Written Answers Nos. 544-563
544. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of assaults recorded against medical, nursing, midwifery and other health and social care professionals across HSE hospitals and community healthcare facilities in each month of 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2912/23]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in respect of this matter.
545. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health if he will endeavour to ensure that a person (details supplied) receives an urgent outpatient appointment at the orthopaedic clinic in Cavan and Monaghan Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2913/23]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
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.
546. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of claims before the CervicalCheck Tribunal; the number of claims resolved by the tribunal; the timeframe for completion of the tribunal’s work; the cost of the tribunal to date, by cost type; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2916/23]
View answerThe number of claims presently before the Tribunal is 8. The number of claims resolved is 12. The Tribunal considers that in or about July 2023 it will be in a position whereby it will have completed the substantive part of its statutory functions. The total cost of the Tribunal since it’s establishment is €399,995.83. It has not been possible to obtain the individual cost type in the time-frame requested. This information will be sent to the Deputy as soon as it is collated.
547. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists on the dental treatment services scheme at the end of each of the years 2017 to 2022, by LHO, in tabular form; the number of dentists who submitted claims or were otherwise paid under the scheme in each full year; the number of claims that were made in each full year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2917/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
548. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the difference between a model 2 and model 2s hospital; the measures required to upgrade a standard model 2 to model 2s; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2918/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
549. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he has considered upgrading Ennis or Nenagh hospital to a model 2s hospital in order to bolster elective capacity in the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2919/23]
View answerThere has been, and continues to be, substantial investment in the University of Limerick Hospital Group. In October 2022, I broke ground on the new 96-bed inpatient block project at University Hospital Limerick. This €90m capital project will deliver a 4-storey, 96 single bed acute inpatient ward block, which will go some way toward addressing capacity issues in the region.
In 2021, a new 60-bed modular ward block opened at UHL, which provides modern, single-room inpatient accommodation with improved infection prevention and control capabilities as well as patient flow throughout the hospital. This follows the completion of two separate rapid-build projects, constructed in response to the Covid-19 emergency, which provided an additional 38 inpatient beds on site at UHL.
The new €2m Injury Unit at Ennis Hospital opened last April bringing an immediate improvement in the clinical environment and experience for healthcare staff and the thousands of patients who use this service every year. In addition, a €9.95m theatre upgrade was approved for Ennis Hospital as part of the HSE’s Capital Programme for 2022. A modern state-of-the-art ward complex, with 24 en-suite single rooms opened at Croom Orthopaedic Hospital in March 2021. A new €15m theatre suite, complete with four new operating theatres, a first stage recovery room and reception area, as well as a new Sterile Services Department and other ancillary support spaces also opened during 2021.
On 7th December 2022, the Government approved the next stage of the Enhanced Provision of Elective Care Programme. As part of this Programme, new national Elective Hospitals will be delivered in Cork, Dublin, and Galway. The new Elective Hospitals will provide significant additional capacity, enabling the separation of scheduled and unscheduled care. The introduction of this new delivery capability into the Public Healthcare System will benefit the whole population, including those who do not fall within the immediate traditional geographical catchment. It is envisaged that the new Cork and Galway facilities combined (which will treat patients from the mid-west) will cater for up to 350,000 patients/procedures annually.
Complementary to the development of the new Elective Hospitals, the HSE also plans to work with Hospital Groups and forthcoming Regional Health Areas to progress proposals for a shorter-term measure by developing ‘Surgical Hubs’ in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Dublin with a narrower scope of procedures. This intervention will also support efforts to consider the necessary reforms and enablers needed to separate unscheduled and scheduled care pathways that will be required by the longer-term provision of the Elective Care programme.
