Sorca Clarke
Question:1406. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the current waiting lists per duration and department in Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, in tabular form. [29012/22]
View answerWritten Answers Nos. 1406-1423
1406. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the current waiting lists per duration and department in Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, in tabular form. [29012/22]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, the attached document, outlines the number of patients on IPDC & OPD waiting lists by time-band and specialty at Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar. This information is also published monthly and is available on the NTPF website at: www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm.
It 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 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 25th of February, allocates €350 million to the HSE and NTPF to reduce waiting lists. Under this plan the Department, HSE, and NTPF will deliver urgent additional capacity for the treatment of patients, as well as investing in longer term reforms to bring sustained reductions in waiting lists.
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 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 Lis 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 programme, 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.
1407. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if a positron emission tomography scan can be expedited in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will address the reason for the long waiting list for the particular scan involved in this case. [29028/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1408. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the reason that the contract tracing system is being centralised to HSE headquarters in central Dublin; if he will consider decentralising the contact tracing system to an area outside of Dublin in which workers would find more affordable accommodation and ease commuter congestion in the capital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29041/22]
View answerChanges to COVID-19 testing and tracing as part of the overall transition arrangements for the pandemic were approved by the Government in February 2022. There is no longer a public health rationale or need for extensive testing, case finding and tracing of infection to reduce COVID-19 transmission. The focus now is on mitigation of the severe impacts of COVID-19 for those most vulnerable to the disease and those with risk factors who may benefit from specific interventions. Full details of the current public health advice are available on the website of the HSE at www.hse.ie.
The HSE is working to implement this advice which will invariably lead to consolidation of resources in fewer centres around the country as the HSE moves through transition phases of the testing and tracing programme in the months ahead. The arrangements with regard to individual test centres is a matter for the Health Service Executive, and I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly in this regard, as soon as possible.
1409. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the HSE West not currently taking new applications for the extensive homecare package, which is homecare in excess of 56 hours per week; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this will force patients who want to be cared-for at home to be cared for in hospitals and long-term care settings; the steps which he is taking to rectify this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29043/22]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1410. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the issues with the HSE national payroll system which caused the delay in the payment of the pandemic bonus payment to eligible HSE staff in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29047/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
1411. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if he will urgently review the case of a child (details supplied); the status of their appointments for autism assessment and speech and language therapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29048/22]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that, as this is a service issue relating to a particular child, it would be inappropriate for me to comment. However, the Deputy's question has been forwarded to the HSE for direct reply.
1412. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the reason a medical card has been refused for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29052/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1413. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital cancellations from 1 January 2022 to the end of May 2022, by month, broken down by hospital and hospital group and cancellation type; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29057/22]
View answerI fully acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when elective procedures are cancelled, particularly for clinically urgent procedures. While every effort is made to avoid cancellation or postponement of planned procedures, the HSE has advised that planned procedures and operations can be postponed or cancelled for a variety of reasons including capacity issues due to increased scheduled and unscheduled care demand.
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.
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.
1414. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total number of patients over 75 years of age on a community or CHO waiting list, broken down by the length of time they are waiting, namely for zero to three months, three to six months, six months to one year, greater than one year and greater than two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29058/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1415. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total number of patients over 75 years of age on an acute hospital waiting list, broken down by the length of time they are waiting, namely for zero to three months, three to six months, six months to one year, greater than one year and greater than two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29059/22]
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 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 25th of February, allocates €350 million to the HSE and NTPF to reduce waiting lists. Under this plan the Department, HSE, and NTPF will deliver urgent additional capacity for the treatment of patients, as well as investing in longer term reforms to bring sustained reductions in waiting lists.
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 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 Lis 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 programme, 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 by the Deputy, the attached document, provided to my Department by the NTPF, outlines the number of patients over 75 years of age on IPDC & OPD hospital waiting lists by time-band and hospital.
1416. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total number of patients over 75 years of age on a diagnostic waiting list, broken down by the length of time they are waiting, namely for zero to three months, three to six months, six months to one year, greater than one year and greater than two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29060/22]
View answerThe HSE advises that a pilot project commenced in 2016 by the HSE Acute Hospitals Division to progress the collection of national radiology waiting list data. The project has been supported by the Radiology Clinical Care Programme and has involved key stakeholders across the system including the National Integrated Medical Imaging System (NIMIS) Team, Hospital Groups, and the support of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) for data collection and data management expertise.
Under this pilot project, data for CT, MRI and Ultrasound are collated quarterly by the NTPF. The purpose of this aggregate data is to provide a National Level overview of the number of patients waiting for modalities of CT, MRI and Ultrasound.
The NTPF has advised that, as the collection of diagnostic waiting list data is still in pilot mode, it is not possible to provide the detail requested by the Deputy.
