate that while there are patterns of high outward migration at various stages of NCHDs careers, there is a pattern of return with a high number returning to commence further post graduate training and/or take up a Consultant post in Ireland. This work was recently published in the Irish Journal of Medical Sciences link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11845-023-03288-8. Key findings are outlined below:
• Review of intern year 2015-2020 data indicates a trend of interns leaving the system immediately following intern year however a substantial number have returned to HSE within 2-3 years.
• 84% of interns who commenced intern training in 2015 subsequently commenced a Basic Specialist Training or General Practice (GP) training programme in subsequent years (2016-2021).
• Of those who completed BST training in 2017, 75% went on to higher specialist training (HST) in Ireland.
• In 2021, of the 2016 cohort of doctors who completed specialist training (excluding GP training programme) 68% are employed in Ireland and 32% are abroad or unknown.
• In Ireland it is very common for doctors who have completed postgraduate training to undertake a Fellowship or experience abroad before taking up a consultant post. When tracking retention, it is important to take into consideration this trend.
The National Doctor Training and Planning Office of the HSE are currently finalising an Annual Medicine Retention report for 2023, to be published in Q1 2024 which highlights the most recent data on doctor retention rates. In addition to the findings above the report highlights that there has been a substantial improvement in the retention rates of doctors who complete specialist training (excluding GP training) in the 2018 and 2019 cohorts with 75% and 78% respectively working in public or private posts in Ireland in 2023.
In relation to making it a stipulation of a college degree that health graduates practice in Ireland for at least five years before travelling abroad the Department of Health may consider examining this issue with a view to doing research regarding best practice in place in other jurisdictions which require graduates to work in their health services for a period following graduation.
1477. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the steps he has taken to support health care professionals to return to Ireland; and the number that have returned to Ireland in each of the past ten years. [56407/23]
View answerThe HSE has undertaken a project using doctor Medical Council numbers to track the actual numbers of doctors leaving and returning to the Irish health system over time. Data was sourced from the National Doctors Training and Planning Doctors Integrated Management E-System (DIME). DIME records registration, training and employment details of all Consultant and Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs) in Ireland who are employed in the Public Service. As part of this work doctor retention was examined focusing on the risk of exit from the Irish system at the beginning and end of training i.e. following intern year and end of postgraduate training programme. The findings indicate that while there are patterns of high outward migration at various stages of NCHDs careers, there is a pattern of return with a high number returning to commence further post graduate training and/or take up a Consultant post in Ireland. This work was recently published in the Irish Journal of Medical Sciences link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11845-023-03288-8. Key findings are outlined below:
• Review of intern year 2015-2020 data indicates a trend of interns leaving the system immediately following intern year however a substantial number have returned to HSE within 2-3 years.
• 84% of interns who commenced intern training in 2015 subsequently commenced a Basic Specialist Training or General Practice (GP) training programme in subsequent years (2016-2021).
• Of those who completed BST training in 2017, 75% went on to higher specialist training (HST) in Ireland.
• In 2021, of the 2016 cohort of doctors who completed specialist training (excluding GP training programme) 68% are employed in Ireland and 32% are abroad or unknown.
• In Ireland it is very common for doctors who have completed postgraduate training to undertake a Fellowship or experience abroad before taking up a consultant post. When tracking retention it is important to take into consideration this trend.
The National Doctors Training and Planning Office of the HSE are currently finalising an Annual Medicine Retention report for 2023, to be published in Q1 2024 which highlights the most recent data on doctor retention rates. In addition to the findings above the report highlights that there has been a substantial improvement in the retention rates of doctors who complete specialist training (excluding GP training) in the 2018 and 2019 cohorts with 75% and 78% respectively working in public or private posts in Ireland in 2023.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has analysed medicine graduates’ migration patterns using administrative data. Where a graduate was ‘not captured’ in any administrative data set, they are assumed to have emigrated. However, this is not a definitive indicator of emigration.
The 2011 cohort of graduates is the first group of graduates for which this analysis was conducted. Of this cohort:
• 35% were ‘not captured’ for at least one year in the 10 years since they graduated. Of these, 43% later returned.
• 14%, were ‘not captured’ for more than 8 years.
The HSE Resourcing Strategy was launched in June 2023 and is an action orientated Strategy aimed to be delivered by the HSE. It sets out a comprehensive list of actions which aim to meet the current and future needs of the Organisation. A core element of the HSE Resourcing Strategy involves enhancing the Organisation’s capacity to develop, retain and engage the workforce that will ensure a sufficient domestic supply of health care staff for the future.
1478. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health if there is a clinical nurse manager in place at Carrickmacross Adult Mental Health Services or if it is a position shared across centres; if there was previously a clinical nurse manager in place to this specific site; if so, when this was changed; if there are plans to put in place a clinical nurse manager at Carrickmacross Adult Mental Health Services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56414/23]
View answer1479. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the WTE staff of different grades and positions currently in place at the Carrickmacross adult mental health services; the corresponding figures for January 2020, January 2021, January 2022 and January 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56415/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1478 and 1479 together.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
1480. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the mental health services in place at each relevant care centre in County Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56416/23]
View answer1481. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the average waiting times for first appointment at each mental health centre in County Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56417/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1480 and 1481 together.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
