Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 July 2008
211 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will report on the provision of outpatient cystic fibrosis services at Beaumont Hospital; the number of dedicated cystic fibrosis beds that have been available at Beaumont each year since 2004 to date in 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29038/08]
View answerI have identified the need to improve services for persons with cystic fibrosis as a priority in the Estimates process over recent years. Since 2006, additional revenue funding of €6.78 million has been allocated to the HSE to develop services for patients with cystic fibrosis. The HSE has advised that 44 additional staff dealing with cystic fibrosis have been appointed to date across a number of hospitals, including St. Vincent's, Beaumont, Temple Street, Crumlin, Tallaght, Cork University Hospital, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. The necessary funding is available to facilitate the recruitment of a further 37 staff nationally. Beaumont Hospital operates as a regional centre in providing services to adults with cystic fibrosis. In the 2008 Budget, €2.5 million in capital funding was provided to enable Beaumont Hospital to provide out patient facilities for cystic fibrosis patients. Following discussions between hospital management, consultant respiratory physicians and cystic fibrosis patient representative organisations a decision has been taken regarding the site for a purpose built out-patient facility for patients with cystic fibrosis. A detailed proposal in relation to the development is being prepared for submission to the National Hospitals Office for approval. My Department understands that patients with cystic fibrosis will also benefit from additional single room capacity in the new medical admissions unit at the hospital which is due to open in December. The Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive has been asked by my Department to revert to the Deputy on the operational issue raised.
212 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of people currently waiting for physiotherapy services at Beaumont Hospital; the number of physiotherapists who have been employed at Beaumont Hospital each year since 2002 to date in 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29039/08]
View answerOperational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services is a matter for the Health Service Executive and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall vote. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular issue raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
213 Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will confirm that the cancer unit, St. Michael’s Ward, which also caters for cystic fibrosis patients in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin, Dublin 12, is closed during weekends; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29076/08]
View answerEach hospital funded by the Health Service Executive is required to deliver services within the financial allocation provided. The HSE is involved in ongoing discussions with hospital management regarding its 2008 financial allocation and Service Plan. The Hospital has an overrun of €10 million from last year, and a projected overrun of €14 million this year. The priority of the HSE and hospital management is to ensure that services for children at the hospital are maintained at an optimum level. The initial focus of the discussions on budgetary issues between hospital management and the HSE is on ensuring that all areas of non-pay expenditure are critically examined. In this regard, the hospital made a recent decision to close St. Michael's Ward, which treats a mix of medical patients, a proportion of which are children with cystic fibrosis, at weekends and move to an adjacent ward, St. Joseph's, which also treats a mix of patients including orthopaedic patients. The hospital took the decision to amalgamate these two wards at weekends as the occupancy on both wards was approximately 50% at weekends. As a result, between five and patients, a small proportion of which are cystic fibrosis patients, from St. Michael's Ward are transferred to an adjacent ward at weekends. The infection control team in the hospital is satisfied that there is no additional risk to children as a result of this move. The same standard of care is being delivered to these children. There is no change in the specialised doctors and nurses and medical team caring for the patients who are transferred. On transfer, the children with cystic fibrosis are nursed in single rooms. The medical care delivered to the children remains the same. All patients and families are being communicated to by the nursing staff before they are transferred and there is an opportunity for families' concerns to be addressed by the multidisciplinary team. The only change for the children and their families is the location. There is ongoing monitoring and assessment of the situation by the infection control team.
214 Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health and Children the cutbacks in opening hours of various wards, theatres and other clinical services, the restructuring or recalibration of staff duties and the reduction in secretarial or reception availability that has taken place in the past year in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin 12; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29077/08]
View answerOperational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services is a matter for the Health Service Executive and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall vote. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular issue raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