The UL Hospitals Group comprises six hospitals, led by University Hospital Limerick, which is a Model 4 Hospital. There are two Model 2 Hospitals, Ennis, and Nenagh Hospitals, while St John's Hospital is classified as a Model 2S Hospital, i.e., St. John's can carry out intermediate surgery, which requires in-patient stay and accommodation in addition to day case surgery. The UL Group also includes Croom Orthopaedic Hospital, and University Maternity Hospital Limerick. The model 2 hospitals accept transfers of appropriate patients from UHL daily. These patients can either be stepped down from an inpatient ward in UHL or they may, where a clinician has decided it is appropriate, transfer to Ennis, Nenagh or St John's directly from the ED in UHL.
There are no plans to upgrade Ennis or Nenagh Hospital to a model 2s hospital in the UL Hospitals Group at this time, but I would like to assure the Deputy that my Department continues to work closely with the HSE to ensure that the UL Hospitals Group is fully supported.
550. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he has considered upgrading a hospital in the mid-west region to a model 3 hospital in order to bolster elective and emergency care capacity in the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2920/23]
View answerThere has been, and continues to be, substantial investment in the University of Limerick Hospital Group. In October 2022, I broke ground on the new 96-bed inpatient block project at University Hospital Limerick. This €90m capital project will deliver a 4-storey, 96 single bed acute inpatient ward block, which will go some way toward addressing capacity issues in the region.
In 2021, a new 60-bed modular ward block opened at UHL, which provides modern, single-room inpatient accommodation with improved infection prevention and control capabilities as well as patient flow throughout the hospital. This follows the completion of two separate rapid-build projects, constructed in response to the Covid-19 emergency, which provided an additional 38 inpatient beds on site at UHL.
The new €2m Injury Unit at Ennis Hospital opened last April bringing an immediate improvement in the clinical environment and experience for healthcare staff and the thousands of patients who use this service every year. In addition, a €9.95m theatre upgrade was approved for Ennis Hospital as part of the HSE’s Capital Programme for 2022.
A modern state-of-the-art ward complex, with 24 en-suite single rooms opened at Croom Orthopaedic Hospital in March 2021. A new €15m theatre suite, complete with four new operating theatres, a first stage recovery room and reception area, as well as a new Sterile Services Department and other ancillary support spaces also opened during 2021.
On 7th December 2022, the Government approved the next stage of the Enhanced Provision of Elective Care Programme. As part of this Programme, new national Elective Hospitals will be delivered in Cork, Dublin, and Galway. The new Elective Hospitals will provide significant additional capacity, enabling the separation of scheduled and unscheduled care. The introduction of this new delivery capability into the Public Healthcare System will benefit the whole population, including those who do not fall within the immediate traditional geographical catchment. It is envisaged that the new Cork and Galway facilities combined (which will treat patients from the mid-west) will cater for up to 350,000 patients/procedures annually.
Complementary to the development of the new Elective Hospitals, the HSE also plans to work with Hospital Groups and forthcoming Regional Health Areas to progress proposals for a shorter-term measure by developing ‘Surgical Hubs’ in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Dublin with a narrower scope of procedures. This intervention will also support efforts to consider the necessary reforms and enablers needed to separate unscheduled and scheduled care pathways that will be required by the longer-term provision of the Elective Care programme.
The UL Hospitals Group comprises six hospitals, led by University Hospital Limerick, which is a Model 4 Hospital. There are two Model 2 Hospitals, Ennis, and Nenagh Hospitals, while St John's Hospital is classified as a Model 2S Hospital, i.e., St. John's can carry out intermediate surgery, which requires in-patient stay and accommodation in addition to day case surgery. The UL Group also includes Croom Orthopaedic Hospital, and University Maternity Hospital Limerick. The model 2 hospitals accept transfers of appropriate patients from UHL daily. These patients can either be stepped down from an inpatient ward in UHL or they may, where a clinician has decided it is appropriate, transfer to Ennis, Nenagh or St John's directly from the ED in UHL.
