Written Answers Nos. 802-821
802. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health the number of surgeries taking place weekly at Temple Street Children’s University Hospital given that a child (details supplied) who is waiting for emergency surgery has had their surgery cancelled twice now since last May; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36813/20]
View answerIt is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE had to take measures to defer most scheduled care activity in March, April, and May of this year. 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 National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) in accordance with the advice of the World Health Organisation.
Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols. The decision to delay appointments and admissions is not undertaken lightly and when such a decision is made, it is based on the safe delivery of care to all patients.
Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
The National Waiting List Management Policy is a standardised approach used by the HSE to manage scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures. It sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists and was developed in 2014 to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
803. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the health and therapy services that can operate under level 5 restrictions; and if biomagnetic pair therapy is permissible to operate under level 5 restrictions. [36819/20]
View answerThe Government's medium-term strategy Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19, sets out Ireland's approach to managing and living with COVID-19 in a range of areas over the next 6-9 months.
The Plan sets out five levels of response, each with a number of measures designed to help us all lower COVID-19 transmission and setting out what is permitted at that moment in time. It aims to allow society and businesses to be able to operate as normally as possible, while continuing to suppress the virus. Each level outlines what is permitted for social or family gatherings, work and public transport, bars, hotels and restaurants, exercise activities and religious services.
The Plan reflects a careful consideration of the impact of the introduction of restrictions on employment and livelihoods, keeping as many businesses open as possible at different stages, while acknowledging that some businesses and services are critical.
The Health Act 1947 (Section 31A-Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No.8) Regulations 2020, which give effect to the level 5 restrictions under the Plan, provide the list of essential retail and essential services which may operate under level 5 restrictions.
The list of essential services that can remain open during Level 5 includes therapy services provided by a member of a designated profession within the meaning of section 3 of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (No. 27 of 2005). There are seventeen professions designated under the 2005 Act, which are encompassed in the list of essential services. These are: Dietitians, Dispensing Opticians, Medical Scientists, Occupational Therapists, Optometrists, Physiotherapists (which includes Physical Therapists), Radiographers, Radiation Therapists, Social Workers, Speech and Language Therapists, Clinical Biochemists, Counsellors, Orthoptists, Podiatrists, Psychologists, Psychotherapists and Social Care Workers.
Information on the public health measures in currently in place in relation to the different levels, including essential retail and essential services, can be found at www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/resilience-recovery-2020-2021-plan-for-living-with-covid-19/.
Current regulations and other Statutory Instruments related to the Covid-19 pandemic are available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/1f150-view-statutory-instruments-related-to-the-covid-19-pandemic/
804. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that organisations (details supplied) have only received a fraction of the budget they require from the HSE over recent years to provide vital disability support services to families across County Donegal; and the actions that will follow after the meeting between the managers of the organisations and the Minister of State with responsibility for disability on 11 November 2020. [36827/20]
View answerMinister Rabbitte was pleased to meet with representatives from the Bluestack Special Needs Foundation, iCare and the HSE recently. Minister Rabbitte would like to thank all who attended and recognises the important work of these organisations.
As the Deputy's question deals with services funded by the HSE, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
805. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the reason support for student nurses' pay was cut in August 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36833/20]
View answerThe Healthcare Assistance initiative, whereby student nurses and midwives were offered temporary contracts, was in response to the Covid19 outbreak and ceased in August 2020.
This initiative was only ever intended as a temporary measure to provide additional support to the national effort. It also offered some protection to the ongoing education of student nurses and midwives as their clinical placements had ceased.
Clinical placements for Student Nurses have resumed. Travel and accommodation allowances remain available to eligible students on these placements.
In addition, the HSE continues to fund the employment of fourth year student nurses and midwives who are on rostered work placements in hospital settings.
My Department is currently reviewing the travel and accommodation allowances for this year’s student nurses on clinical placements.
806. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans for the public provision of general practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36859/20]
View answerGeneral Practitioners are self-employed private practitioners, most of whom have contracts with the HSE to provide services under various public health schemes. There are no plans at present to directly employ general practitioners. The 2019 GP Agreement includes a commitment to undertake a strategic review of GP services within the lifetime of the Agreement, to examine how best to ensure the provision of GP services in Ireland for the future. The outcome of this review will inform future contractual changes, with preparatory work for the review having begun this year.
