Written Answers Nos. 876-895
876. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Health if funding will be provided to appoint a clinical psychologist to the diabetes multidisciplinary team in University Hospital Limerick as soon as possible.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51229/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
877. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been brought to a campaign (details supplied) which calls for the recruitment of 100 additional neurological nurse specialists including nine in University Hospital Galway; his plans for the recruitment of these additional neurological nurse specialist positions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51230/21]
View answerIn 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.
878. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the cost to date to the HSE of the Covid tracker app; the average daily numbers checking in their Covid-19 status for each month since it was launched; the number of close contacts identified as a result of the app in each of the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51231/21]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of the Covid Tracker App, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
879. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the usefulness of the Covid tracker app is undermined at this stage given the very limited numbers routinely checking in their status or leaving their tracker on continuously to aid identification of close contacts; and if a case has been made to end the service or to encourage the public through a publicity drive to re-engage with the app given the dangers of the Indian strain of Covid-19. [51232/21]
View answerOver 3.5 million citizens have downloaded COVID-19 Tracker App to date and it has been a very successful national digital tool in the continued fight against COVID-19, supporting and speeding up the test and trace services response. The international evidence suggests that we need 25% for it to be effective and we have reached 34% of people over the age of 16 years. Public messaging campaigns around public health continue to promote the app as one of the public health measures to mitigate against the spread of Covid-19.
The app also has a separate function to store citizens EU Digital Covid Certificate if they wish to do so. This has led to a surge in the number of people downloading the app since Ireland started issuing certificates in July of this year. As vaccination rates increase, I am aware that some EU Member States are considering now retiring the Exposure Notification System within their contact tracing apps. Any decision to retire the Covid Tracker App, or features within it, such as exposure notifications, will be taken in line with national public health advice.
880. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if the new elective hospital will cater for both day care procedures and procedures that require inpatient care;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51234/21]
View answerThe development of elective hospital facilities in Dublin, Cork and Galway is in line with the National Development Plan, the Health Service Capacity Review, the Programme for Government and the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy & Action Plan 2021-2023.2
Greater elective care capacity created by Elective Centres will release capacity in existing hospitals for non-elective and inpatient activity. In addition, being able to dedicate more resources towards non-elective and inpatient care could enable patient pathway improvements as well as operational performance. All these impacts could result in faster treatment for patients and enable them to receive better health outcomes and experience.
The additional delivery capability provided by the proposed ECCs would create significant value for the wider public hospital network. In particular, this initiative will free up significant theatre space, bed capacity and further enables the separation of elective and non-elective care.
Surgical stay patients are not included within the scope of these new ECCs as it is assumed that these, by definition, more complex procedures will be carried out within the public hospital network. It is also likely that this approach will better suit patients, for example, making it easier for family visits.
The Elective Hospitals Oversight Group, under the joint governance of the HSE, Department of Health and Sláintecare, is guiding the development of the elective hospitals, following the process outlined in the Public Spending Code.
A Preliminary Business Case (PBC) has been completed and is undergoing internal review in the Department of Health. If approved, the PBC will be further evaluated by the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform and submitted to Government for consideration.
881. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the plans in place to regulate the area of homecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51236/21]
View answerEnabling people with care-needs to continue to live independently at home for as long as possible is a priority for the Government. To advance this, the Government is committed to establishing a new, statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support services, which the Department of Health is currently developing. It is intended that the new scheme will provide equitable and transparent access to high-quality services based on a person’s assessed care-needs.
Work is on-going within the Department to progress the development of the new scheme within the broader context of the Sláintecare reforms. This work encompasses the development of the regulatory framework for the new scheme; the examination of the options for the financing model for the scheme; and the development of a reformed model of service-delivery.
With the aim of ensuring that all service-users are provided with a standard, high-quality level of care which is safe, effective, and person-centred, it is envisaged that the regulatory framework will comprise (i) primary legislation for the licensing of public and private home support providers; (ii) minimum requirements (regulations); and HIQA National Standards for Home Support Services.
Earlier this year, Government gave approval to draft a General Scheme and Heads of a Bill to establish a licensing framework for home support providers. This is being progressed by the Department with a view to bringing it through the Houses of the Oireachtas at the earliest opportunity. It is expected that the primary legislation will give the Minister for Health the power to make regulations in respect of minimum requirements which will form the criteria against which a provider’s eligibility to hold a licence will be determined. The Department recently commenced a targeted stakeholder consultation on these draft minimum requirements. In addition, HIQA recently ran a public scoping consultation to inform the development of their National Standards for Home Support Services.
In parallel to this, work is ongoing in relation to the development of a reformed model of service delivery for home support. Within this context, funding was secured in 2021 for the HSE to progress the roll-out of interRAI as the standard assessment tool for care-needs in the community; the pilot of a reformed model of service-delivery for home-support; and the establishment of a National Office for Home Support Services.
