Written Answers Nos. 1154-1173
1154. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health when agency nurses will receive their Covid payment, given that eight months have now passed since the payment was announced and three months have passed since HSE nurses were paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55127/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.
1155. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the status of home births being permitted in situations where women are living within 30 minutes of a maternity hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55128/22]
View answerAs the National Women and Infants Health Programme leads on the management, organisation and delivery of maternity, gynaecological and neonatal services, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1156. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the number of children on an outpatient waiting list for Beaumont Hospital; and their length of time on said list, broken down by wait-time and presented in tabular form. [55129/22]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, this information is published monthly and is available on the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) website at: www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm
1157. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the number of children on an inpatient waiting list for Beaumont Hospital; and their length of time on said list, broken down by wait-time and presented in tabular form. [55130/22]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, this information is published monthly and is available on the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) website at: www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm
1158. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the total number of patients without a bed in Beaumont Hospital for each of the months of June, July, August, September and October; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55131/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1159. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will liaise with the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to ensure that all medical, clinical, nursing and therapy students in placements in training hospitals are provided with adequate changing, study and rest areas. [55158/22]
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.
1160. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will immediately liaise with the HSE in CHO 4 to put in place a plan to ensure none of the acute mental health unit beds in Bantry General Hospital are closed. [55159/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1161. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the status of the HSE proposals to limit home birth services for women and pregnant persons living within 30 minutes of a maternity hospital. [55160/22]
View answerAs the National Women and Infants Health Programme leads on the management, organisation and delivery of maternity, gynaecological and neonatal services, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1162. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps that he is taking to ensure that abortion healthcare services are available in all maternity hospitals. [55161/22]
View answerIt is Government policy that termination of pregnancy services under the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 should be provided in all 19 maternity hospitals.
The HSE’s National Women & Infants Health Programme (NWIHP) has advised that all 19 maternity hospitals offer a range of services in relation to termination of pregnancy, including:
- supporting women with any post termination complications;
- provision of ultrasound scanning, where required;
- providing appropriate care and supervision in cases where maternal health/life is at risk, and referral to the appropriate tertiary hospital, as appropriate; - and providing appropriate care and supervision for women following a diagnosis of fatal foetal anomaly, and referral to the appropriate tertiary unit.
In addition, currently 11 of the 19 maternity hospitals are providing full termination of pregnancy services, as prescribed in the 2018 Act, which includes termination in early pregnancy (i.e. under 12 weeks).
NWIHP continues to engage with the maternity hospitals with a plan for having 17 of the 19 sites providing termination services in early pregnancy by Q2 2023.
In terms of the last two hospital sites, NWIHP is committed to continuing engagement to develop a plan for termination service provision in 2023.
There is ongoing engagement between the Department of Health and the HSE to facilitate the operation of the service and to resolve any issues that may arise.
1163. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the timeline for administering the Covid-19 pandemic recognition payment to healthcare professionals working in private sector nursing homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55168/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.
1164. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health the mechanism that exists for individual front-line workers who have not received their recognition payment to follow up to ensure that it will be correctly paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55174/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.
1165. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55176/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.
1166. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health the reason that a large number of Covid-19 swabbers currently employed in testing centres face lay-offs in late November 2022; the exact numbers planned for lay-offs; if these staff, who worked throughout the pandemic, will be redeployed elsewhere; if he will intervene to ensure that these front-line workers are kept on the payroll over the Christmas period given the likely surge in Covid-19 cases and the need for such trained staff in the coming months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55177/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.
1167. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health following on from the recent positive expansion of Westdoc services in the east of County Galway, when the service might be expanded to areas west of Galway city, such as Moycullen to Oughterard. [55190/22]
View answerI was very happy to have been able to facilitate the improvement in GP Out of Hours services in East Galway recently. Access to a sustainable out of hours service is essential in the provision of basic healthcare and to ensure the most efficient use of resources within the healthcare system.
My Department is working with the HSE to identify ways of further improvements to the Out of Hours Services in the WestDoc area of operation. This work is ongoing, and I will be happy to share indicative dates when I am in a position to do so.
1168. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the plans to limit home births to women who live within 30 minutes of a maternity hospital; if his attention has been drawn to reports that this would restrict birthing options for women and families in rural areas and that this also runs contrary to the national maternity strategy’s priority to ensure that “women have access to safe, high quality, nationally consistent, women-centred maternity care”; if he acknowledges that the HSE recommendation to limit home births was developed with no input from midwives, clinicians or women’s health advocates; if he will listen to the calls of an organisation (details supplied) for a reconsideration of this policy by engaging with all stakeholders; and if he will increase investment in maternity services, especially midwife-led services in rural areas and throughout the country generally. [55215/22]
View answerAs the National Women and Infants Health Programme leads on the management, organisation and delivery of maternity, gynaecological and neonatal services, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly in relation to the issue of the HSE's National Homebirth Service, as soon as possible.
In relation to investment in maternity services, including community-based midwifery services, it is important to note that, under Budgets 2021 and 2022, almost €16m in new development funding was provided for maternity services. This significant level of investment is ensuring the continued implementation of the National Maternity Strategy and the ongoing roll out of the Strategy’s new model of maternity care.
The investment in 2021/22 is providing for additional WTEs into maternity services, covering a variety of disciplines, including, obstetrics, neonatology, endocrinology, anaesthetics, dietetics, midwifery, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy. It is improving access to specialist and allied health services in the maternity care system, as well as further developing community-based midwifery services. It is also improving the infrastructure of our maternity services by providing additional home-from-home birthing suites, upgrades to theatres and wards, as well as providing additional training and supports for maternity staff.
1169. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Health the number of home care support packages active in County Longford. [55216/22]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible
1170. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Health the number of agencies that are being used to cover home care support packages in County Longford. [55217/22]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible
1171. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Health the number of home care support applications in County Longford that are still awaiting some level of service; and the average wait times. [55218/22]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1172. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Health the number of home care support clients that are being serviced by agency only in County Longford. [55219/22]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible
1173. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the current restrictions imposed on homebirths by the HSE; the rationale behind the restrictions; and if restrictions will be reconsidered given the upset caused to pregnant persons who wish to have their child at home. [55220/22]
View answerAs the National Women and Infants Health Programme leads on the management, organisation and delivery of maternity, gynaecological and neonatal services, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
