Written Answers Nos. 727-743
727. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule by CHO area of the number of primary school patients in the backlog and or have not had their in-school eye, hearing and dental checks. [15331/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
728. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health if possible links between coercion to have an abortion and telemedicine abortion has been examined by his Department or any agency on behalf of his Department; if not, if any relevant research has been commissioned on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15336/23]
View answerOn April 6th 2020 the Model of Care for Termination of Pregnancy was revised temporarily for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency to facilitate remote consultation in early pregnancy. No formal research or analysis on remote consultation has been conducted in Ireland however, there has been positive feedback from providers and patients and there is strong evidence from published literature in the UK and Europe that remote provision of abortion care is safe and effective. In light of the easing of Covid-19 restrictions in Q4 of 2021, the Department requested the HSE to revisit the Model of Care to review its operation and consider whether it should be retained going forward.
This review has shown that including remote consultation as part of the termination of pregnancy service is safe, effective and acceptable to both service users and providers. It improves access for many women and addresses geographical and logistical barriers. It also alleviates some of the difficulty associated with the mandatory 3-day waiting period. Availability of remote consultation places the woman at the centre of the process and supports her reproductive autonomy. There is a growing body of evidence that telemedicine use in termination of pregnancy care has outcomes that are consistent with in-person care and it is now becoming normalised in many other countries. The majority of providers feel that a blend of remote and in-person care is optimal. Timely access to care, as close to home or the community as possible is a key principle of the vision of Sláintecare. The review of the changes to the Termination of Pregnancy model of care adopted during the pandemic is an appropriate and timely initiative. The Department is continuing its engagements with the HSE regarding the final considerations vis-a-vie adopting the blended model as the enduring model of care for termination of pregnancy services. The outcome of the review will be made available once this deliberative process concludes. In the meantime, it is important to reflect that the temporary model of care, along with the relevant public health advice remain in place.
729. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when the deliberative process assessing the findings of the review into telemedicine abortion will be completed and its conclusions announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15337/23]
View answerAs part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to protect public health and limit the spread of Covid-19, the Department of Health and the HSE worked together in 2020 to put arrangements in place to allow termination of pregnancy services in early pregnancy to be provided remotely. For the duration of the Covid-19 public health emergency, where the need for social distancing, reducing personal contacts and reducing the burden on medical practitioners were paramount, it became possible for a woman to access a termination under section 12 of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 (i.e., before 12 weeks) from her medical practitioner by telephone or video conference consultation.
There is ongoing engagement between the Department of Health and the HSE to monitor service provision, facilitate the smooth-running of the service and resolve any issues that may arise. However, with restrictions eased, the Department is currently reviewing whether remote consultation as part of a blended approach to termination of pregnancy care should be continued post the COVID-19 public health emergency period.
At the request of the Department, the HSE conducted a review of the Revised Model of Care for Termination of Pregnancy. The findings of this review are currently being examined as part of a deliberative process. The consideration of appropriate next steps will form part of this process. The Department is continuing to engage with the HSE on this matter and hopes to bring it to a conclusion as soon as possible.
730. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a full list of all medical professions that require a clinical placement as part of their education and qualification in the respective field; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15338/23]
View answerPlease find below, a list of regulated health and social care professions that require a clinical placement as part of their education and qualification. I trust this is the information required by the Deputy.
Regulated Health & Social Care Professions requiring Clinical Placements as part of training and education
|
Profession |
Clinical Placement required |
|
Pharmacist |
Yes |
|
Dentist |
Yes |
|
Dental Hygienist |
Yes |
|
Dental Nurse |
Yes |
|
Clinical Dental Technician |
Yes |
|
Orthodontic Therapist |
Yes |
|
Medical doctor and specialists |
Yes |
|
General Nurses |
Yes |
|
Childrens' Nurses |
Yes |
|
Mental Health Nurses |
Yes |
|
Disability Nurses |
Yes |
|
Social Worker |
1000 hours of placement - 350 hours of which must be in one block and full time. |
|
Radiographer |
1,200 hours -280 hours of which must be in one block and full time. |
|
Radiation Therapist |
1,200 hours - 280 hours of which must be in one block and full time. |
|
Social Care Worker |
800 hours which is delivered in a minimum of two practice placements. |
|
Speech and Language Therapist |
450 hours of placement – 300 hours must be in a supervised clinical practice setting. |
|
Occupational Therapist |
1000 - a minimum of 250 hours within a mental health and/or psychosocial setting and a minimum of 250 hours within a physical/ sensory disability practice setting. |
|
Physiotherapist |
1000 hours of practice placement. |
|
Dietitian |
1000 hours - at least one placement should be of sufficient length to enable continuity of learning and demonstrate consistency of performance and case load management in a clinical setting. This placement should usually be not less than 400 hours and should be completed within the final year of the programme. |
|
Optical - Dispensing Opticians |
1000 hours of supervised practice. |
|
Optical - Optometrists |
1000 hours of supervised practice. |
|
Medical Scientist |
1000 hours of placement. |
|
Podiatrist |
1000 hours of practice placement. |
|
Paramedic |
Yes |
|
Advanced Paramedic |
Yes |
|
Emergency Medical Technician |
Yes |
Pharmacy
Since September 2015, students commencing a pharmacist qualification in Ireland are undertaking a Masters degree programme in pharmacy, which is an integrated education and training programme with a range of practical placements dispersed over the course of the programme. This programme, involves the integration and dispersal of practice placements for students throughout the five years (rather than solely during the final year). The restructured qualification enables placements of varying durations in the three main areas of pharmacy practice; community, hospital and industry. This includes placements in community and hospital pharmacies during second, fourth and fifth year and placements in industry and other practice areas (health service, regulatory etc.) in the fourth year. Placements for the five-year programme are managed by APPEL (Affiliation for Pharmacy Practice Experiential Learning), which was established by the three Schools of Pharmacy in Ireland to manage and centralise the learning placements for students from each of the schools.
