Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 May 2014
26. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a report on the introduction of insulin pump treatment for children and young persons with diabetes; if he will indicate the posts that have been filled to carry out this treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21203/14]
View answerThe Paediatric Diabetes Working Group was established in 2011 under the auspices of the Paediatric and Diabetes Clinical Programmes. One of the recommendations from the Diabetes Expert Advisory Group was that Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion (pump therapy) should be the primary treatment option in children, especially those aged less than 5 years of age; and consequently, the working group developed a model of care for the provision of insulin pump therapy to children under 5 years with type 1 diabetes.
There are 5 paediatric diabetes centres in Ireland providing insulin pump therapy: Cork University Hospital; Limerick University Hospital/Galway, which is a shared service; Children's University Hospital, Temple Street; Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin; AMNCH Tallaght Hospital. Outside of a 0.5 WTE Diabetes Specialist Nurse, all of the 4.2 WTE staff for this service are in place.
