Michael Ring
Question:497 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the way in which a person (details supplied) in County Mayo was reviewed for home help; and how their home help reduction can be justified. [15289/03]
Written Answers. - Home Help Service.
The Western Health Board is responsible for the provision of the home help service in the Mayo area. My Department has asked its chief executive officer to investigate the matter and to reply direct to the Deputy as a matter of urgency.
Michael Ring
Question:498 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of people in the WHB region who have been assessed for home help in the past six months; the number of people who have had their home help provision increased; and the number of people who have had their home help hours reduced, giving figures for each of the counties in the board's region on a monthly basis. [15290/03]
The WHB is responsible for the provision of health services in the west. My Department has made inquiries and the board's chief executive officer has advised that the details sought are as follows:
Home Help - 2003
|
No. of people assessed |
No. of peoplewho had hours increased |
No. of people who hadhours reduced, after review |
|
|
Galway |
|||
|
January |
36 |
0 |
0 |
|
February |
36 |
0 |
0 |
|
March |
45 |
4 |
3 |
|
April |
52 |
2 |
1 |
|
May |
48 |
2 |
0 |
|
Mayo |
|||
|
January |
92 |
17 |
5 |
|
February |
52 |
23 |
21 |
|
March |
107 |
22 |
32 |
|
April |
83 |
17 |
41 |
|
May |
77 |
17 |
17 |
|
Roscommon |
|||
|
January |
15 |
2 |
0 |
|
February |
28 |
0 |
0 |
|
March |
18 |
1 |
0 |
|
April |
17 |
0 |
1 |
|
May |
10 |
0 |
4 |
Following a request by a public health nurse or the family, a visit to a client takes place in order to assess their home help needs. The criteria used in deciding to increase or decrease home help hours includes family take-over of client, improvement of the client's condition so he/she no longer needs the same level of service, a move to a nursing home or hospital, or a change in the client's circumstances from when the service was originally allocated.
Michael Ring
Question:499 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the basis on which a person (details supplied) in County Mayo was assessed for home help, giving details of the justification for the reduction in their home help hours in view of their needs. [15291/03]
As the Deputy will be aware, the responsibility for the provision of the home help service in the Mayo area rests with Western Health Board. My Department has, therefore, asked the chief executive officer of the board to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and reply direct to him, as a matter of urgency.
Michael Ring
Question:500 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the way in which a person (details supplied) in County Mayo was reviewed for home help, giving details of the recommendations of their reassessment in view of their needs. [15292/03]
As the Deputy will be aware, the responsibility for the provision of the home help service in the Mayo area rests with Western Health Board. My Department has, therefore, asked the chief executive officer of the board to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and reply direct to him, as a matter of urgency.
Michael Ring
Question:501 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the basis for the review of home help hours for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and the way this person's needs have changed since their previous assessment. [15293/03]
As the Deputy will be aware, the responsibility for the provision of the home help service in the Mayo area rests with Western Health Board. My Department has, therefore, asked the chief executive officer of the board to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and reply direct to him, as a matter of urgency.
Ciarán Cuffe
Question:502 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Health and Children the status of plans to provide a neurosurgery unit in Galway; and his views on the reasons for delays, in view of the fact that a private donor has offered the necessary funding. [15302/03]
As the Deputy is aware, I have asked Comhairle na nOspidéal to carry out a review of neurosurgical services and to prepare a report for my consideration. Comhairle has been asked to focus, in particular, on the provision of adequate capacity and consideration of equity of access to neurosurgical services having regard to best practice in the provision of quality health care I understand that the work of the Comhairle committee on neurosurgical services is ongoing.
Decisions in relation to the further organisation of neurosurgical services will be informed by the Comhairle report. In that connection, representatives of the Western Neurosurgery Campaign, who are associated with the very generous offer of $4 million, met with the Comhairle committee to put their case for neurosurgical services to be located in the west.
A preliminary estimate of the projected completion cost of the proposed project – construction, fees, equipping and other costs – is around €20 million capital and an initial estimate of the running costs of such a unit is around €5 million to €6 million per annum.