Nursing
Undergraduate nursing and midwifery education programmes require students to undertake mandatory practice placements as a requirement for the attainment of clinical competencies. These mandatory practice placements account for over 50% of the entire four-year undergraduate programme. Students on all nursing and midwifery placements including General Nursing; Children’s and General Nursing; Mental Health Nursing; Disability Nursing and Midwifery complete a minimum of 81 weeks of practice placements. Placement sites are chosen by the undergraduate programme provider to best support the student to acquire specific clinical competencies.
Practice placements for student nurses and midwives account for a minimum of 81 weeks of the entire four-year undergraduate programme and students have a minimum of four hours protected time for reflection each week throughout the undergraduate programme. Forty-five weeks of mandatory supernumerary practice placements occur from year one of the programme right through to the first semester of year four. These students are not employees and are additional to the workforce in a learning capacity. Student nurses and midwives’ final year internship placement consists of a continual 36-week rostered clinical placement, including annual leave for which they are paid. The salary is reflective of intern nursing and midwifery students being paid employees for this 36 week placement, and included in the workforce as 0.5 WTE. During the internship period, students remain under distant supervision of a registered nurse, and are assigned a caseload as part of the students clinical learning requirement.
EMT, Paramedic, Advanced Paramedic Training
The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) is the independent statutory body who sets the standards for education and training for pre-hospital emergency care in Ireland. The Council publishes clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and recognises institutions to provide pre-hospital emergency care training and education. In addition to maintaining a statutory register of pre-hospital emergency care practitioners in Ireland, the Council also approves Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Service Providers to implement PHECC CPG’s. To register with PHECC a practitioner must hold a recognised National Qualification in Emergency Medical Technology (NQEMT) or equivalent. There are three distinct NQEMT qualifications for EMT, Paramedic and Advanced Paramedic that range in duration from 5 Weeks for EMT to 21 Months for Advanced Paramedic. All three levels of NQEMT require students to undergo a period of Clinical Placement at an approved healthcare site or with an approved ambulance service location in order to qualify. The minimum Clinical Placement periods for each NQEMT level are – EMT- 1 Week; Paramedic - 70 Weeks (18 Weeks Clinical Instruction and 52 Weeks Internship); Advanced Paramedic – 64 Weeks (12 Weeks Clinical Instruction and 52 Weeks Internship).
Medicine - doctors
All medical degrees include clinical placements. Clinical placements do not usually begin until a medical student's third year of study. In the past, this would be marked by a “White Coat” ceremony – though nowadays the white coats are merely symbolic as they are rarely worn by trainees or doctors any more. The duration of clinical placements varies from one medical school to another, depending on how their curriculum is designed.
When a doctor qualifies they do a year-long internship, the intern year in Ireland is a one-year period of structured clinical training immediately following graduation from medical school. Upon completion, trainees are provided a certificate of experience. The Certificate of Experience (COE) is a document which confirms that a doctor has successfully completed their internship to the standards set by the Medical Council. This may be followed by specialist training that takes place in a clinical setting, wherein the NCHD or specialist trainee doctor participates in a structured training programme.
731. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health to provide in tabular form the number of clinical placements places in each medical profession; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15339/23]
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.
732. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the actions that have been taken to increase the number of clinical placements in the healthcare system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15340/23]
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.
733. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health when the BreastCheck programme for 52- and 53- year-olds who were never called for their initial BreastCheck appointments, due to Covid restrictions at the time, will be rescheduled; the processes that are in place to address this backlog; the information that has been communicated to this cohort to update them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15341/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
734. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health when the necessary staffing levels will be approved to allow for the MRI scanner at Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar to become fully operational; the timelines for the commencement of this service; the budget that has been approved for this service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15342/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
735. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the role his Department has undertaken in consulting on, or drafting, the proposed Sale of Alcohol Bill. [15375/23]
View answer736. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health whether his Department has undertaken a risk assessment of proposed alcohol sale changes in the Sale of Alcohol Bill. [15376/23]
View answer737. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the harm reduction framework under which his Department has assessed the proposed Sale of Alcohol Bill. [15377/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 735, 736 and 737 together.
I provided my responses on the proposals for the Sale of Alcohol Bill, and on the General Scheme of the Bill, at relevant cabinet meetings.
My Department was not involved in the development of this Bill as it is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Justice and her Department.
738. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the provision of a primary care centre in New Ross, County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15383/23]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive (HSE) holds responsibility for the provision, along with the maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
739. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the services that can be accessed via the treatment abroad scheme for children facing unacceptably long waits for assessment of need and early intervention; which therapies that are covered; if there are any particular qualifying criteria that parents of these children have to satisfy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15387/23]
View answer740. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if he will examine the case of a child (details supplied) and advise if the early intervention, for which this child will wait a minimum of 37 months, can be accessed through the treatment abroad scheme, or if there are any other options available in this State for this child to access services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15388/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 739 and 740 together.
The HSE operates the EU Treatment Abroad Scheme (TAS), for persons entitled under EU Regulation 883/04. The TAS is a consultant led scheme and allows for an Ireland-based public consultant to refer a public patient who is normally resident in Ireland for treatment in the public healthcare system of another EU member state, the UK or Switzerland. Subject to the EU Regulations and Guidelines, the TAS provides for the cost of approved public treatments in another EU/EEA member state, the UK or Switzerland through the issue of form S2 (IE) where the treatment is:
-among the benefits provided for by Irish legislation;
-not available in Ireland;
-not available within the time normally necessary for obtaining it in Ireland, taking account of the patient's current state of health and the probable course of the disease;
-medically necessary and will meet the patient’s needs;
-a proven form of medical treatment and not experimental or test treatment;
-provided in a recognised public hospital or other institution that will accept EU/EEA form S2 (IE) and;
-is under the control of a registered medical practitioner.
The HSE also operates the EU Cross Border Directive and the Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme that facilitates patients accessing treatment abroad. Patients are advised to contact the HSE for advice on making an application for treatment abroad under the most appropriate scheme, in advance of travelling abroad. Further information is available on the HSE's TAS, CBD / Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme websites, including contact details.
As this is a service matter, I have also asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
741. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if financial assistance is available to medical card holders who require ArtAssist treatment in their homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15424/23]
View answerThe Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for pricing and reimbursement decisions under the community schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
In making a relevant reimbursement decision, the HSE is required under the Act to have regard to a number of criteria including efficacy, the health needs of the public, cost effectiveness and potential or actual budget impact.
The HSE Health Technology Assessment Group (HTAG) reviewed the evidence for the effectiveness of the ArtAssist device for intermittent pneumatic compression in January 2018. The HTAG found that there was not sufficient evidence of effectiveness to recommend providing reimbursement support for the device.
However, the HTAG have previously stated that if fresh evidence for effectiveness was received, it would be reviewed. Additional evidence has not been presented, and therefore, the HSE does not provide reimbursement support for the use of this product.
742. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm whether he has met with transgender representative groups in respect of consultation with regards to transgender health care in Ireland; if so, if he will confirm what engagement has taken place; what engagement he intends on undertaking with these groups in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15460/23]
View answerThe Government is committed to the development by the HSE of a well-governed and patient-centred health care service for adults and children in the transgender community.
In 2020, a steering committee was established to address specific issues in relation to the development of Transgender Identity Services. The Committee had a wide range of stakeholders from the agencies involved in delivering care, as well as service user representatives, including a representative from TENI.
The Minister for Health has met with TENI, the transgender representative body, to hear their views on service design and delivery.
The HSE is committed to developing a seamless and integrated service for those with gender identity issues on an ongoing basis, with the support of all relevant stakeholders, and are focused on providing a high quality and safe service to an often extremely vulnerable patient group. Throughout this process, the HSE will be consulting with a wide range of stakeholders in the development of the new model of care. Including those who provide and use these services, and representative groups.
I strongly believe that patients have a central role to play in the development of health policy and the reform of the health services. I am committed to engaging with transgender representative groups to hear their views on service design and delivery.
743. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when the urgent transfer of a patient (details supplied) from Letterkenny University Hospital to the Mater Hospital will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15461/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
