Written Answers Nos. 853-872
853. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated number of additional staff, physical capacity and funding required to increase the number of outpatient hospital appointments carried out by 5%, 10% and by 20%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37385/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
854. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated number of additional staff, physical capacity and funding required to increase the number of outpatient hospital appointments carried out by 5%, 10% and by 20%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37386/22]
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.
855. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated number of additional staff, physical capacity and funding required to increase the number of inpatient hospital appointments and procedures carried out by 5%, 10% and by 20%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37387/22]
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.
856. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent posts working in emergency departments broken down by post type, hospital and hospital group and if he will make a statement on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37388/22]
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.
857. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of days of elective or planned procedures that were cancelled in hospitals from 2018 to date, broken down by month, hospital and procedure type; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37389/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
858. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of patients with Covid in hospitals from January to date in 2022, broken down by week, month and hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37390/22]
View answerAttached is a daily list by hospital of the count of confirmed Covid-19 cases in 29 acute hospitals (critical and non-critical) at 8 a.m. from January to date.
859. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans to manage any outbreak of the flu in 2022, including the use of flu vaccines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37391/22]
View answerIreland's National Immunisation Programme, which is operated by the Health Service Executive, includes the provision of the seasonal influenza vaccination to all individuals in specified at-risk groups.
Prior to 2020/2021, the influenza vaccination was available without charge to Medical or GP Visit card holders in one of the at-risk groups. Those, in these groups, who did not hold a medical card or a GP visit card were provided the vaccine without charge and typically paid an administration fee to have the vaccine administered.
In 2020/2021, given the potential for the winter influenza season to coincide with a resurgence of COVID-19 and the importance of minimising hospital attendance for the treatment of influenza, the Government expanded the provision of vaccination without charge to all of those in the at-risk groups, regardless of eligibility status.
This expanded programme ensured that those most vulnerable to the effects of influenza had access to vaccination without charge. This was intended to encourage uptake and thereby result in a reduction in the number of influenza-related hospital admissions and in the overall spread of influenza in the community. This expanded programme will be continued during the 2022-2023 flu season.
As the management of any flu outbreak is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly on this aspect, as soon as possible.
861. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the plans that he, his Department and the HSE are making to equip hospitals to manage the winter months in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37393/22]
View answerI have personally witnessed the challenging conditions in emergency departments during recent site visits. I have requested that the HSE set out short-term immediate actions to alleviate the pressure on EDs and ensure that our hospitals are ready for winter. I also requested the development of a longer-term plan for reform and improvement of unscheduled care, in line with expected increases in demand driven by population growth and an aging population. This plan will build on the substantial investment over the past two years in initiatives such as additional capacity, more staff, increased home care packages and greater GP access to diagnostics.
I met senior officials from the HSE recently and was updated on progress in developing plans and I instructed the HSE to urgently commence the implementation of all feasible short-term actions, in advance of finalising the plans, to mitigate pressure at each ED. We are due to meet tomorrow to further progress this priority area.
My Department and the HSE will continue to work together to develop a programme with a suite of longer-term actions to deliver systemic change to how unscheduled care is delivered.
862. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of outpatient and inpatient hospital appointments, and procedures, carried out from 2018 to date in 2022, broken down by hospital, hospital group, speciality and year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37394/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
863. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total number of hospital appointments and procedures carried out in hospitals from 2018 to date in 2022, broken down by hospital, hospital group, speciality, and year and year to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37395/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
864. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of nurses, healthcare assistants, consultants, non-consultant hospital doctors and radiographers who left the HSE to work in the private sector or abroad from 2016 to date, and further broken down by year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37396/22]
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.
865. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans to extend services and supports to patients with epidermolysis bullosa in budget 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37397/22]
View answer866. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans to extend services and supports to patients with epidermolysis bullosa such as ring-fenced funding for home nursing care for those with severe EB, provision of an EB outreach nurse to support adults living with EB and increase mental health supports for people living with EB; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37398/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 865 and 866 together.
