Written Answers Nos. 762-781
762. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the policy of Letterkenny University Hospital regarding staff members wearing masks throughout the hospital campus; and if complaints have been received from the public about staff and personnel not wearing masks in the hospital over recent weeks or months. [36501/20]
View answerSaolta Hospital Group advises that Letterkenny University Hospital follows the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) guidance in relation to wearing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). As of September 2020, healthcare workers have been required to wear a surgical mask when in busy public areas of healthcare facilities, even if they do not expect to be within 2m of another person for 15 minutes or more.
We are advised that Letterkenny University Hospital has not received complaints from the public in relation to staff and personnel not wearing masks in the hospital over recent weeks or months.
763. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 122 of 4 November 2020, if expenses relating to consultant fees, scans, treatment and future medical expenses can be covered or reimbursed to front-line workers during their recovery from an illness contracted while working on the front line caring for patients with Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36532/20]
View answerAs I had advised the Deputy on the 4th November in response to the initial question raised, all Covid-19 tests and GP assessments are free of charge, including GP out-of-hours services to all citizens, not just public health sector workers.
Covid-19 has been deemed a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organisation and classified as an infectious disease under the provisions of the Health Act 1947. In the interests of ensuring the maximum protection of public health, all persons in the State, irrespective of eligibility status, who require services for the diagnosis and treatment of this infectious disease will access such services free of charge as a public patient. Providing all Covid-19 related health services on a single public patient pathway ensures that access to treatment will be prioritised on a clinical needs basis only.
764. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when respite services for older persons will be resumed in Ballybofey, County Donegal; if alternative supports are available during the suspension of respite services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36541/20]
View answerAs these are operational matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
765. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the guidelines on water births; if the HSE has advised that home-birthing parents can no longer have water births; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36548/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
766. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health when full public health services will be restored (details supplied) allowing for baby development checks to be carried out on time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36551/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
767. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health his views on the high rate of neonatal brain injury for two years running in Cork University Maternity Hospital; his views on whether this is an outlier when it comes to other maternity hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36569/20]
View answerThe National Women & Infants Health Programme has been established within the HSE to lead the management, organisation and delivery of maternity, gynaecology and neonatal services. As the body responsible for the oversight of neonatal services, and as the lead member of the National Neonatal Encephalopathy Action Group, the Programme is best placed to respond to the Deputy’s question. I am therefore referring this enquiry to them for direct reply to you, as soon as possible.
768. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the reason the HSE in the CHO 2 community care area has made a decision not to provide further occupational therapy reports in support of applications for housing grants such as mobility aids grants and housing adaption grants for persons with a disability to Galway county and city councils in view of the extra cost burden this will put on vulnerable persons; his plans to issue an instruction to reverse this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36645/20]
View answerThe Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
769. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has the ability to include a clause in its contracts with private companies to require a portion of the profits made as a direct result of HSE contracts to be reinvested in the services locally here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36681/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
770. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status of and position regarding the steps being taken to ensure the delivery of the 2018 trauma strategy for all fracture patients; the plans in place to increase the staffing of current fracture liaison services across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36682/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
771. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the provisions that will be provided to increase capacity in overnight respite care for persons with disabilities from the current four beds for the entire Inishowen region, County Donegal; his future plans for meeting the needs of the service users and their families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36739/20]
View answerThe Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
772. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if queries raised in correspondence (details supplied) relating to the nursing home temporary support scheme will receive a response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36741/20]
View answerI thank the Deputy for raising this issue.
The HSE is the administrator for the Nursing Homes Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme and as such, would be the appropriate channel for the individual referred to by the Deputy to address her queries.
The Head of Service for the HSE Nursing Home Support Scheme can be contacted at the following address: olderpeople.operations@hse.ie.
773. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if concerns raised by a person (details supplied) about a nursing home will receive a response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36744/20]
View answerI am aware of how difficult a time it has been for those who have lost a loved one during the pandemic, and was thankful for the opportunity to meet some of families who had a family member who passed away in Dealgan House during this very challenging period.
As you may be aware, HIQA conducted an inspection of the nursing home in question. The main objectives of this inspection are to determine the standards of care and support being provided to residents and to assess the registered provider’s statutory compliance with the regulations, as well as the governance, management and risk systems in place. The inspection report has been published on the HIQA website.
Minister Donnelly and I have committed to reverting to the families and continue to consider the concerns raised.
774. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the date of publication of the elective hospital oversight board group report on the elective hospital in Cork; where this report can be found; if there has been a delay in the publication of the report, the reason for same; and when the report will be published. [36749/20]
View answer775. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the groups, stakeholders and expert bodies on the elective hospital oversight board group, specifically in respect of the hospital in Cork. [36750/20]
View answer776. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health when the elective hospital oversight board group was established; and the functions and reporting responsibilities of same. [36751/20]
View answer777. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if the catchment area analysis conducted by the elective hospital oversight board group in respect of the elective hospital in Cork will be provided. [36752/20]
View answer778. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the status of the high-level facilities spatial brief currently being conducted by the elective hospital oversight board group in respect of the elective hospital in Cork. [36753/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 774 to 778, inclusive, together.
