Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 April 2004
610 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children when he intends to implement in full the recommendation of the commission on nursing that there be a review of nursing staffing in hospitals and homes caring for the elderly; and if he has satisfied himself that nursing staff levels in such homes operated by health boards are of a sufficient level to ensure that in all cases patients can be evacuated quickly in the event of a fire. [11955/04]
View answerThe position on the commission on nursing is that two of its recommendations made reference to nurse staffing levels — paragraphs 7.63 and 9.4. It has been decided to address these recommendations together. A working group has recently been established, chaired by the chief nursing officer of my Department and including representatives of the health service employers agency, the Psychiatric Nurses Association of Ireland, the Irish Nurses Organisation, SIPTU Nursing, IMPACT, employing agencies and the Department of Health and Children. The terms of reference of the group are to agree a common understanding of the term skill-mix in the health care environment and its application in determining nursing staff levels; to identify and evaluate the current systems being utilised in the Irish health care setting and identify areas of best practice; to review literature in relation to the current systems of determining nursing staff levels in a national and international context and to determine whether these systems have the potential to be adopted or modified to suit the Irish health care system and to recommend principles underpinning systems of determining nursing staff levels within the Irish health care system.
Standards of care in private nursing homes are governed by the Nursing Homes (Care and Welfare) Regulations 1993, and, as such, responsibility for staffing issues in private nursing homes is a matter for the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards in the first instance. My Department is currently reviewing the Health (Nursing Homes) Act 1990 and the Nursing Home Subvention Regulations to determine their relevance and efficacy in providing long-term care to the elderly. However, the procedures for evacuating homes in the event of a fire are contained in the health and safety statement of the relevant health board or authority and are, therefore, an operational matter for the health board or authority concerned.