As reflected in the Programme for Government, the Government is committed to increasing access to GP services on a public basis, by extending GP care without charges to more children; an important healthcare measure that will remove a potentially prohibitive cost barrier to accessing GP care and will help to improve children’s health as they develop. Ensuring more children have access to GP care without charge is a further step towards the Sláintecare Report recommendation for universal access to GP care, which recognises the need for expansion on phased basis.
The Health (General Practitioner Service and Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Act 2020 provides, amongst other things, for the phased expansion of GP care without fees to all children aged 12 years and under. The initial stage of this phased expansion will be the provision of GP care without fees to all children aged between 6 and 8. However, the appropriate date for commencing the expansion remains under consideration in light of COVID-19 and the additional pressures the expansion might place on general practice in that context and in anticipation of the usual increase in demand for healthcare services over the winter period.
807. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans for increasing the number of general practitioners in the health system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36860/20]
View answerThe Government is aware of the workforce issues currently facing general practice and has implemented a number of measures to improve recruitment and retention in this area.
These include changes to the entry provisions to the GMS scheme to accommodate more flexible/shared GMS GP contracts, and to the retirement provisions for GPs under the GMS scheme, allowing GPs to hold GMS contracts until their 72nd birthday. Enhanced supports for rural GP practices have also been introduced.
The 2019 Agreement on GP contractual reforms will see the Government increase investment in general practice by approximately 40% (€210 million) between 2019 and 2023, providing for significant increases in capitation fees for GPs who participate in the reform programme and the introduction of new fees and subsidies for additional services such as the chronic disease programme. There will also be increased support for GPs working in disadvantaged urban areas, and improvements have been made to maternity and paternity leave arrangements.
The number of GPs entering training has been increased steadily over the previous years, rising from 120 in 2009 to 214 in 2020, with a further increase foreseen in 2021.The planned transfer of responsibility for training GPs from the HSE to the Irish College of General Practitioners, pending the resolution of certain outstanding issues, will allow for further increases in the number of training places in future years.
These measures will see an increase in the number of GPs working in the State, improving access to GP services for patients throughout the country.
808. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans for modernising and integrating data management practices in the health system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36861/20]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy directly.
809. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans for addressing the socio-economic and geographical inequalities in accessing primary and tertiary healthcare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36862/20]
View answerAddressing health inequalities is a key priority for the Sláintecare Programme. In relation to initiatives aimed at improving the health of the population and preventing illness, the Healthy Ireland Programme received funding in Budget 2021 specifically targeted at area-based deprivation. The implementation of this approach requires collaboration across multiple partners in the health and social care services, as well as Local Authorities, community groups, NGOs and others to ensure coordinated development of initiatives to address inequalities. This work is underway with partners and it is anticipated that this will include a particular focus on child health. In addition, the Healthy Ireland Strategic Action Plan, which will guide the implementation of Healthy Ireland to 2025, will include a particular focus on health inequalities. This Strategic Action Plan is expected to be completed in early 2021.
A clear governance and accountability framework was identified as a key building block of Sláintecare by the Committee on the Future of Healthcare. As part of its recommendations in this area, the Committee called for the HSE to become a more strategic and patient-focused ‘national centre’ carrying out national level functions, and the establishment of regional bodies with responsibility for the planning and delivery of integrated care at a regional level. The new Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, recommits to this Sláintecare recommendation, stating “Enhanced governance and accountability in the health service is a key component of Sláintecare reform. The HSE Board is now in place and we must now bring forward detailed proposals on the six new regional health areas to deliver services for patients locally that are safe, high quality and fairly distributed.”
As agreed, when the new Regional Health Areas geographies were announced last summer, a business plan for the establishment of these health areas was expected to be brought to Government for its approval in 2020. The intention was that this plan would set out the high-level organisational design for the health system, including: the respective roles, functions, responsibilities and accountabilities of the Department of Health, HSE centre and new regional structures; the relationship between these entities; and the overall legal construct. Work was underway in the Department of Health and the HSE to develop these detailed proposals, in consultation with stakeholders. Understandably, this work was paused as a result of COVID-19. This programme of work will be given further consideration to take account of the Programme for Government commitment and any new considerations relating to COVID-19.
