Catherine Murphy
Question:545. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of primary care eye teams that are currently based in CHO7: and where these are located, in tabular form. [4079/24]
View answerPrimary Care Services
Questions (545)
Written answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (546)
Niamh Smyth
Question:546. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health why a person (details supplied) is waiting on a cataract appointment in the Mater hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4090/24]
View answerWritten answers
Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service 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 6th October 2023. 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.
Care of the Elderly
Questions (547)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:547. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the financial supports available to older people who wish to avail of assisted living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4108/24]
View answerWritten answers
A key focus of our Sláintecare reform programme is recognising the need to enable older people to age well at home and in their communities. In order to do that, I always speak about the triangle of supports we need to provide, which is composed of home support, Day Care and Meals on Wheels. Those are the three most important things and working in collaboration with each other, they make an important difference to the life of an older person. There should be no doubt that investment in these supports has been a substantial priority for me and for the Government.
Since Budget 2021 we have provided approximately €230 million in additional funding for home support services. In 2022 almost 21 million hours of home support was provided across the country. It is estimated that 21.5 million hours was provided in 2023 and this is expected to rise to 22 million hours in 2024.
Over many years, both Day Care and the Meals on Wheels service have proven to be important components of the community services offered to older people, particularly in rural communities. In May 2023 I announced the allocation of €5.25 million funding for Meals on Wheels and Day Centres for older people to organisations across the country. Budget 2024 has seen increased investment in both areas building on recent investment to support these services. We will be investing an additional €2.7 million in 2024 for Day Care Services, which includes an additional €500,000 provided to increase the provision of in-home dementia day care and an additional €1 million for Meals on Wheels nationally.
I would also like to refer to the Healthy Age Friendly Homes programme, a support coordination service which seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of older adults and to enable them to remain in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. The programme is an innovative collaboration between Health, Housing, and Local Government, delivered through the Age Friendly Ireland Shared Service.
Referral into the programme can be made by the older person themselves, or by a family member, friend, GP, carer, or member of their community. On referral into the programme, their Local Coordinator will carry out a home visit to conduct a holistic assessment of needs in the areas of health, housing adaptations, home energy assessments and retrofits, community and social supports, and assistive technologies. In 2023, local coordinators carried out over 2,000 home visits to older people and provided nearly 2,500 supports across these domains. These have resulted in marked improvements in their quality of life, self-efficacy, loneliness and social supports and enable them to age in place confidently and healthily.
Following a successful Sláintecare pilot in 9 local authorities, I secured €5.2m in Budget 2023 to roll the programme out nationally to all 31 Local Authorities. This is recurring funding and it provides for 1-2 Local Coordinators, employed by Age Friendly Ireland (Meath County Council), to be situated in each local authority across the country. The programme will be coordinated nationally across six regions aligned to the six new HSE Health Regions and is expected to launch in the Spring.
The HSE have advised that in line with the Enhanced Community Care Programme (ECC), their objective is to deliver increased levels of health care with service delivery reoriented towards general practice, primary care and community-based services. The focus is on implementing an end-to-end care pathway that will care for people at home and over time prevent referrals and admissions to acute hospitals where it is safe and appropriate to do so and enable a “home first” approach.
As part of the ECC programme, the Integrated Care Programme for Older People (ICPOP) model aims to shift the delivery of care for older people away from acute hospitals towards a community based, planned and coordinated care model which is closely aligned to Primary Care and Acute sector partners. The objective of the programme is to improve the quality of life for older people by providing access to integrated care and support that is planned around their needs and choices. This supports them to live well in their own homes and communities without the need to access acute care settings.
The HSE, in conjunction with ALONE, is also continuing the roll out of a Support Coordination Service across the country. The Support Coordination Service will support older people to live independently at home for as long as possible, through support coordination and access to services such as practical supports, befriending, social prescribing, assistive technology, and also the coordination of linkages to local community groups. This service is being led out under the Enhanced Community Care (ECC) Programme. The end goal of the Support Coordination Service is to improve the quality of life for older people by improving access to integrated care through working with provider partners, statutory bodies, volunteers, and to provide the right level of care, in a timely manner, in an appropriate location, ideally in a setting of older people’s choice.
Health Service Executive
Questions (548)
Sean Fleming
Question:548. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health to outline the actions being taken by the HSE to protect its assets (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4111/24]
View answerWritten answers
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of the public healthcare property estate, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to you in relation to this matter.
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.
Mental Health Services
Questions (549)
Thomas Pringle
Question:549. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health why the HSE have seen fit to close residential beds for people with enduring mental illness in the SRU unit in Carndonagh, leaving Inishowen without the service of residential beds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4118/24]
View answerWritten answers
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, 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.
Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
Questions (550)
Willie O'Dea
Question:550. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health why frontline workers, who were employed as drivers and receptionists with the midwest region's out of hours GP service Shannon Doc at the height of the pandemic, are not eligible for the pandemic special recognition payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4123/24]
View answerWritten answers
Firstly, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during the Covid 19 Pandemic.
In January 2022, the Government announced a once-off, ex-gratia COVID-19 pandemic recognition payment for certain front-line public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic.
