Written Answers Nos. 1756-1776
1756. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of children that have been admitted suffering from Covid-19 per day since the start of December 2021; and the breakdown by hospital including children's wards in general hospitals in addition to children's hospitals by age breakdown, that is, under 5, 5 to 11 and 12 years of age and upwards if possible. [1640/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1757. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health the number of children waiting for scoliosis treatment; the length of time they have been on the waiting list; his plan to ensure that these children receive this treatment as soon as possible; if he plans to make additional funding available to achieve this goal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1641/22]
View answerI sincerely regret that children can experience a long waiting time for scoliosis treatment, and I remain conscious of the burden that this places on them and their families.
This Government’s commitment to improve scoliosis waiting times can be seen in the continued investment in paediatric orthopaedic services. Since 2018, €9 million has been allocated each year to the HSE specifically for the funding of paediatric orthopaedic services. This additional funding supported the recruitment of approximately 60 WTEs in 2018 and 2019 to enable the expansion of paediatric orthopaedic services.
Improving capacity to allow for additional activity is a key driver to improving waiting times. It is therefore welcome that a proposal to fund an additional theatre at Temple Street is currently progressing through the normal HSE capital approval process. In this context the HSE have advised that it is committed to working with CHI to progress plans to access additional theatre and diagnostic capacity in 2022 to support scoliosis, orthopaedic and general paediatric surgery waiting list improvements.
The continued collaboration between CHI and Cappagh has also provided much needed additional capacity and activity through the “Cappagh Kids” initiative. Further activity at Cappagh to support paediatric orthopaedic services will form part of the development of the 2022 Waiting List Action Plan.
This Government continues to invest funding to reduce the amount of time people are waiting for important hospital appointments and procedures. For 2022 €350 million has been committed to improve waiting times, including €200 million in additional funding to the HSE, and funding of €150 million to the National Treatment Purchase Fund. This funding will be used to support the 2022 Waiting List Action Plan which is currently being finalised by the Department of Health. Plans to improve paediatric orthopaedic waiting times will be included within the 2022 plan- an area that remains a Ministerial priority.
Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) has advised that all patients with a diagnosis of scoliosis require a pre-operative work-up prior to spinal surgery, including multiple diagnostic investigations and review by a multi-disciplinary team. The plan of care which is implemented for each patient is tailored to best meet the individual patient's clinical requirements. It is the responsibility of the treating Consultant to clinically prioritise patients for surgery on the waiting list.
The current surge in Covid-19 cases has put increasing pressures on hospitals and ICUs. As part of the response to this the HSE has advised all Hospital Groups to take a series of immediate actions which include a period of prioritising unscheduled care, COVID care and urgent time sensitive work - in particular in Model 4 hospitals.
In relation to the particular query raised regarding the number of children waiting for scoliosis treatment, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible
1758. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Health the reason that cervical screening test appointments were cancelled in December 2021 with no prior warning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1646/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
1760. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the details of the agreement in place between the HSE and private hospitals in respect of access to capacity in private facilities; the number of private hospitals partaking in the agreement; if all participating private hospitals are signed up to equivalent terms; the cost per private bed; if a cost is incurred on unused additional capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1664/22]
View answerIn January 2021 all 18 private hospitals signed a Safety Net 2 agreement to provide additional hospital capacity to the HSE to deal with the surge in Covid-19. Under the agreement the HSE can obtain up to 15% or 30% of the private hospitals’ capacity, depending on certain metrics regarding the level of community transmission of the disease, or numbers hospitalised or in ICUs occurring. The agreement remains in place until between the middle or end of January 2022, depending on the hospital concerned. The arrangement provides that where the HSE invokes the agreement but does not use the full capacity sought it makes a payment for the unused capacity.
The HSE also made use of private hospital capacity, through a Safety Net 3 arrangement it made with the private hospitals, to help it deal with the cyber-attack which occurred in May 2021.
The cost to the middle of December, the latest date for which figures are available, for both arrangements was €142m of which €11 was made for retainer payments.
The HSE and the private hospitals have agreed an amended and extended Safety Net agreement, Safety Net 4, building on the lessons learnt from the operation of Safety Net agreements 2 and 3. The agreement will be submitted to Government shortly for its approval and if Government agrees to it, the details will be made available at then.
1762. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the amount spent on social media by his Department and agencies under his remit in 2021; and the platforms the monies were spent on in tabular form. [1702/22]
View answerIn 2021, my Department spent a total of €21,272.75 on social media advertising campaigns under the criteria in question, a breakdown of which is in tabular form below.
Social Media Spend related to the COVID-19 Communications Strategy, including the SciComm Collective Initiative:
|
Platform |
Amount |
|
|
29888.39 |
|
|
4813.15 |
|
TikTok |
46251.90 |
|
Multiple Platforms |
41818.43 |
Social Media Spend Relating to Palliative Care Consultation:
|
Platform |
Amount |
|
Multiple Platforms |
1,497.19 |
Social Media spend relating to the National Screening Advisory Committee:
|
Platform |
Amount |
|
Multiple Platforms |
4,800 |
Social media spend relating to Healthy Ireland:
|
Platform |
Amount |
|
|
€24,446.63 |
|
|
€9,485.23 |
|
YouTube |
€18,271.83 |
As this question also relates directly to the Health Service Executive, I have asked them to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
Information in respect of the other bodies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for the bodies concerned and the Deputy should contact the relevant Director/CEO/Registrar directly.
1763. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the amount spent on consultancy services by his Department in 2021; the reason for each consultancy; and the name of the consultancy in tabular form. [1720/22]
View answerThe Department's total expenditure in the A7 subhead consultancy for 2021 is as per the table below. It is the policy in my Department only to engage the services of external consultants where highly specialised skills are not available within the Department and, in particular, when such an approach is felt to be more appropriate and cost-effective.
