Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 February 2013
90. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if he will outline where the 17 posts for the diabetes programme and five posts for audiology services, as outlined in the Health Service Executive National Service Plan 2013 will be located; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7462/13]
View answerPreparations for the national roll out of the Integrated Care Diabetes Programme are at an advanced stage. The HSE has begun to recruit 17 Integrated Care Diabetes Nurse Specialists to support the phased roll out of the Diabetes Programme. Funding for these posts was confirmed in the HSE's National Service Plan for 2013.
The Diabetes Nurse Specialists will spend four days per week working in primary care and one day per week in the secondary care system. The HSE is now finalising arrangements for the designation of the GP practices / Primary Care Teams to which the nurses will be assigned. They will be initially assigned within each ISA to initiatives with a catchment area of 75,000.
The HSE National Audiology Review Group Report (2011) included a recommendation that a new managerial and clinical structure be put in place to develop the service. 5 Audiology posts, comprising a National Lead post based in Dublin and 4 Assistant Leads, one assigned to each of the 4 HSE regions will be appointed. The exact location of the 4 Assistant Lead posts will be finalised shortly.