Eligibility criteria for the payment were set following significant consideration and consultation. I can confirm that in order to receive the recognition payment, staff must have:
- Been in COVID vaccination cohorts 1 or 2, and
- Worked ordinarily onsite in a COVID-19 exposed healthcare environment, and
- Worked for at least 4 weeks in the 1/3/2020 – 30/6/2021 period, and
- Worked in a HSE/Section 38 organisation, or one of the following:
1. Private Sector Nursing Homes and Hospices (e.g. Private, Voluntary,Section 39 etc.);
2. Section 39 long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities, working on-site;
3. Agency roles working in the HSE;
4. Health Care Support Assistants (also known as home help / home care / home support) contracted to the HSE;
5. Members of the Defence Forces redeployed to work in front-line Covid-19 exposed environments in the HSE;
6. Paramedic staff employed by Dublin Fire Brigade to deliver services on behalf of the HSE.
Those staff who met all the above eligibility criteria were covered for this payment. It was a hard task to set out the eligibility criteria, but the Government based its decision on certain aspects of all the different roles within the Healthcare sector and certain risks which eligible front-line workers faced. Undoubtedly, immense efforts have been made by all healthcare staff since the onset of the pandemic which has not gone unrecognised.
Nursing Homes
Questions (551)
Fergus O'Dowd
Question:551. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health to outline the details of his Department’s/HSE analysis on the safe staffing and skill mix of nurses and others working in nursing homes, public and private and in care homes; to give an update on findings and recommendations to date; when the final analysis will be completed and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4128/24]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy may be aware the Framework for Safe Staffing is an evidence-based approach to determine safe staffing and skill mix for nursing. It is determined by patient need and demonstrates impact through the measurement of a range of outcomes. The Framework comprises three phrases. Since 2018, two safe staffing policy documents have been published, Phase 1 focused on Adult General and Specialist Medical and Surgical Care Settings and Phase 2 focused on Adult Emergency Care Settings.
Development of these policies was fully supported by Government and they are currently being implemented by the HSE.
Phase 3 of the Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing in Community settings comprises: (i) Long-Term residential care settings for older persons; (ii) Community care settings; and (iii) Step-down and Rehabilitation settings.
My Department is currently testing the first part of Phase 3 of the Framework for Safe Nurse and Skill Mix across a selection of public, private and voluntary long-term residential care settings for older persons. To date, two research reports have been developed, collating data from 8 pilot sites in both private and public settings. The Evaluation of the ‘Pilot Implementation of the Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix in Long Term Residential Settings for Older People, Report 1-Baseline Report” and “Pilot Implementation of the Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix in Long-Term Residential Settings for Older People - Report 2” are available on Gov.ie at www.gov.ie/en/publication/79fb9-framework-for-safe-nurse-staffing-and-skill-mix-phase-3/
Based on the evidence now being collected and analysed, and in line with the recommendation of the COVID-19 Nursing Home Expert Panel, it is my intention that Phase 3(i) be developed into a national policy for broader implementation. Following consideration of a final research report, I expect that the associated national policy document will be published by the end of Q2 2024.
Question No. 552 answered with Question No. 543.
Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
Questions (553)
Cian O'Callaghan
Question:553. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify whether social workers who were working in direct services, e.g. residential care during the Covid-19 pandemic, were entitled to the Covid recognition payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4142/24]
View answerWritten answers
Firstly, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their continuous efforts during the Covid 19 Pandemic.
In January 2022, the Government announced a once-off, ex-gratia COVID-19 pandemic recognition payment for certain front-line public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic.
Eligibility criteria for the payment were set following significant consideration and consultation. I can confirm that in order to receive the recognition payment, staff must have:
- Been in COVID vaccination cohorts 1 or 2, and
- Worked ordinarily onsite in a COVID-19 exposed healthcare environment, and
- Worked for at least 4 weeks in the 1/3/2020 – 30/6/2021 period, and
- Worked in a HSE/Section 38 organisation, or one of the following:
1. Private Sector Nursing Homes and Hospices (e.g. Private, Voluntary,Section 39 etc.);
2. Section 39 long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities, working on-site;
3. Agency roles working in the HSE;
4. Health Care Support Assistants (also known as home help / home care / home support) contracted to the HSE;
5. Members of the Defence Forces redeployed to work in front-line Covid-19 exposed environments in the HSE;
6. Paramedic staff employed by Dublin Fire Brigade to deliver services on behalf of the HSE.
Only those staff who met all the above eligibility criteria were covered for this payment. It was a hard task to set out the eligibility criteria for this payment but the Government based its decision on certain aspects of all the different roles within the Healthcare sector and certain risks which eligible front-line workers faced. Undoubtedly immense efforts have been made by all healthcare staff since the onset of the pandemic which has not gone unrecognised.
Departmental Policies
Questions (554)
Cian O'Callaghan
Question:554. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if there are any additional supports available for carers who are put under physical strain when caring for a person who may require lifting, for example financial aid for physiotherapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4143/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (555)
Johnny Mythen
Question:555. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4155/24]
View answerWritten answers
Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service 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 6th October 2023. 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.
Question No. 556 answered with Question No. 543.