Jim Higgins
Question:138 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Health the recommended staffing levels for health board geriatric hospitals and private nursing homes.
Written Answers. - Health Board Recommended Staffing Levels.
The management, organisation and provision of services in the health board geriatric hospitals are the responsibility of the health boards in the first instance. This necessarily involves the identification of staffing requirements and deployment of staff having regard to the particular service needs of the geriatric hospitals within the overall context of the budgetary and employment constraints which apply.
Under existing procedures, it is a matter for each health board to identify and submit to my Department on a monthly basis prioritised applications for the filling on a permanent basis of all new and replacement posts. My Department's review of the proposals is undertaken bearing in mind the service and personnel criteria and with particular regard to the availability of financial resources.
In relation to private nursing homes, the Deputy will be aware I commenced the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990, on 1 September 1993. The Nursing Homes (Care and Welfare) Regulations, 1993, also came into effect on the same date. Under the Nursing Homes (Care and Welfare) Regulations, the registered proprietor and the person in charge of the nursing home must ensure that a medical practitioner of the dependent person's choice or acceptable to that person is available to ensure that he or she receives appropriate medical care; a medical practitioner is available to attend the person in the nursing home and to be on call for emergencies; a nurse is on duty at all times; and a sufficient number of competent staff are on duty at all times having regard to the number of persons maintained therein and the nature and extent of their dependency.
A guide to the nursing homes legislation is in preparation which will provide health boards and nursing home proprietors with advice in deciding whether the numbers and type of staff on duty are adequate to meet the needs of residents of a home.
Jim Higgins
Question:139 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Health the staffing levels of nurses, attendants and any other staff which applied to St. John's male ward at the Sacred Heart Home, Castlebar, County Mayo, for day duty and night duty for Sunday, 17 April and Monday, 18 April 1994.
The Western Health Board is responsible for the management of services and deployment of staff in the Sacred Heart Home in Castlebar. I have arranged for the board to write to the Deputy setting out the information requested.