Written Answers. - Nursing Staff.
Dan Neville
Question:
342
Mr. Neville
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the status of stoma nurses in each health board; and his views on the information he has received that stoma care nurses are employed by pharmaceutical companies and that the care they provide is linked to the product they are selling rather than the needs of the patient.
[2667/03]
I have made inquiries with each of the health boards-ERHA and have been informed of the following:
Eastern Regional Health Authority: There is a total of eight stoma specialists employed in the ERHA region, all of whom are graded at clinical nurse specialist level and employed directly by the hospital-authority. The breakdown according to hospital is as follows:
|
Hospital
|
Number
|
|
Tallaght
|
1WTE
|
|
St. James's
|
2WTE
|
|
Mater
|
2WTE
|
|
Beaumont
|
1WTE
|
|
St. Vincent's Hospital
|
2WTE
|
Midland Health Board: There are no stoma care nurses employed by the Midland Health Board.
The area has been identified as an emerging service need in recent operational plans. However, in the context of competing needs for available resources the board has not to date been in a position to allocate funding for the establishment of a stoma care nursing service.
Mid-Western Health Board: The stoma care nurse employed by the Mid-Western Health Board has been approved as a clinical nurse specialist by the National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery, under the immediate pathway and is based at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital. The care provided by this nurse is evidence-based and geared to the needs of individual patients.
North Eastern Health Board: The board both directly employs stoma nurses and utilises the services of pharmaceutical companies. The board is currently training nursing staff to provide additional advice and counselling to lessen dependence on private companies and ensure objectivity.
North Western Health Board: A comprehensive and independent hospital and community service is provided by two stoma care nurses based at Sligo General Hospital and Letterkenny General Hospital. These nurses are graded as clinical nurse specialists and are health board employees.
Southern Health Board: A stoma care service is provided by clinical nurse specialists at Tralee General Hospital and Cork University Hospital. These nurses are health board employees.
South Eastern Health Board: In Waterford Regional Hospital there is one clinical nurse specialist – stoma care who provides evidence-based care, advice and follow up to client group. The CNS also acts as a resource for nursing/medical staff in the hospital. In other acute hospitals in the region, nurses with an expertise-knowledge in stoma care, provide a non-biased stoma care service. With the exception of one hospital, representatives from pharmaceutical companies visit the acute hospitals on a three monthly basis on average and interact with the nurse responsible for stoma care and sometimes the clinical nurse manager but do not have direct access to patients. In one acute hospital, a stoma care nurse employed by a pharmaceutical company visits the hospital and, in agreement with nursing and medical management, has access to patients. Care-advice delivered to patients is overseen by nursing and medical staff in the hospital.
At community level, nurses employed by pharmaceutical companies interact with general practitioners and public health nurses. A free-phone number and sometimes the name of a company nurse are displayed on product boxes and as a result many patients contact the pharmaceutical nurse directly for advice-information. In some cases when a client contacts the helpline the nurse employed by the pharmaceutical company organises a home visit and follow up.
Western Health Board: The status of stoma nurses within the Western Health Board is as follows: 1. one clinical nurse specialist stoma care in Mayo General Hospital; 2. one clinical nurse specialist stoma care post between Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe and Roscommon Hospital; and 3. one clinical nurse specialist stoma care post in University College Hospital, Galway. There is also one general nurse working within the department who is qualified in stoma care. All of the above staff are employees of the Western Health Board.