As these question relates to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
867. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing free general practitioner care to all children under 12 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37399/22]
View answer868. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of extending the general practitioner visit card only to an additional 50,000 persons, 100,000 persons and 250,000 persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37400/22]
View answer872. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health further to a Dáil Éireann debate on 1 July 2022, on the estimated cost of delivering free general practitioners care to all citizens and the estimated cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37404/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 867, 868 and 872 together.
GMS contractors receive a range of capitation rates, fee per service payments and practice supports. The cost of GP visit and medical cards varies significantly with the age of the cardholder. Cost calculations require complex and detailed modelling exercises to account for a range of demographic changes, future projections of service demands and variation in the number of GPs and the allowances that could be paid.
Consultations with the IMO, representing GPs, would be held prior to expansions of GP visit card eligibility and would include discussions on the scope of services to be provided and the rate of fees payable to GPs for the provision of the services.
For these reasons, it is not possible to give the actual cost of extending GP care without fees to further cohorts or to large set numbers of persons. However, the 2019 IGEES paper Costing Framework for the Expansion of GP Care provides a cost estimate for expanding GP care without charges to all children aged 12 years and under and for universal free GP care. The 2018 ESRI study Universal GP care in Ireland: Potential Cost Implications also provides a cost estimate for universal free GP care.
Department of Health IGEES staff are currently working on possible options for expanding eligibility to GP care on a phased basis. This analysis includes consideration of costs, demographics, demand and GP capacity.
869. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who, as part of a review process, did not have their medical card or general practitioner-only card extended for the years 2018 to date, broken down by year and month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37401/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
870. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he is committed to an inquiry into the handling of Covid-19 in nursing homes; the form that such an inquiry will take; the timeframe for such an inquiry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37402/22]
View answerThere has been a clear national commitment to continue to learn from the pandemic and where necessary to ensure that the public health-led approach evolves, as evidence and learning materialises.
The Taoiseach has indicated that a comprehensive evaluation of how the country managed COVID-19 will provide an opportunity to learn lessons from our experiences in dealing with a pandemic over the past 2 years. This will help ensure that we are in a better, stronger position if another pandemic or another similar type emergency arrives. Consideration is being given as to what the best model for this evaluation will be.
Since the start of the pandemic there has been significant and ongoing consideration of the impact of COVID-19 and the evolution of the response to it, as evidence and knowledge emerged and as national and international understanding of the virus evolved. Throughout, this has included a specific and sustained focus on older persons, and in particular, those resident in nursing homes. Various examinations and development of reports with a focus on COVID-19, its impact on nursing homes and the pandemic learnings that can inform future policy, regulation and the model of care for older persons have been undertaken.
In particular, the independent COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel was established in May 2020, on foot of a NPHET recommendation, to examine the complex issues surrounding the management of COVID-19 among this particularly vulnerable cohort in nursing homes and to provide real-time learnings and recommendations to inform the ongoing approach to the management and mitigation of risk to older persons resident in nursing homes as the pandemic evolved. This report outlines the key protective measures that we must ensure are in place across our nursing homes, based on learning from our own and the international experience of COVID-19.
Work to progress the recommendations of the Expert Panel report, particularly those recommendations requiring a priority focus in the response to COVID-19, is ongoing across all of the health agencies and stakeholders. Four Expert Panel Progress Reports have been published to date, the latest published on 21 June 2022, and all Progress Reports are available on my Department’s website.
871. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he is committed to an inquiry into the State's handling of Covid-19; the form that such an inquiry will take; the timeframe for such an inquiry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37403/22]
View answerThe Deputy is advised that since March 2020, Government has focussed its response to COVID-19 around controlling the spread of the virus and breaking the chains of transmission and protecting those who are most vulnerable from infection.
Government has previously acknowledged the importance of reviewing the response to the pandemic. There has been a clear national commitment to continue to learn from the pandemic as the national and international understanding of the virus evolves, and where necessary to ensure that the public health-led approach evolves, as evidence and learning materialises.
The establishment of an inquiry or review into the State's response to the COVID-19 pandemic would be a matter for Government.
