Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 September 2021
629. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Health if he will make funding available to provide a diabetes psychology resource to each community diabetes specialist team hub under the Integrated Model of Care for the Prevention and Management of Chronic Disease Implementation Guide; his views on whether access to psychosocial support in these teams should be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46059/21]
View answerIn 2021, significant funding of €150 million was allocated to deliver a programme of Enhanced Community Care, a key component of which is the provision of 30 Community Specialist Teams (CSTs) for the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart failure, COPD, and asthma in the community. Each CST will provide support across three Community Healthcare Networks, serving a population of approximately 150,000 patients per team.
These multidisciplinary teams will support individuals with chronic disease in the community setting by providing specialist care closer to home. The CSTs for chronic diseases will also ensure integration between preventative supports, primary and community care, and acute ambulatory care services.
The Integrated Care Programme for the Prevention and Management of Chronic Disease (ICPCD) focuses on improving the standard of care for four major chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes. The ICPCD leads out in the development and implementation of a model of care for the Integrated Prevention and Management of Chronic Disease in Ireland.
This model includes the provision of chronic disease CSTs and provides a suite of job descriptions for various team roles, which for diabetes includes a diabetes clinical nurse specialist (CNS). The diabetes CNS role includes the undertaking of comprehensive patient assessments to include physical, psychological, social and spiritual elements of care; this assessment is used to develop and implement holistic plans for care management.
Diabetes is a complex condition that can have a profound impact on the quality of life of people living with the condition, the management of emotional and psychological well-being is an important part of diabetes care and self-management. Community specialist care provides supports to the GP to care for patients in the community including diabetes structured patient education services. Self-management education programmes such as Discover Diabetes for people living with type 2 diabetes help provide psychosocial support for people living with diabetes.
