Christopher O'Sullivan
Question:203. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the main policy achievements and initiatives undertaken by his Department during 2021; and his main priorities for 2022. [62197/21]
View answerWednesday, 15 December 2021
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Written answers
My Department is engaged in policy development and implementation across the full spectrum of issues that impact health and wellbeing in Ireland. To support the Deputy, I have listed below the main policy achievements and initiatives undertaken by my Department in the last year which mark significant milestones in the development of health policy for Ireland. Relevant policy documents are available in detail on gov.ie/health. Further details of the main achievements made in 2021 will be documented in the Department of Health Annual Report 2021. This document will detail the achievements of my Department over that time, in particular our achievements as they relate our commitments in the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future.
- My Department continues to provide ongoing advice in relation to the overall response to COVID -19.
- In 2021, my Department has driven key legislative work including the preparation of over 50 Statutory Instruments under the Health 1947 Act in order to provide for the public health measures required by Government in response to Covid-19.
- The Sláintecare Implementation Strategy & Action Plan 2021-2023 was approved by Government in May 2021. The new Strategy builds on the progress of Sláintecare reform to date and on the lessons learned from COVID-19. It aims to ensure that people can get timely care as close to their own homes as safely as possible and will focus on prevention initiatives to promote health and well-being. It will also support those requiring more targeted health and social care interventions through a population planning approach and will progress the vision of universal healthcare. A mid-year progress report on implementation of the Strategy & Action Plan was published on 10 September 2021.
- The Waiting List Action Plan was published on 7 October 2021 and is aimed at mitigating the impact of the pandemic and the cyber-attack on scheduled care activity this year.
- The HSE Winter Preparedness Plan for 2021/2022 was published on 15 November. The Plan aims to ensure that the health service is prepared for the challenges of winter 21/22 in the context of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. €77 million is being invested in this year’s winter plan, in addition to the retention of €400 million of last year’s winter plan funding that has been locked into the regular annual funding base for 2022.
- There was a commitment to deliver an additional permanent 1,146 acute beds over the number available on 1st January 2020, by the end 2021. It is expected that 849 of these beds will be open by year end with the remainder to open in 2022
- The opening of the CHI Tallaght Outpatient and Emergency Care Unit on 15 November 2021 is a major milestone in the new children’s hospital project. The new facility will deliver services in a modern, fit for purpose environment and will significantly expand outpatient capacity, providing 17,000 additional outpatient appointments and seeing more than 25,000 Emergency care attendances annually.
- The establishment of two Major Trauma Centres is one of the major commitments of the Trauma System for Ireland. In April Government approved the designation of the Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Dublin as the Major Trauma Centre (MTC) for the Central Trauma Network. Recruitment in 2021 enabled the commencement of phase one of the development of the MTC at the Mater and facilitated the development of Planned Trauma Care in the MTC for the South Trauma Network, Cork University Hospital.
- Significant progress was made in implementing the Strategic Plan for Critical Care, which was brought to government in December 2020. 297 permanent adult critical care beds are now open, an increase of 42 over the 2020 baseline of 255. Funding is in place to increase this to 340 beds by late 2022/early 2023.
- In 2021 the National Ambulance Service (NAS) invested €10m development funding into strategic goals outlined in its five-year strategic plan, Vision 2020. The NAS is currently finalising a new strategic plan to build on the progress made under Vision 2020.
- A Women’s Health Action Plan for 2022 is currently being finalised and is expected to be brought before Government in the coming weeks.
- The revised Implementation Plan for the National Maternity Strategy - Creating a Better Future Together 2016-2026 was published on 19 November 2021. Significant progress has already been made in implementing the Strategy since its launch in 2016, including the development of the Supported Care Pathway, the roll out of community-based midwifery care and implementation of quality and safety frameworks. The revised Implementation Plan sets out in detail the roadmap to ensure the National Maternity Strategy is implemented in full within the timeframe originally intended. It presents clearly all outstanding actions, their status and the timeframe required for each.