1417. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total number of patients under 18 years of age on a community or CHO waiting list broken down by the length of time they are waiting, namely for zero to three months, three to six months, six months to one year, greater than one year and greater than two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29061/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1418. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total number of patients under 18 years of age on an acute hospital waiting list, broken down by the length of time they are waiting, namely for zero to three months, three to six months, six months to one year, greater than one year and greater than two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29062/22]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, the attached document, outlines the number of patients under 18 years of age on IPDC & OPD waiting lists by time-band and hospital.
It 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 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 25th of February, allocates €350 million to the HSE and NTPF to reduce waiting lists. Under this plan the Department, HSE, and NTPF will deliver urgent additional capacity for the treatment of patients, as well as investing in longer term reforms to bring sustained reductions in waiting lists.
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 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 Lis 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 programme, 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.
IP Table
0-6 Mths |
6-12 Mths |
12-18 Mths |
18+ Mths |
SmallVolTimeBands |
Grand Total |
|
Inpatient Under 18yrs |
4,786 |
2,025 |
1,012 |
1,311 |
81 |
9,215 |
26/05/2022 |
4,786 |
2,025 |
1,012 |
1,311 |
81 |
9,215 |
Beaumont Hospital |
54 |
29 |
11 |
94 |
||
Cavan General Hospital |
27 |
5 |
32 |
|||
Children's Health Ireland |
2,733 |
1,519 |
867 |
1,084 |
6,203 |
|
Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown |
9 |
9 |
||||
Cork University Hospital |
95 |
27 |
14 |
16 |
152 |
|
Croom Orthopaedic Hospital |
10 |
10 |
||||
Ennis Hospital |
15 |
15 |
||||
Galway University Hospitals |
280 |
115 |
49 |
93 |
537 |
|
Letterkenny University Hospital |
58 |
20 |
7 |
31 |
116 |
|
Louth County Hospital |
10 |
10 |
||||
Mater Misericordiae University Hospital |
26 |
7 |
33 |
|||
Mayo University Hospital |
6 |
5 |
7 |
18 |
||
Mercy University Hospital |
65 |
27 |
13 |
105 |
||
Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar |
35 |
12 |
47 |
|||
Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise |
7 |
7 |
||||
Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore |
120 |
15 |
135 |
|||
National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh |
263 |
64 |
18 |
27 |
372 |
|
Nenagh Hospital |
24 |
6 |
30 |
|||
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda |
62 |
15 |
6 |
83 |
||
Our Lady's Hospital Navan |
12 |
12 |
||||
Portiuncula University Hospital |
30 |
7 |
37 |
|||
Roscommon University Hospital |
28 |
5 |
33 |
|||
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital |
94 |
11 |
6 |
111 |
||
Sligo University Hospital |
172 |
31 |
10 |
21 |
234 |
|
SmallVolHospitals |
39 |
39 |
||||
South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital |
163 |
25 |
5 |
5 |
198 |
|
St. Columcille's Hospital |
9 |
9 |
||||
St. James's Hospital |
14 |
8 |
5 |
27 |
||
St. John's Hospital Limerick |
9 |
9 |
||||
St. Luke's General Hospital Kilkenny |
16 |
6 |
22 |
|||
St. Vincent's University Hospital |
16 |
16 |
||||
Tallaght University Hospital |
27 |
27 |
||||
Tipperary University Hospital |
14 |
14 |
||||
University Hospital Kerry |
28 |
5 |
33 |
|||
University Hospital Limerick |
98 |
50 |
8 |
17 |
173 |
|
University Hospital Waterford |
134 |
26 |
10 |
12 |
182 |
|
Wexford General Hospital |
23 |
8 |
31 |
|||
Grand Total |
4,786 |
2,025 |
1,012 |
1,311 |
81 |
9,215 |
OP Table
Row Labels |
0-6 Mths |
6-12 Mths |
12-18 Mths |
18+ Mths |
SmallVolTimeBands |
Grand Total |
Outpatient Under 18yrs |
44,690 |
20,104 |
9,774 |
21,729 |
34 |
96,331 |
26/05/2022 |
44,690 |
20,104 |
9,774 |
21,729 |
34 |
96,331 |
Bantry General Hospital |
29 |
17 |
5 |
51 |
||
Beaumont Hospital |
469 |
139 |
8 |
616 |
||
Cavan General Hospital |
794 |
158 |
36 |
988 |
||
Children's Health Ireland |
18,616 |
8,974 |
5,270 |
11,364 |
44,224 |
|
Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown |
74 |
7 |
81 |
|||
Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital |
51 |
5 |
56 |
|||
Cork University Hospital |
3,041 |
1,708 |
615 |
1,237 |
6,601 |
|
Cork University Maternity Hospital |
79 |
26 |
105 |
|||
Croom Orthopaedic Hospital |
188 |
53 |
31 |
39 |
311 |
|
Ennis Hospital |
34 |
16 |
6 |
6 |
62 |
|
Galway University Hospitals |
2,980 |
1,535 |
668 |
1,473 |
6,656 |
|
Letterkenny University Hospital |
1,127 |
306 |
176 |
1,000 |
2,609 |
|
Louth County Hospital |
27 |
10 |
7 |
44 |
||
Mallow General Hospital |
192 |
34 |
7 |
6 |
239 |
|
Mater Misericordiae University Hospital |
468 |
138 |
45 |
42 |
693 |
|
Mayo University Hospital |
571 |
261 |
182 |
430 |
1,444 |
|
Mercy University Hospital |
378 |
106 |
37 |
33 |
554 |
|
Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar |
776 |
377 |
128 |
178 |
1,459 |
|
Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise |
647 |
231 |
98 |
104 |
1,080 |
|
Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore |
824 |
405 |
237 |
532 |
1,998 |
|
Naas General Hospital |
71 |
21 |
5 |
97 |
||
National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh |
204 |
77 |
31 |
9 |
321 |
|
Nenagh Hospital |
19 |
10 |
5 |
34 |
||
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda |
1,933 |
1,375 |
435 |
132 |
3,875 |
|
Our Lady's Hospital Navan |
45 |
17 |
18 |
29 |
109 |
|
Portiuncula University Hospital |
557 |
46 |
22 |
64 |
689 |
|
Roscommon University Hospital |
124 |
55 |
21 |
125 |
325 |
|
Rotunda Hospital |
80 |
47 |
127 |
|||
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital |
433 |
188 |
111 |
341 |
1,073 |
|
Sligo University Hospital |
1,233 |
556 |
244 |
378 |
2,411 |
|
SmallVolHospitals |
20 |
20 |
||||
South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital |
1,519 |
489 |
150 |
331 |
2,489 |
|
St. Columcille's Hospital |
80 |
26 |
8 |
114 |
||
St. James's Hospital |
289 |
79 |
44 |
105 |
517 |
|
St. John's Hospital Limerick |
12 |
9 |
21 |
|||
St. Luke's General Hospital Kilkenny |
498 |
36 |
534 |
|||
St. Michael's Hospital |
210 |
25 |
235 |
|||
St. Vincent's University Hospital |
232 |
65 |
14 |
311 |
||
Tallaght University Hospital |
315 |
185 |
88 |
60 |
648 |
|
Tipperary University Hospital |
335 |
181 |
18 |
534 |
||
University Hospital Kerry |
622 |
342 |
118 |
370 |
1,452 |
|
University Hospital Limerick |
2,136 |
829 |
528 |
1,995 |
5,488 |
|
University Hospital Waterford |
1,755 |
851 |
366 |
1,338 |
4,310 |
|
Wexford General Hospital |
623 |
98 |
5 |
726 |
||
Grand Total |
44,690 |
20,104 |
9,774 |
21,729 |
34 |
96,331 |
1419. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of preliminary team assessments carried out on children with disabilities in 2021 and until the end of May 2022, broken down by month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29063/22]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to a service issue, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1420. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total Covid-19 expenditure allocated for 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29064/22]
View answerFunding allocated for 2022 Covid-19 expenditure is €1 billion, comprising €800 million allocated to the Department of Health (Vote 38) and €200 million Covid-19 contingency funding held outside Vote 38, as outlined below:
1421. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total Covid-19-related expenditure in 2022 until the end of May; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29065/22]
View answerAs of 13 June, the latest available information on Covid-19 expenditure is in respect of the period Jan-Apr 2022. Based on the draft monthly Performance Reports from the HSE for this period, total Covid-19 related expenditure for the period Jan – Apr 2022 is €689.85m.
1422. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans to put in place a new contract for non-consultant hospital doctors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29066/22]
View answerMy immediate priority is to ensure that the HSE and other employers honour the terms of the current NCHD Contract and ensure that NCHDs benefit fully from those terms.
NCHDs should not have to work unsafe and illegal hours. They must be given access to training and be able to take annual and study leave. They must also get paid for hours worked. I have written to the HSE asking that they engage with the IMO and that NCHDs benefit from the terms in their contracts in relation to all of these issues. The current contract is place since 2010 and engagement with the IMO on a new contract will follow.
1423. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans to address unsafe and illegal hours worked by non-consultant hospital doctors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29067/22]
View answerAs I confirmed at the recent IMO AGM, the Government is committed to reducing NCHDs working hours and improving their working conditions.
Significant progress was made in reducing NCHDs working hours prior to the pandemic, driven by the work of the National EWTD Implementation Group that included representation from the HSE, the IMO and the Department of Health. This led to significant reductions in average weekly working hours and significant improvements in compliance with the maximum 48 hour working week and the maximum 24 hour shifts previously agreed with the IMO. The Group has now been re-established and will focus on improving compliance, particularly in sites where compliance is identified as problematic. In the longer term, the service delivery model, the number of consultants and the ratio of consultants to NCHDs must be improved to reduce the reliance on NCHDs.
NCHDs should not have to work unsafe and illegal hours. The HSE and other employers must honour the terms of the NCHD Contract and ensure that NCHDs benefit fully from those terms, including terms relating to working hours. They must also be given access to training and be able to take annual and study leave and get paid for all hours they have worked.