The programme plan to support the development of the Regional Health Areas included a focus on the development of resource allocation modelling on the basis of population needs assessment. One of the goals of the regional devolvement of health services is the concept of “one region, one budget”. A key factor in implementing this goal will be determining the methodology and approach to the allocation of resources, on a population basis which takes account of need. Clearly, the way in which resources are allocated will be determined by the nature of services provided at national, regional and supraregional level, as well as the governance that determines the flow of resources. It is critical that the approach to resource allocation is equitable, quality-driven, responsive to population health needs, outcomes focussed and sets up regions to deliver best outcomes for available resources. This will be a significant undertaking but one that is critical to the reorganisation of the health and social care service and the operation of regional structures. The initial focus of this work will be on conducting an “as is” mapping of current resource allocation, learning from international approaches, feasibility and readiness assessment and stakeholder engagement. This will inform and enable work to then commence on specification of a geographic resource allocation formula.
810. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status and plans for advancing the central mental health hospital (relocation) Bill; the legislative timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36864/20]
View answerDrafting of the Central Mental Hospital (Relocation) Bill 2020 is almost complete. When the Bill is finalised, it will be submitted to Cabinet for permission to publish, after which its passage through the Houses of the Oireachtas will be scheduled.
The current legal definition of the Central Mental Hospital links it to its Dundrum location. The Bill is a technical requirement to allow its relocation from the 1850 building in Dundrum to a state of the art, purpose built facility in Portrane. It is expected that the facility will open early in 2021.
The Bill is short and technical in nature. Its main provisions are:
- to provide for the relocation of the Central Mental Hospital from its current location in Dundrum to Portrane;
- to provide for the transfer of persons lawfully detained in Dundrum to Portrane, and to provide for transitional arrangements during that transfer;
- to provide for the closure of the Dundrum facility; and
- to provide for the repeal of section 39 of the Mental Treatment Act 1961 (this section renamed the hospital as the CMH and links the CMH to a Dundrum location).
To meet the timeline for relocating, the Bill will need to be passed in a timely way. We are fortunate in having strong cross-party collaboration across the Houses in relation to mental health, and Minister Donnelly and I would appreciate the cooperation of the Oireachtas in this regard. To facilitate and provide as much information as possible to assist with this, my officials have been liaising with the Library and Research Service in the Houses of the Oireachtas with information on this Bill, and will continue to provide updates. My officials will also be happy to provide briefing on the Bill as necessary.
811. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status and plans for advancing the Health Insurance (Amendment) Act 2019 relating to revised risk equalisation credits and so on; the legislative timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36865/20]
View answerThe Government Decision (S180/20/10/2544) of 6th October 2020 approved the drafting of the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2020 to provide for revised risk equalisation credits and corresponding stamp duty levies on health insurance policies for 2021.
Government approval to publish the Bill is expected shortly, which will facilitate the Bill commencing in the Houses before end-month and ensure its timely passage through the Oireachtas before year end.
812. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the current status and plans for advancing the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2019; the legislative timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36866/20]
View answerA General Scheme for a Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill was submitted to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel in October 2019 following Government approval. The General Scheme was also submitted to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health for Pre-Legislative Scrutiny at that time.
A first draft of the Bill is awaited from the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel in the context that there are competing priorities for drafting such as law related to the COVID-19 pandemic and to Brexit.
813. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the current status and plans for advancing the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill 2019; the legislative timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36867/20]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Government approved the drafting of a bill on assisted human reproduction (AHR) and associated areas of research, based on the published General Scheme of the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill. This comprehensive and far-reaching piece of legislation encompasses the regulation, for the first time in this country, of a wide range of practices, including: gamete (sperm or egg) and embryo donation for AHR and research; surrogacy; pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of embryos; posthumous assisted reproduction; and embryo and stem cell research. The General Scheme also provides for the establishment of an independent regulatory authority for AHR.
The drafting of the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill is ongoing by my officials, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General. Requirements arising from the Covid-19 pandemic response have affected the normal workstreams of relevant personnel in both the Department of Health and the Office of the Attorney General and therefore it is not possible at this time to give definitive timelines for the completion of the draft Bill and its subsequent passage through the Houses of the Oireachtas. However, a commitment to enact this legislation is included in the Programme for Government, “Our Shared Future”.
Overall, the provisions outlined within the General Scheme will ensure that AHR practices and related areas of research are conducted in a more consistent and standardised way and with the necessary oversight. The aim of the AHR legislation is to promote and ensure the health and safety of parents and others involved in the process while, most importantly, consideration of the welfare and best interests of children born as a result of AHR is the key principle underpinning the General Scheme.
814. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the current status and plans for advancing the Health (Adult Safeguarding) Bill 2017; the legislative timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36868/20]
View answerIt is presumed that the Deputy's question is referring to the forthcoming Health (Adult Safeguarding) Bill, which is, as yet, undated. The aim of this anticipated Bill will be to underpin, as required, a new overarching national policy on adult safeguarding in the health and social care sector, which is currently under development by my Department further to a Government Decision in December 2017.
A timeline for the preparation of this Bill will be finalised following confirmation of Government approval of this important new sectoral policy. It is currently estimated that the draft policy will be ready for submission to the Government for its approval during 2021, following a public consultation process in early 2021.
As the Deputy will appreciate, development of an overarching sectoral policy of this nature is a complex undertaking, not least because the health and social care sectoral policy will apply across the full spectrum of the Irish health and social care sector including all public, voluntary and private health and social care services and settings and will include proposals on cooperation, collaboration, information-sharing and referral arrangements between the health and social care sector and other relevant sectors. Accordingly, my Department's approach to date has been to undertake the required detailed policy work before formulating the legislation which will underpin it, including legal and policy research, public and stakeholder consultation and resource implication analysis.
Significant preparatory policy development work has been undertaken and the key stakeholder engagement and detailed research phases are essentially complete. Although, in common with other health and social care sector projects, there has been some degree of disruption arising from the Department’s and the wider health system’s lead role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, progress with developing the evidence base and policy has continued throughout 2020.
I trust this is of assistance to the Deputy.
815. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status and plans for advancing the Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Bill 2018; the legislative timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36869/20]
View answerWork is progressing on the drafting of the Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Bill in collaboration with the Office of Parliamentary Council.
Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme has been undertaken by the Joint Committee on Health.
It is envisaged that the drafting process will be complete, and Government approval secured to publish the Bill, in Q1 2021.
816. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status and plans for advancing the Mental Health (Amendment) Act 2018 giving effect to the recommendations of an expert group review on mental health legislation; the legislative timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36870/20]
View answerThe Mental Health (Amendment) Act 2018 makes changes to the Mental Health Act 2001 regarding the definition of voluntary patient and replaces the principle of best interests with principles that support individuals to make their own decisions. The Act also introduces guiding principles for children and refers to capacity within the meaning of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015. The provisions of the 2018 amending Act cannot be commenced until further legislative changes are made and the Decision Support Service, established under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act is operational. The changes in these two acts are based on a number of different recommendations of the Expert Group Review of the 2001 Act.
The Department is currently finalising heads of bill to significantly amend and update the mental health legislation, taking into account the 165 recommendations of the Expert Group Review, which was informed in part by a public consultation, a comprehensive submission by the Mental Health Commission (MHC), and Ireland’s domestic and international commitments, such as the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The provisions of the Mental Health (Amendment) Act 2018 are also being incorporated into the draft heads of bill.
There are over one hundred sections in the draft heads. The Department has included detailed information under each head to allow for expert input from the MHC and the HSE to be provided prior to publication, to allow the Department the opportunity to address any concerns earlier in the process. The draft heads of bill propose to extensively amend and update existing mental health legislation, moving from what has been described as a paternalistic approach in existing statute, to a more patient-centric, human rights-based approach. The Department had hoped to submit these heads for legal advice by year-end 2020, however, the Department is currently awaiting further input from the HSE, which is expected in early December and plans to consider the HSE’s submission and finalise the draft heads prior to submission for internal legal advice, and to the office of the Attorney General, as required, in early 2021.
A new Part of the Act related to children is being advanced separately, and the Department has approached the HSE, the Commission, the Ombudsman for Children and the College of Psychiatrists for their expert opinions on draft heads. The Department received the MHC’s input this week and expects to receive the remaining draft heads in early December 2020, and the new Part on children will be finalised at the same time as the rest of the heads.
817. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status and plans for advancing the National Research Ethics Committees Bill 2019; the legislative timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36871/20]
View answerThe General Scheme of the National Research Ethics Committees Bill was approved by the then government in July 2019. The purpose of the Bill is to legislatively enable the establishment of a national research ethics committee (REC) framework that will reform and modernise the existing REC framework. Th effect will be to enhance health research in Ireland and to make Ireland a more attractive location for international health research.