- As a result of the significantly increased funding in 2021, implementation of the National Maternity Strategy has been further progressed. Additional WTEs have been added to maternity services in 2021 resulting in further development of community-based midwifery services, increased choice for women and improved access to specialist services, including obstetric, endocrinology, perinatal pathology, neonatology and perineal services.
- On 11th May, funding of €1.58m was announced to provide an additional 24 Lactation Consultants across hospital and community settings, that are required to implement the National Breastfeeding Action Plan and ensure timely skilled assistance for mothers who wish to breastfeed.
- Significant progress has been made in relation to the implementation of the Model of Care for Ambulatory Gynaecology with seven “see and treat” clinics now operating and with the establishment of seven more clinics underway. Similarly, four of the six new Regional Fertility Hubs under Phase One of the Model of Care for Infertility are operational, with the final two due to become operational in 2022.
- Healthy Ireland published the Healthy Ireland Strategic Action Plan in May, 2021, setting out the actions and priorities for the next 5 years of Healthy Ireland implementation. Healthy Ireland also managed the cross-sectoral Keep Well campaign, which provided supports for population resilience in the context of Covid-19, from October 2020 to June, 2021. Healthy Ireland has partnered with Sport Ireland for a citizen engagement campaign called “Let’s Get Back” to encourage people to return to sport and physical activity. Healthy Ireland is also currently running it’s “Let’s Get Set” public engagement campaign. The Healthy Ireland Survey, 2021 was published on 7th December, 2021, providing very valuable data with regard to the health behaviours of people living in Ireland, in the context of Covid-19.
- In 2021, Sláintecare and Healthy Ireland, working with the HSE and local authorities and community agencies, launched the Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme to provide increased health and wellbeing services in 19 community areas across Ireland where health and wellbeing risk factors may be particularly concentrated.
- Healthy Ireland’s National Healthy Campus Framework was launched in July 2021. The Framework will help higher education institutions across Ireland to embed health and wellbeing into campus life for staff and students.
- The Healthy Ireland Healthy Workplaces Framework is being published during the week commencing December 13th, 2021. The National Healthy Workplace Framework provides strategic direction and flexible guidance for workplaces to promote health and wellbeing among the Ireland's workforce. The Framework was underpinned by robust evidence and consultation with key stakeholders and aims to improve the health of workers in both public and private sectors.
- The HSE Model of Care for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in children and adults was launched on March 4th, World Obesity Day. This sets out how healthcare for children, young people and adults living with overweight and obesity in Ireland should be organised and resourced now and into the future.
- A Roadmap for Food Product Reformulation in Ireland was launched on 3rd December. This fulfils a key objective of the Obesity Policy and Action Plan by setting targets for the reduction of the levels of saturated fats, sugar and salt in processed foods. The establishment of a Food Reformulation Task Force to implement the Roadmap was also announced with funding being provided by Healthy Ireland to resource the Taskforce in the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.
- Tobacco Free Ireland 2020 Annual Report was published on 9 September 201. Tobacco Free Ireland is Ireland’s national tobacco control policy. It sets a target for Ireland to be tobacco free by 2025. A detailed action plan has been developed outlining the time frames and responsibilities for the implementation of actions under the policy. This Report is the latest update on the implementation of actions under the policy.
- Smile agus Sláinte, the National Oral Health Policy (2019) includes developing oral health promotion programmes focussed on improving oral health throughout life. The first of a series of evidence reviews being undertaken on behalf of my Department is nearing completion and will inform future development of programmes, post pandemic.
- Significant progress was made toward operationalising the Medical Cannabis Access Programme and consultants can now register patients with the HSE.
- The National Cancer Strategy Implementation Report and Key Performance Indicators for 2020 was published on 5 May 2021. Progress on implementation of the National Cancer Strategy has continued throughout 2021, with investment of €20m having a significant impact on access to cancer diagnostics, treatment and supports.