The testing of the reformed model of service delivery for home support is scheduled to commence in November 2021 in CHO 8 (Longford / West Meath). Recruitment issues associated with backfilling of posts has impacted on release of interRAI Care Coordinators in CHO 2 (Galway), 4 (South Lee) and 7 (Dublin West). This has necessitated phased introduction of pilot sites however it is expected that all will be fully operational by January 2022. A comprehensive and robust operational model for the roll-out of the interRAI has been developed which will facilitate effective, efficient, fair and transparent care needs assessment and planning and appropriate service delivery. The interRAI outputs and pilot site evaluation will be critical to inform legislative and funding decisions in relation to the statutory home support scheme.
130 posts have been funded for the national rollout of the interRAI Ireland system as the standard assessment tool for care-needs and recruitment for these posts is scheduled to commence in this quarter. In addition, a National Home Support Office will be established before the end of the year.
The Sláintecare Implementation Strategy and Action Plan 2021–2023 commits to the advancement of the development of the new home-support scheme in 2021 and to the commencement of its implementation in 2022. While the new home-support scheme is under development, the Government is prioritising improving access to home-support services. As part of Budget 2021, funding for an additional 5 million hours of home-support was provided. This additional allocation will be maintained in 2022. This increased investment will contribute to meeting the Programme for Government commitment to providing equitable access to home-support services. Data which has been provided since the cyber-attack is provisional and subject to change. At the end of August 2021, the preliminary data indicates that about 13.2 million home support hours had been provided to 53,905 people. This is about 2 million more hours compared to the same period last year.
882. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the status of plans to reform the current centralised ambulance system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51238/21]
View answer883. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the reason for the above two hour wait in the case of persons (details supplied);; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51239/21]
View answer885. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the number of ambulances in the public system since 2006; the number of ambulances deployed in each county since 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51241/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 882, 883 and 885 together.
As these are service matters I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
884. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for an ambulance in each county since 2011;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51240/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
886. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a campaign (details supplied); his plans to recruit the additional nurses needed nationally and in Tallaght University Hospital which based on catchment area, national and international guidelines should have 20 neurology nurses but currently only has 3.5. [51245/21]
View answerIn 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.
887. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the degree to which he remains satisfied that measures to combat Covid-19 remain sufficiently robust to achieve their initial objective; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51255/21]
View answer888. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if interim calming measures are being contemplated to address any new Covid-19 issues arising; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51256/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 887 and 888 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government will meet on the 19th October to consider the next steps in relation to the management of COVID-19. The National Public Health Emergency Team are meeting on the 18th October and will provide advice to Government in this regard.
889. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which research has shown whether unvaccinated groups are directly contributing to a re-emergence of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51257/21]
View answerThere are likely to be multiple factors contributing to transmission of COVID-19 in Ireland including increased mobility and social interaction across society. While a significant proportion of infections are occurring in the unvaccinated population (both those who are ineligible by age, as well as those who are eligible but have not taken up the opportunity to be vaccinated) the current force of infection is resulting in a significant number of infections in older, vaccinated people. Recent surveillance data in Ireland indicate that the proportion of all hospital admissions who are not fully vaccinated is high in proportion to the number of non-vaccinated people that remain in the population. As of 12th October 2021, at least 33% of hospitalised cases of COVID-19 were not fully vaccinated while the number of unvaccinated patients in ICU remains high, representing 64% of ICU admissions. The recent increase in COVID-19 incidence in Ireland continues to be closely monitored by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).
890. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which plans to put in place a new winter programme are afoot; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51258/21]
View answerThe health sector is expecting to face significant challenges this winter in providing emergency care and dealing with Covid-19 in addition to the normal challenges of the Winter period.
The Government has provided a significant investment of €1.2bn in budget 2021 to expand capacity, increases services and support reform and this level of investment is being maintained in budget 2022. An additional €22m is also being allocated in budget 2022 to enhance specific additional winter initiatives in 2022.
HSE plans will ensure that the health service is prepared for the challenges of Winter 21/22 and that the substantial level of investment being committed to by Government is reflected in the Winter Plan 2021/22. This will build on last year’s significant investment allocated to the Winter Plan and the additional capacity delivered in health services in 2021 to deliver considerable improvements in emergency department performance.
The winter plan will provide for the appropriate, safe and timely care for patients by ensuring insofar as possible that effective levels of capacity and resources are in place to meet the expected growth in activity levels.
891. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the intended progress with the Sláintecare programme; if changes are anticipated in respect of its original function; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51259/21]
View answerThe Sláintecare Implementation Strategy & Action Plan 2021-2023 was approved by the Government in May 2021. The six-month progress report, published last month, indicated that of the 112 deliverables, 109 were on track or progressing with minor challenges. I would expect that progress would continue at pace in 2022, supported by the allocation in Budget 2022 of €21 billion, the biggest ever investment in Ireland’s Health and Social Care Services to deliver Sláintecare.
A new Programme Board is being established to ensure that the drive for universal healthcare is fully embedded in both the Department of Health and the HSE. It will be co-chaired by the Secretary-General of the Department and the Chief Executive Officer of the HSE and will also comprise senior members of the Management Board and Executive Management Teams. It is in the process of being constituted and is expected to have its first meeting in the near future. The Board will report to me. The Cabinet Committee on Health will continue to report as appropriate.
892. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the source of the indication to impede the regionalisation features of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51260/21]
View answerThe Department of Health is actively progressing the delivery of a Business Case for RHA Implementation at present. Substantial work has been undertaken over the past several months in progressing regional health areas (RHAs) within the Department of Health. Research into international best practice has been completed. Policy options have been drafted. Consultation with stakeholders including patients, clinicians, policymakers, and hospital group and community healthcare organisations officials has taken place. An advisory group of clinicians and patient representatives is being established to inform the implementation process.
In Q2 2021, given the immense pressures the health service experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and cyberattack, the HSE asked me to pause implementation of RHAs for a period of time. In recognition that structural and functional change is time consuming, I agreed to that request in order that HSE senior officials could devote their time to managing the vaccination rollout and cyberattack recovery.
893. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which a special programme incorporating Sláintecare can be utilised to deal with hospital waiting lists as well as ensuring that no further waiting lists are created; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51261/21]
View answerThe Sláintecare Implementation Strategy & Action Plan 2021-2023 committed to developing a Multi-Annual Waiting Lists Reduction Plan. My Department, the HSE and the NTPF is working on that Plan to address waiting lists and bring them in line with Sláintecare targets over the coming years. This process will be overseen by a Ministerial Taskforce chaired by the Secretary General of my Department and including representatives from the HSE and National Treatment Purchase Fund.
Furthermore, I published an Acute Waiting List Action Plan on the 7th of October. This plan, to run to December 2021, was drawn up in consultation between my Department, the Health Service Executive and the National Treatment Purchase Fund and will address the increase in acute hospital waiting lists arising from the impact of Covid-19 and the cyberattack.
For 2022 an additional allocation of €250 million, comprised of €200 million to the HSE and €50 million to the National Treatment Purchase Fund has been provided in respect of work to reduce hospital and community waiting lists. The €250 million will be used to fund additional activity in both the public and private sectors. The €50 million additional funding provided to the NTPF brings its total allocation for 2022 to €150 million, and as a consequence there will be a budget of €350 million available to support vital initiatives to improve access to acute hospitals and community health services.
894. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which an evaluation has been done in respect of the full staff requirements to tackle and eliminate hospital waiting lists in respect of all procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51262/21]
View answerThe Sláintecare Implementation Strategy & Action Plan 2021-2023 committed to developing a Multi-Annual Waiting Lists Reduction Plan. My Department, the HSE and the NTPF is working on that Plan to address waiting lists and bring them in line with Sláintecare targets over the coming years. This process will be overseen by a Ministerial Taskforce chaired by the Secretary General of my Department and including representatives from the HSE and National Treatment Purchase Fund.
While the plan is under development, it is likely to recognise that staff are the health service's greatest resource and that strategic workforce planning and investment will be key to its success.
895. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the number of patients currently awaiting cardiovascular treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51263/21]
View answer896. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the number of patients currently on orthopaedic waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51264/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 895 and 896 together.
It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted in the last nineteen months as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently as a result of the ransomware attack. While significant progress was made in reducing waiting times from June 2020 onwards, the surge in Covid-19 cases in the first quarter of 2021 and the associated curtailment of acute hospital services, coupled with the ransomware attack of May 2021, has impacted waiting times.
My Department, the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) are focusing on improving access to elective care in order to reduce waiting times for patients. These plans include increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services where minor procedures are provided at the same time as outpatient consultations, providing virtual clinics and increasing capacity in the public hospital system.
On the 7th October I published the Acute Waiting List Action Plan. This plan, to run until December 2021, has a series of targeted measures that are designed to address the growth in waiting lists caused by Covid-19 and the cyber-attack.
In addition, my Department, the HSE and the NTPF are also working on a Multi Annual Waiting List Plan to bring waiting lists in line with Sláintecare targets over the coming years. This process will be overseen by a Ministerial Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary General of my Department and includes representatives from the HSE and National Treatment Purchase Fund. The plan will be informed by the lessons learned from the successful Vaccine Taskforce.
For 2022 an additional allocation of €250 million, comprised of €200 million to the HSE and €50 million to the National Treatment Purchase Fund has been provided in respect of work to reduce hospital and community waiting lists. The €250 million will be used to fund additional activity in both the public and private sectors. The €50 million additional funding provided to the NTPF brings its total allocation for 2022 to €150 million, and as a consequence there will be a budget of €350 million available to support vital initiatives to improve access to acute hospitals and community health services.
The information requested by the Deputy concerning, the number of patients currently on orthopaedic waiting lists, is outlined in the attached document. In relation the information requested by the Deputy concerning, the number of patients currently awaiting cardiovascular treatment, the NTPF have advised my Department that, there is no specific cardiovascular specialty. However, the attached document outlines the IPDC waiting list for cardiovascular-related procedures which include: Cardiology, Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Vascular Surgery and Paediatric Cardiology.
