Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 June 2020
618. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health the measures the HSE has taken to reschedule surgeries and other non-emergency medical procedures which have been postponed due to Covid-19 (details supplied). [8865/20]
View answerIn response to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE had to take measures to defer all non-urgent elective scheduled care activity, including outpatient clinics. This was to ensure patient safety and that all appropriate resources were made available for Covid-19 related activity and time-critical essential work. This decision was in line with the advice issued by the World Health Organisation, and the National Action Plan published on 16 March. The trajectory of the disease means there is now an opportunity for increasing the provision of non-covid care including more routine care.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has approved a number of recommendations relating to protecting and maximising the delivery of essential time-critical non-Covid-19 care alongside Covid-19 care. On 5 May, NPHET agreed that its recommendation of 27 March, in regard to the pausing of all non-essential health services should be replaced, in relation to acute care, with a recommendation that delivery of acute care be determined by appropriate clinical and operational decision making. The HSE advise that following this recommendation, they issued advice to clinicians regarding the application of essential risk mitigating steps to be taken in acute settings, in order to ensure the safety of staff and patients. This will have operational implications, which will impact on throughput. Hospitals have now begun to resume elective care in the context of this advice and guidance.
My Department, the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund are currently working together to estimate the impact of Covid 19 on Scheduled Care waiting lists, with a view to informing activity going forward. As the system continues to deliver Covid-19 and non-Covid 19 care side-by-side over a more prolonged period, my Department and the HSE will continue to work closely together to protect essential non-Covid 19 acute care and progress the provision of more routine non Covid-19 care.
Where possible, hospitals are working to find innovative ways to enable service provision, which include virtual clinics for some outpatient department appointments. The HSE website provides details on services currently available and operational in each hospital on its website. This information is reviewed frequently and provides up-to-date announcements on services available at each site (https://www2.hse.ie/services/hospital-service-disruptions/hospital-service-disruptions-covid19.html).