- The National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC) launched the first ‘Annual Call’ for proposals from the public on new population-based screening programmes that may be adopted in Ireland, as well as submissions on proposed changes to existing screening programmes.
- Preparatory work is underway for a new palliative care policy for adults, to update the 2001 policy. In 2021 my Department commissioned the HRB to complete an evidence brief of national adult palliative care policies across four countries: Australia, New Zealand, Scotland and the Netherlands. The Department also commissioned Trinity College Dublin to complete a review of the implementation of the 2001 palliative care policy. Finally, the Department held a public consultation from 14th September to 25th October 2021 through an online survey to understand public views on palliative care in Ireland. The findings from these three pieces of work will inform the new palliative care policy for adults.
- My Department published the mid-term review of the national drugs strategy Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery and the six strategic priorities for the remaining four years of the strategy, 2021-2025. The strategic priorities will strengthen the health-led approach to drug use and align with the EU Drugs Strategy and Action Plan. The mid-term review of the strategy shows significant progress in implementing the action plan for the period 2017 to 2020, with only a small number of the 50 actions outstanding.
- The 3rd Progress Report on implementation of the COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel’s (NHEP) recommendations was published in September 2021. Many of the short- and medium-term recommendations have already been implemented. The third progress report highlights the achievements in implementing nationally focused recommendations as well as detailing the ongoing supports under NHEP to the Nursing Home Sector. A final progress report will be published following the completion of the Implementation Oversight Team and Reference Group oversight structures in February 2022, as the 18-month timeframe envisaged in the Panel’s report draws to a close.
- The Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone policy implementation status report was published in Q3 2021.
- Significant progress was undertaken to update the Mental Health Act 2001. Draft Heads of Bill were approved and published by Government in July 2021.
- Proof of concept of the Community Virtual Ward (CVW) model is complete and published.
- The Disability Capacity Review to 2032 was published in July 2021. In order to drive the process of implementing the recommendations of the report, a Disability Action Plan Framework was also published which sets out key priorities over the period to 2025.
- Ireland’s second One Health National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2021-2025 (iNAP2) was published jointly by my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) in November 2021. iNAP2 is the successor plan to Ireland’s first National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2017-2020 (iNAP1). National Action Plans on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) are an international commitment for Member Stares of both the European Commission and the World Health Organization (WHO). iNAP2 includes 90 actions specific to human health across the 5 WHO Strategic Objectives.
- In November, 15 applications submitted from Ireland’s Rare Disease / Highly Specialised Care Centres of Expertise, were approved to join the European Reference Networks (ERNs). This achievement will be pivotal to drive innovation, training and clinical research for highly specialised care in collaboration with the established momentum of the ERN model which incorporates the most talented clinicians and investigators in the European Community and also for individuals and families affected with rare diseases.
As set out in the Letter of Determination 2022 issued by my Department on the 2nd November, I have prioritised 15 key areas to be incorporated by the HSE into NSP 2022. These priorities for 2022 include:
- Addressing waiting list and waiting times.
- Advancing women’s health.
- Protection from COVID-19.
- Progressing National Strategies in the areas of cancer, trauma, dementia care, palliative care, paediatric model of care (including the new National Children’s Hospital), the National Ambulance Service Strategic plan, organ donation and transplant initiatives and the Safe Staffing Framework for nursing.
- Supporting the advancement of programmes of work in line with the Sláintecare objectives.
- Supporting the implementation of eHealth and health-related recommendations of the National Recovery & Resilience Plan.
- Ensuring that the wider health and wellbeing agenda is reflected throughout the planning of services.
- Progressing capacity expansion.
- Improving access to mental health services.
- Enhancing and integrating services for older persons.
- Improving access and enhancing specialist disability services.
- Protecting vulnerable homeless people.
- Introducing new drugs in line with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 to enable continued reimbursement of cost-effective new medicines.
- Continuing key reform and governance projects.
- The Winter Plan.