The General Scheme made clear that a twin track legislative approach involving the use of secondary legislation to establish National RECs in areas covered by EU Regulations would allow more immediate action to be taken in the important areas of clinical trials of medicinal products for human use and clinical investigations of medical devices.
Secondary legislation was possible in those areas because of the EU basis for action. It is relevant to mention that the EU Regulation on clinical trials of medicinal products for human use and the EU Regulation on the clinical investigations of medical devices are both scheduled to come into effect in 2011 so there was an urgency in taking legislative action in those areas.
The establishment of national RECs in other areas of health research requires primary legislation which is the focus of the Bill. Substantive work on the Bill will, as planned, take place when the secondary legislation is completed.
During the course of the preparation of the General Scheme there was engagement with the health research sector and the rationale for the twin track approach was understood and appreciated as the best way to proceed.
As per the General Scheme, the principles and policies that are set out in the secondary legislation in the areas of clinical trials and clinical investigations will be replicated in the Bill thereby providing a consistent and unified structure across the spectrum of health research.
It is also important that the legislation to provide for this type of wide-ranging structural reform needs to be supported by practical operational initiatives if real reform is to be realised on the ground.
In that regard, I can point to the establishment of the National Office for Research Ethics Committee in March of this year. In its first few weeks of existence, the Office was directly involved in setting up successfully a National REC to deal with Covid 19 research. It is now working to ensure that the actions necessary to make the clinical trials and clinical investigations National RECs successful will be in place in early 2021. Part of that process will see the National Office embark shortly on a public expressions of interest campaign to ensure a broadly based and diverse membership of the National RECs.
In providing for a system of national RECs, I want to also make the point that, as in other countries, there will continue to be an important role for local and institutional RECs that are the backbone of the current structure. I also want to pay tribute to the members of those RECs who selflessly give up their time and I hope that many of them will be interested in being involved in the new national RECs.
818. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status and plans for advancing the Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill 2018; the legislative timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36872/20]
View answerMy Department continues to progress work on the Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill which will, for the first time introduce a licensing requirement for all hospitals, public and private, and certain designated high-risk activities in the community. The general scheme of the Bill was approved by Government on 12th December 2017. It underwent Pre-Legislative Scrutiny at the Oireachtas Joint Committee of Health on 13 June 2018 and it is currently with the Attorney General’s Office in order for drafting to be undertaken.
As a precursor or interim step to the Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill, the Government approved, on the 5 July 2018, the general scheme of the Patient Safety (Notifiable Patient Safety Incidents) Bill 2019 which will provide the legislative framework for the extension of the Health Information Quality Authority regulatory remit to private hospitals. This Bill also includes provisions for the establishment of a legislative framework for mandatory open disclosure and reporting of designated serious patient safety incidents and, the provision of certain legislative protections for the conduct of clinical audit against explicit clinical standards on a national basis. It is part of the current Programme for Government, was introduced into Dáil Éireann on the 12 December 2019, passed Second Stage and is due to go to Dáil Committee Stage.
819. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status and plans for advancing the protection of liberty safeguards Bill; the legislative timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36873/20]
View answerHeads of Bill to provide legislative clarity on the issue of deprivation of liberty safeguards are at a relatively advanced stage. A number of complex legal and policy issues which have arisen during the drafting process remain to be resolved.
Work on the Heads of Bill has been paused due to the diversion of resources, as part of the response to COVID-19.
820. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status and plans for advancing the public health (calorie posting and workplace wellbeing) Bill; the legislative timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36874/20]
View answerWork to develop a General Scheme for a Public Health (Calorie Posting and Workplace Wellbeing) Bill is suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be kept under review in the context of the pandemic and available resources.
821. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status and plans for advancing the safe access zones Bill; the legislative timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36875/20]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government Our Shared Future contains a commitment to “Establish exclusion zones around medical facilities”.
It was originally intended to provide for safe access to termination of pregnancy services in the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. However, a number of legal issues were identified which necessitated further consideration and advice.
Women and healthcare staff should be assured that there is existing legislation in place to protect them and to protect patients. My Department has communicated with the HSE to advise on this legislation, and I understand that a communication issued to hospitals and GPs in this regard.
Ensuring access to services remains an ongoing priority for the Department of Health.
