Written Answers Nos. 600-619
600. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the detail of the capacity reviews commissioned or put in place by the HSE since its establishment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12807/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
601. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the detail of the workforce planning strategies commissioned or put in place by the HSE since its establishment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12808/22]
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.
602. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the details of the full cost of travel and attendance at international conferences abroad attended by either the Minister, Department officials and staff or HSE officials and staff in each of the years 2016 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12809/22]
View answerMy Department paid the following costs for travel and attendance at international conferences for the years 2016 to 2021 and to date in 2022.
|
Year |
Spend (€000) |
|
2016 |
19 |
|
2017 |
26 |
|
2018 |
14 |
|
2019 |
42 |
|
2020 |
8 |
|
2021 |
1 |
|
2022 (year to 28 February) |
0 |
603. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total number of fully funded acute hospital in-patient beds at the end of year 2005 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12810/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
604. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total number of beds available and fully funded in hospitals by bed type, hospital group and hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12811/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
605. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total number of beds available and funding in the community by bed type and by publicly owned or contracted beds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12812/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
606. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the number of children on waiting lists for grommet insertions by wait times 0-1, 1-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12 months over a year and two years by CHO area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12813/22]
View answerIt is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant work continues to positively impact on waiting times and improve pathways to elective care, acute hospitals have been impacted by operational challenges arising from surges in cases related to the Delta and Omicron variants.
The HSE has confirmed to the Department that 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 Department of Health continues to work with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to identify ways to improve access to care, including through increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services, providing virtual clinics, and increasing capacity in the public hospital system.
The 2022 waiting list action plan, which was launched on the 26th of February, allocates €350 million to the HSE and NTPF to reduce waiting lists by 18% this year which will bring the number of people waiting to their lowest point in five years
Projections for 2022 show that over 1.5 million patients will be added to active waiting lists this year. Many people stayed away from the health service during the pandemic and, as these people come forward for treatment it will place huge additional demand on health services.
Under this plan the Department HSE and NTPF will deliver urgent additional capacity to treat 1.7 million people as well as investing in longer term reforms to bring sustained reductions in waiting lists.
The plan focuses on 15 high volume inpatient day case procedures, including cataracts and hip and knee replacements, so that every person waiting over 6 months for one of these procedures, and who is clinically ready will receive an offer of treatment.
The plan builds on the successes of the short-term 2021 plan that ran from September to December last year. The 2021 plan was developed by the Department of Health, the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and was driven and overseen by a senior governance group co-chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Health and the CEO of the HSE and met fortnightly.
This rigorous level of governance and scrutiny of waiting lists has continued into this year with the oversight group evolving into the Waiting List Task Force. The Task Force will meet regularly to drive progress of the 2022 plan.
This is the first stage of an ambitious multi-annual waiting list plan, which is currently under development in the Department of Health. Between them, these plans will work to support short, medium, and long term initiatives to reduce waiting times and provide the activity needed in years to come.
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.
607. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the additional measures put in place or planned measures to be put in place by his Department and the HSE in relation to cyber security; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12814/22]
View answerImproved IT security measures have been put in place within my Department. A complete security review of the infrastructure was undertaken and specialised software has been installed to mitigate against malicious software, and to provide early warning notifications of same. The system is fully monitored, providing for a rapid response to any notified incidents.
My Department, in conjunction with our security partner, the National Cyber Security Centre and the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, continue to assess requirements against best practice and industry standards when upgrading ICT infrastructures.
Regular updates are issued to staff regarding cyber security issues and my Department is currently sourcing a mandatory Cyber Security Awareness Training platform to develop and deliver an ongoing security programme, aligned with the Department’s policies, that will provide topical and engaging material in order to promote cyber security awareness and reinforce a culture of best practice.
In respect of the HSE, as this is a service matter, I have asked them to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
608. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the number of surgical theatres in public hospitals by hospital group and hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12815/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
609. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the amount of theatre time available in public hospitals by hospital group and hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12816/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
610. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total number of diagnostic tests and examinations carried out by the HSE in each of the years 2016 to 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12817/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
611. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total number and full cost of diagnostic tests and examinations outsourced by the HSE in each of the years 2016 to 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12818/22]
View answerIn relation to the particular queries raised, as these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
612. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the number of dentists working in the public system in each of the years 2005 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12819/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
613. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the number of orthodontists working in the public system in each of the years 2005 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12820/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
614. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists signed up to the dental treatment service scheme for the year end in each of the years 2010 to 2021 and to date in 2022 by the numbers signed up but who have not made any claim for payment in any given year and to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12821/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
615. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the number of whole-time equivalent surgeons employed in public hospitals by hospital group, hospital and speciality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12822/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
616. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total revenue and capital funding provided for each level 4 hospital in each of the years 2010 to 2021 and to date in 2022, by revenue and by capital funding in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12823/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
617. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of patients waiting over 12 hours in an emergency department in each of the years 2010 to 2021 and to date in 2022, by hospital group and hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12824/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
618. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of patients waiting over 24 hours in an emergency department in each of the years 2010 to 2021 and to date in 2022, by hospital group and hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12825/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
619. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of patients waiting over 36 hours in an emergency department in each of the years 2010 to 2021 and to date in 2022, by hospital group and hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12826/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