In 2019 the Sláintecare Programme Implementation Office (SPIO) established an Elective Hospitals Oversight Group, under the joint governance of the Health Service Executive, Department of Health and Sláintecare, to guide the development of the elective/ambulatory sites, as outlined in the National Development Plan (February 2018).
The direction set out in the National Development Plan stated that “New dedicated ambulatory elective only hospital facilities will be introduced in Dublin, Galway and Cork. These facilities will provide high volume, low complexity procedures on a day and outpatient basis, together with a range of ambulatory diagnostic services. The high volume of demand for such services in these major urban centres is sufficient to justify the construction of dedicated ambulatory centres.” The introduction of these dedicated elective/ambulatory sites is also in line with the recommendations of the 2018 Health Service Capacity Review and the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy (August 2018).
The Elective Hospitals Oversight Group has the following terms of reference:
1. To develop the elective hospital capacity with a ten-year horizon of need, which facilitates the separation of scheduled and unscheduled care.
2. To provide quicker, higher quality, safer care for selected, elective patients.
3. To create capacity for acute hospital sites and reduce/eliminate outlier boarding (trolleys).
4. To drive down waiting lists, both outpatient and inpatient/day case.
5. To reduce cancellations.
6. To reduce acute hospital footfall.
The Membership of the Electives Hospitals Oversight Group is as follows:
Professor Frank Keane (Chair) (Surgeon)
Laura Magahy (Executive Director, Sláintecare )
Greg Dempsey (Deputy Secretary, DoH)
Dr Alan Smith (Deputy Chief Medical Officer, DoH)
Dr Vida Hamilton (National Clinical Advisor and Group Lead Acute Operations, HSE)
Dean Sullivan (Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, HSE)
Yvonne Goff (Director of Integrated Information Service and Scheduled Care Transformation Programme, HSE)
Paul De Freine (Chief Architectural Adviser, HSE Estates)
Mr Kenneth Mealy (Surgeon)
Aonraid Dunne (Principal Officer, Capital/infrastructure, Strategy and Policy Division, DoH)
Andrew Conlon (Principal Officer, Acute Hospitals Policy Division, DoH)
Administrative and specialist support has been provided by SPIO, RCSI, and the HSE.
The Oversight Group is following the process outlined in the Public Spending Code. As required under the Code, members of the SPIO and the EHOG drafted a Strategic Assessment Report for the development of Elective Hospital facilities. This sets out the rationale for investment, the alignment of the programme with strategic requirements of Government, some initial options and potential costs, and the governance of the programme. This document is complete and is going through the approval channels.
A high-level facilities Spatial brief, including costs, a functional description and process flow, a site options appraisal and a Preliminary Business Case (PBC) in accordance with the public spending code is also under preparation. This will be delivered before the end of 2020.
779. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if a roadmap to clear the backlog for children waiting for occupational therapy assessments will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36754/20]
View answerThe Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, recognises the need to improve services for both children and adults with disabilities through better implementation and by working together across Government in a better way.
The Government commits to prioritising early diagnosis and access to services for children and ensuring that the most effective interventions are provided for each child, to guarantee the best outcomes.
As this question relates to a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
780. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify the sick leave arrangements for healthcare professionals in a circumstance (details supplied); if such staff should remain on Covid illness benefit or be forced to use their own illness benefit; if there is a national policy on same; if each hospital group has autonomy to make their own rules regarding same; the arrangements in place in the circumstance in which a staff member subsequently exhausts his or her illness benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36756/20]
View answer781. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the policy on sick pay for workers who have been diagnosed with long Covid; if there is a consistent policy across the HSE and all hospital groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36765/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 780 and 781 together.
The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) have prepared and circulated guidelines for public sector employers and employees in relation to Covid-19 hr issues, such as that which you have raised. These arrangements apply not only across the HSE and the Hospital Groups, but to all civil and public service employees consistently.
In line with that guidance document, Special Leave with Pay applies in lieu of sick leave for Covid-19 where an employee is required to self isolate and is displaying symptoms of Covid-19, or has had a positive test. While sick leave is not being utilised for these purposes, the general principles applying to the management of sick leave, for example the requirement of employees to contact managers, and for ongoing contact with employees who are on special leave for this purpose, do apply.
As stated within the DPER guidance document, public service employees who can avail of the special leave with pay for COVID19 are excluded from claiming the special DEASP COVID-19 illness benefit payment.
Full details from the DPER Guidance FAQs are available to view at this website:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/0cfe6-update-24th-august-2020-to-guidance-on-working-arrangements-during-covid-19-for-the-civil-and-public-service/