The following table outlines the total amount spent on external consultants in 2021. While some contracts are negotiated on the basis of a daily and hourly rate, others are paid a fee on the basis of reaching a number of milestones during the process and in some case producing a report.
|
Consultant |
Brief description |
Expenditure 2021 € |
|
Ms. Eithne Fitzgerald |
Provision of disability policy analysis expertise and advisory services |
42,350 |
|
Mazars |
Actuarial, accounting, insurance, and economic advice on Private Health Insurance |
108,024 |
|
Mazars |
Embedding Risk Management |
7,122 |
|
Conor Feeney, Barrister at Law |
Legal Advice re Disability Services Transfer of Functions to DCYA |
1,845 |
|
Crowe Advisory Services |
External evaluation report of Patient Advocacy Service and training to inform future approach |
57,349 |
|
Crowe Advisory Services |
Independent Patient Safety Council Project on Open Disclosure Policy |
35,589 |
|
Grant Thornton |
Provision of Data Protection Advisory and Support Services to ensure ongoing compliance with Data Protection obligations |
68,173 |
|
Trinity College |
Evaluation of the 2001 Report of the National Advisory Committee on Palliative Care |
50,511 |
|
MCCP |
Consultancy on Women’s Health Task Force |
79,875 |
|
450,838 |
1764. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of patients who are clinically discharged but who are in hospital; the number of patients who are clinically discharged in hospital for six months or less, between six months and one year, between one year and 18 months, between 18 months and two years and for more than two years. [1742/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1765. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the hospitals that allow patients to confirm appointments by text or email; and his views on whether confirming appointments by phone call is logical at a time when there are not enough staff to man the phones. [1743/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1766. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the evidence that is available that demonstrates that the closing of hospitality at 8 pm reduces the number of Covid-19 deaths or the number of persons in intensive care units; and if he will consider allowing the hospitality sector to reopen for normal working hours. [1744/22]
View answerThe NPHET, in its letter of 16 December, recommended the early introduction of additional measures to slow down the spread of the Omicron variant while the booster programme advances, and its full impact can take effect.
While acknowledging that additional measures would impose a further burden on certain sectors and also on society more generally, the measures were intended to reduce the volume of social contacts, especially in higher risk settings which present super spreader opportunities and those that involve inter-household and intergenerational mixing.
The range of measures recommended by NPHET included reduced opening hours for hospitality and the NPHET stated that "these reduced operating hours will significantly lessen the substantial volume of high-risk social contact taking place in these settings." The NPHET recognised that reduced opening hours would result in some element of displacement of socialisation into private households. However, this displacement was likely to result in substantially less social contact overall than would occur in restaurants and bars operating as they did prior to the introduction of the measure.
The NPHET is due to meet on 20 January to review the public health measures in place and will provide advice to the Government.
The NPHET letters outlining their recommendations to the Government can be found online www.gov.ie/en/collection/ba4aa0-letters-from-the-cmo-to-the-minister-for-health/#letters-from-2022
1767. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of implementing the recommendations of the Independent Body Examining Additional Working Hours to reverse Haddington Road additional hours while maintaining current whole-time equivalent staffing levels in the HSE by staff grade in the wider public health service, his Department and in aegis bodies for each in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1752/22]
View answerThe recommendations of the Independent Body Examining Additional Working Hours have not yet been published. Therefore, I am not able to answer this question at this time.
1768. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the approximate whole-time equivalent reductions across the HSE by staff grade from the full implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Body Examining Additional Working Hours before hiring of replacement staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1753/22]
View answerThe recommendations of the Independent Body Examining Additional Working Hours have not yet been published. Therefore, I am not able to answer this question at this time.
1769. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of phone calls received by the HSE drug and alcohol helpline in each of the past ten years in tabular form. [1756/22]
View answerThis question is more appropriate to the HSE to provide a direct reply.
1770. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the number of persons approved for home support hours but who are awaiting a carer in counties Laois and Offaly, respectively; and the number waiting for more than three and more than six months. [1765/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1773. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health the status of the case of a person (details supplied); and when they can expect an appointment for admission to the National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin. [1778/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1776. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the details of the works that will be carried out in Ballcurris Park, Dublin 11 which he recently announced given Dublin City Council has not been advised of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1786/22]
View answerThe Department of Health has contributed once off funding of €4.75mil to 19 areas selected to partake in phase 1 of Sláintecare Healthy Communities in the form of a Community Enhancement Scheme. This enhancement funding is to support projects that will positively impact on the health and wellbeing of those who live within the selected Communities. This scheme has demonstrated a collaborative approach with local authorities working together with the local community and stakeholders to identify projects that support the increased use of, and access to, amenities in their areas and that invoke an improved sense of community and wellbeing.
As was stipulated in the service level agreement, Dublin City Council alongside the LCDC worked with communities to identify projects that enhance or redevelop existing amenities, or alternatively support new opportunities to address the social determinants of health in their area.
During this process, Balcurris Park was selected for the Enhancement Scheme. Dublin City Council Housing and Community Services together with Dublin City Council Parks, Biodiversity and Landscape Services are developing plans with a newly formed local committee to advance a new community garden space in the park environs and provide new recreational facilities. The expected outcomes are to:
- Increase overall access to and promote use of Balcurris Park through the provision of new trails, walkways and natural play areas that support community healthy place making and wellbeing.
- Install new recreational outdoor gym equipment that promotes health and fitness and delivers positive health impacts to benefit the local community;
- In collaboration with the Ballymun Health and Fitness Initiative and DCC Sports Health and Wellbeing Partnership, promote and market awareness of the new Community Garden space and outdoor gym facilities, including mentoring and coaching.
