Written Answers. - Departmental Studies.
Bernard Allen
Question:
242
Mr. Allen
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
if he will set out the details of all commissions, working groups and studies ordered by his Department over the last three years; the subjects under consideration; the scheduled dates for these groups to report; and if these reports will be published.
[7320/98]
Details of commissions, working groups and studies ordered by my Department over the last three years are as follows.
(1) A study into the operation of home help services is currently in progress and is expected to be completed in mid-1998. No decision has yet been made as to whether the report of the study group will be published.
(2) An advisory group is at present examining the risk equalisation scheme provided for under the Health Insurance Act, 1994. Risk equalisation may have to be resorted to in order to safeguard the Irish community rated health insurance market. The group is expected to report shortly. A decision in relation to publication will be made following consideration of the report.
(3) Mercer Ltd., the Department's insurance and actuarial advisers, were commissioned to advise on options for the future corporate status of the Voluntary Health Insurance Board. The report, which was completed in January 1998, is not considered appropriate for publication.
(4) The report of the National Task Force on Suicide was published in January 1998.
(5) The University of Southampton was commissioned to carry out an external evaluation of the first general nursing registration-diploma programme which was introduced in 1994. The evaluation was commissioned by the Department of Health and Children in collaboration with An Bord Altranais. The final report is expected in July 1998 and will be published.
(6) A review of the operations of the Nursing Application Centre was carried out by Price Waterhouse management consultants who submitted their report to the Department in 1997. The report has been widely circulated to the various interest groups.
(7) The Commission on Nursing, which is examining the role of nurses in the health service, published an interim report in 1997. The commission's final report is expected in July 1998 and will be published.
(8) A working group to review the child abuse guidelines with a view to improving the identification, investigation and management of child abuse was established recently and has been asked to complete its work by February 1999. The revised guidelines will be published.
(9) A health board working group is drawing up policy recommendations based on the findings of the study of child health services which was completed at the end of 1995. This work is nearing completion. A decision on publication will be made when the group has submitted its recommendations to the Department.
(10) An interdepartmental working group on abortion has been established to prepare a Green Paper on Abortion. The objective is to have the Green Paper completed by summer 1998. The Green Paper will be published.
(11) The National Committee for Certification of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis was established in December 1997 to prepare documentation to certify that Ireland is free of wild polio virus. This is part of a World Health Organisation programme and the committee is not required to produce a report.
(12) Trinity College, Dublin was commissioned in September 1995 to carry out a study into women and crisis pregnancy. The findings of the study were published recently.
(13) The working group on bacterial meningitis was established in 1996 to examine the incidence of bacterial meningitis and related conditions and to make recommendations to strengthen the surveillance and control of these conditions. The group reported in January 1997. Its report was circulated to appropriate personnel and agencies within the health service.
(14) The task force on the Eastern Regional Health Authority was established in early 1997 to oversee and manage proposals for the establishment of an Eastern Regional Health Authority. The task force submitted an interim report in June 1997 which was published in August 1997. The task force's recommendations were approved by Government and legislation for the establishment of the new authority is being drafted at present.
(15) A working group comprising officials of the Department of Health and Children and the health boards has been established to clarify guidelines on eligibility for medical cards, particularly arising from certain provisions of budget 1996 in relation to persons on the live register taking up employment. It is expected that the group will complete its assignment before the end of the year. Its findings will not be for general publication.
(16) The materials management advisory group was set up in April 1995. The group was requested to review all aspects of the supply function within health services with a view to achieving best value for money. The group completed its assignment in May 1997 and its report has been published and distributed within the health sector. It is also available to the general public.
(17) Professor Peter Harper of the University of Cardiff was commissioned in 1997 to carry out a review of development of medical genetics services in Ireland. His report has recently been completed. It is not considered appropriate for general publication.
(18) Mercer Limited, actuaries and insurance consultants, has been retained to examine the existing arrangements for the provision of professional indemnity insurance cover for doctors and dentists employed in the health service and to advise on alterations to those arrangements. Its report was presented to the Department on 20 March 1998. Because the report contains material which is commercially sensitive it will not be published.
(19) A working group on the implementation of the health strategy in relation to persons with a mental handicap was established in late 1995. Its task was to make recommendations on arrangements for a national network to ensure a smooth transfer of funding of voluntary mental handicap agencies from the Department to the health boards. The group reported in December 1996 and its report was published under the title Enhancing the Partnership.
(20) The review group on health and personal social services for persons with physical and sensory disabilities was established to examine the provision of services for persons with these disabilities and to make recommendations as to how those services should be developed to meet more effectively their needs and the needs of their families. The group reported in 1996 and their report entitled Towards an Independent Future has been published.
(21) A research study by the Irish Society for Autism on a number of issues, including mortality rates and causes of mortality in persons with autism, was initiated in 1996 and is due for completion late this year. The results will be published.
(22) A study of residential settings for persons with a mental handicap is being carried out by the Centre for the Study of Developmental Disabilities, UCD. The study will be completed towards the end of the year and the results will be published.
(23) A study into ambulance response times was carried out by UCD and completed in 1997. Detailed reports have been made available to health boards and academic publication is proposed.
(24) Price Waterhouse completed a review of selected hospitals' cost allocation methods in speciality costings in February 1997. The findings were not for general publication.
(25) The Economic and Social Research Institute completed a study in September 1995 relating to the grouping of hospital patient data. Its report, entitled Diagnosis Related Group Assignment for 1994 and 1995 H.I.P.E. (Hospital In Patient Enquiry) Data: the Implications of Alternative Mapping and Grouping Options was not for general publication.
(26) SOLON Consulting carried out a study relating to Casemix, the effective monitoring and comparison, for management purposes, of activity and costs between hospitals. Its report, entitled Day Case Activity in Budgetary Adjustments which was not for general publication, was completed in May 1996.
