Wednesday, 20 Mar 2013

Written Answers Nos. 99-108

Nursing Staff Provision

Questions (102)

Timmy Dooley

Question:

102. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied with the number of public health nurses currently employed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13840/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The Government has decided that the numbers employed across the public service must be reduced to address public expenditure levels and meet its fiscal and budgetary targets. The health sector must make its contribution to that reduction. The primary aim is to cut the cost of services and not the services themselves. However, in 2013, Primary Care funding of €20 million nationally will be invested to support the recruitment of prioritised front-line primary care team posts and enhance the capacity of the primary care sector. The HSE's 2013 National Service Plan has identified approximately 250 Primary Care posts, including Public Health Nurses, Registered General Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Speech and Language Therapists, that will be filled using the Resource Allocation model, which is based on deprivation and need and was developed by the HSE's National Primary Care Office and Health Intelligence Unit. Using this model, the HSE has completed a detailed analysis of the numbers and distribution of the above health care professionals. The analysis revealed considerable variation across the 17 Integrated Service Areas in ratios of health care professionals to population, and to population numbers in areas of high deprivation. Based on this analysis, it proposed that of the approximately 250 posts, 70 Public Health Nurses and 37 Registered General Nurses will be recruited to Primary Care Teams. It is my firm intention, along with my colleague the Minister for Health, to have these posts filled as soon as possible in 2013. I am confident that these additional posts will have a positive impact on the ongoing development of services in the community, giving people direct access to integrated multidisciplinary teams of health professionals.

Hospital Bed Numbers

Questions (103)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

103. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if capital works to increase bed capacity will be undertaken to compensate for the further 22 bed closures signalled for St Mary's Hospital, Castleblayney, County Monaghan, in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13767/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Hospital Trusts

Questions (104, 136, 150, 155, 503)

Michael McGrath

Question:

104. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health when he will be announcing the reconfiguration of hospital groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13846/13]

John Browne

Question:

136. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health when the new hospital groups will be formed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13836/13]

Dessie Ellis

Question:

150. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health if he will detail plans for hospital groups in respect of all hospitals in the Health Service Executive Dublin North East area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13773/13]

Micheál Martin

Question:

155. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health when the new hospital groups will be formed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13861/13]

Sean Fleming

Question:

503. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the date on which the plan in relation to the grouping of regional hospitals will be published; the implications for the hospitals in Portlaoise, Tullamore and Mullingar; the services that will not be continuing in the region in the long term in view of the possible breaking up of the four hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13722/13]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 104, 136, 150, 155 and 503 together.

We have a large number and range of acute hospitals in Ireland, all of which are held in high esteem and used mainly by local people for the majority of their hospital care. However, the provision of modern, high-quality and safe care requires increasing levels of co-operation and overarching systems of governance and communication. We know the traditional practice of providing as many services as possible in every hospital is neither sustainable nor safe. Experience in Ireland and abroad teaches us that a co-ordinated system of care is clearly better for patients than a sporadic approach from hospital to hospital. The formation of Irish acute hospitals into a small number of groups, each with its own governance and management, will provide an optimum opportunity for hospital services to be configured to deliver high-quality safe patient care in a cost-effective manner. It was with this in mind that I appointed Professor John Higgins in June of last year to chair a strategic board on the establishment of hospital groups. I have received Professor Higgins's report, which is based on a comprehensive consultation process and contains almost 60 recommendations on the formation, management and governance of hospital groups, all of which are strongly endorsed by the strategic board. I will submit this report to the Government shortly to consider it and to decide on the final formation of each hospital group. I appreciate that this report and the related Government decision are anxiously awaited. This is the most radical and most fundamental modernisation of our health system infrastructure since the foundation of the State. I take very seriously my obligation to consider the report closely and assure myself and my Cabinet colleagues that it provides a robust basis to enable timely access to a high-quality and sustainable hospital service for those who need it. The Government will decide on the initial make-up of hospital groups which will be established on an administrative basis pending the legislation required to set up hospital trusts by 2015. Before those trusts are established, the composition and functioning of the groups will be reviewed. If changes prove necessary, then they will be made with Government approval when the hospital trusts are being formed. As such, it would be inappropriate and merely speculative to comment on the prospective impact of the formation of hospital groups on individual hospitals in advance of the consideration of the Higgins report by the Government.

Question No. 105 answered with Question No. 38.

Question No. 106 answered with Question No. 17.

Question No. 107 answered with Question No. 7.

Question No. 108 answered with Question No. 42.