A recent development in Ennis Hospital and for the Mid-West region has been the introduction of the Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) pathway for 112/999 patients, which commenced on January 9th. It allows stable medical patients that meet the agreed clinical criteria to be treated in a Model 2 hospital. This pathway will result in patients receiving medical treatment in a hospital closer to their home, will reduce patient presentations to Emergency Departments and will release ambulances more quickly to respond to other emergency calls. The MAU in Ennis Hospital treats patients referred by GPs, ShannonDoc, and now National Ambulance Service paramedics. 112/999 patients that do not meet these clinical criteria will continue to be transported to Emergency Departments for assessment and treatment.
I have expressed concern about overcrowding in the ED in Limerick and acknowledge the distress caused to patients, their families, and frontline staff working in very challenging conditions in emergency departments in UHL and throughout the country. I visited UHL in February last year to meet with patients, staff, and management. The HSE’s Performance Management and Improvement Unit (PMIU) led an intensive engagement with UHL team members throughout the summer in response to my concerns about the hospital and the findings of the HIQA report following an unannounced inspection of the ED in Limerick in March. The engagement supported the hospital and community services in driving a programme of work to respond more effectively to the pressures at the hospital. UHL continues to engage with the support team, working jointly with HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare to respond to pressures faced at UHL.
There are currently no plans to upgrade a hospital in the UL Hospitals Group to a Model 3 hospital, but I would like to assure the Deputy that my Department continues to work closely with the HSE to ensure that the UL Hospitals Group is fully supported and that the necessary improvements to address elective and emergency care capacity in the region are actioned in a timely manner.
551. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time emergency department staff, by grade and profession, employed at hospitals (details supplied) in each of the years 2017 to 2022 at year end, in tabular form; the number of funded WTE emergency staff; the number of actual WTE emergency staff and the headcount; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2922/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have referred to the Health Service Executive.
552. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health if the HSE carries out exit interviews for staff leaving its employment; if the HSE will consider investing in exit interviews as a way of identifying recruitment and retention issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2923/23]
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.
553. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of cancer-related appointments and procedures cancelled in each month of 2022, by hospital, including both HSE and voluntary hospitals, in tabular form. [2924/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
554. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of adults and children on HSE dental and orthodontic waiting lists at the end of 2022, broken down by standard waiting times, by area, in tabular form. [2925/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
555. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of adults and children on HSE dental and orthodontic waiting lists at the end of 2021, broken down by standard waiting times, by area, in tabular form. [2926/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
556. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of adults and children on HSE dental and orthodontic waiting lists at the end of 2020, broken down by standard waiting times, by area, in tabular form. [2927/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
557. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of adults and children on HSE dental and orthodontic waiting lists at the end of 2019, broken down by standard waiting times, by area, in tabular form. [2928/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
558. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of adults and children on HSE dental and orthodontic waiting lists at the end of 2018, broken down by standard waiting times, by area, in tabular form. [2929/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
559. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of adults and children on HSE dental and orthodontic waiting lists at the end of 2017, broken down by standard waiting times, by area, in tabular form. [2930/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
560. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the maximum patient experience time to admission registered at each emergency department for each week in December 2022 and to date in January 2023, in tabular form. [2936/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
561. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the mean, median, and maximum waiting time across National Treatment Purchase Fund-reported waiting lists, by speciality and hospital, for December 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2937/23]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, waiting list information by hospital and by specialty is published monthly and is available on the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) website at: www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm
The NTPF only collects data on patients currently on the waiting list. The time to treatment of patients who have already received their care is not collected. As a result, the health system does not have the data necessary to calculate true average wait times.
562. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of patients aged over 75 years on National Treatment Purchase Fund-reported waiting lists, by speciality and hospital, for December 2022, in tabular form; the mean, median, and maximum waiting times across such lists for this population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2938/23]
View answerIt is recognised that waiting times for many scheduled appointments and procedures were too long before and have been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant work continues to positively impact on waiting times and improve pathways to elective care, acute hospitals are still impacted by operational challenges arising from the pandemic and the current pressures on Emergency Departments. The Health Service Executive (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 set targets to reduce both the number of people waiting for care and the length of time they are waiting. Positive progress was made in 2022 in relation to both targets, despite negative impacts throughout the year on scheduled care from continued COVID-19 surges, emergency department pressures and other operational factors, including staff hiring. In 2022, there were c.1.56m patients removed from the Waiting list and c.1.53m patients added to the waiting list – a net reduction of c.30k (4%). Long waiters were significantly reduced in 2022: the number of patients exceeding the 18-month maximum wait time target for new outpatient (OPD) appointments target decreased by c.59.0k (38.5%) and the number of patients exceeding the 12-month maximum wait time target for in-patient day case (IPDC) procedures and GI Scopes has decreased by c3.8k (22.6%) and c.3.5k (86.5%) respectively. Through the 2022 Plan, €350m funding was allocated to the HSE and the NTPF to provide additional public and private activity to reduce the waiting list backlogs that were exacerbated during the Pandemic, but also as the first stage of an ambitious multi annual approach, to lay the foundations for important reforms that will deliver sustained reductions in waiting lists. For 2023, funding of €443 million is being allocated to tackle Waiting Lists, some €360m of which is targeted at acute hospital waiting lists. The plan to utilise this part of the funding is being developed by the Department of Health in conjunction with the HSE and NTPF. This will include details of new capacity planned for 2023 as well as important reforms that will improve capacity in the public hospital system.
The data requested by the Deputy regarding the number of patients aged over 75 years on NTPF reported waiting lists by speciality and hospital for December 2022, is outlined at the link.
The NTPF only collects data on patients currently on the waiting list. The time to treatment of patients who have already received their care is not collected. As a result, the health system does not have the data necessary to calculate true average wait times.
563. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of patients aged under 18 years on National Treatment Purchase Fund-reported waiting lists, by speciality and hospital, for December 2022, in tabular form; the mean, median, and maximum waiting time across such lists for this population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2939/23]
View answerIt is recognised that waiting times for many scheduled appointments and procedures were too long before and have been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant work continues to positively impact on waiting times and improve pathways to elective care, acute hospitals are still impacted by operational challenges arising from the pandemic and the current pressures on Emergency Departments. The Health Service Executive (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 set targets to reduce both the number of people waiting for care and the length of time they are waiting. Positive progress was made in 2022 in relation to both targets, despite negative impacts throughout the year on scheduled care from continued COVID-19 surges, emergency department pressures and other operational factors, including staff hiring. In 2022, there were c.1.56m patients removed from the Waiting list and c.1.53m patients added to the waiting list – a net reduction of c.30k (4%). Long waiters were significantly reduced in 2022: the number of patients exceeding the 18-month maximum wait time target for new outpatient (OPD) appointments target decreased by c.59.0k (38.5%) and the number of patients exceeding the 12-month maximum wait time target for in-patient day case (IPDC) procedures and GI Scopes has decreased by c3.8k (22.6%) and c.3.5k (86.5%) respectively. Through the 2022 Plan, €350m funding was allocated to the HSE and the NTPF to provide additional public and private activity to reduce the waiting list backlogs that were exacerbated during the Pandemic, but also as the first stage of an ambitious multi annual approach, to lay the foundations for important reforms that will deliver sustained reductions in waiting lists. For 2023, funding of €443 million is being allocated to tackle Waiting Lists, some €360m of which is targeted at acute hospital waiting lists. The plan to utilise this part of the funding is being developed by the Department of Health in conjunction with the HSE and NTPF. This will include details of new capacity planned for 2023 as well as important reforms that will improve capacity in the public hospital system.
The data requested by the Deputy regarding the number of patients aged under 18 years on NTPF reported waiting lists by speciality and hospital for December 2022, is outlined at the link.
The NTPF only collects data on patients currently on the waiting list. The time to treatment of patients who have already received their care is not collected. As a result, the health system does not have the data necessary to calculate true average wait times.
