Written Answers Nos. 1749-1763
1749. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to provide a timeline of when works are due to commence on the development of a helipad at the Cork University Hospital site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18141/23]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
1750. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health when the oversight group for National Standards for Bereavement Care Following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death under the National Women and Infants Health Programme will be reconstituted; if he will outline the process of how an individual or group can become part of the oversight group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18142/23]
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.
1751. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1495 of 18 January 2023, the reason the Question has not been answered (details supplied). [18144/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1752. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the amount of Exchequer funding that has been allocated to an organisation (details supplied) for 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [18151/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1753. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of all primary care centres open, under construction and planned; the number of centres that are publicly owned, privately leased, and public private partnerships, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18157/23]
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.
1754. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a progress report on investment in a proper system of electronic health records; if he will indicate the barriers, if any, to more rapid progress; the estimated penetration to date; and the initiatives planned to accelerate and complete the project. [18165/23]
View answerThe phased roll out of Electronic Health records (EHRs) is continuing with provision of an Electronic Health Records (EHR) System at the New Children’s Hospital underway with a contract now in place and staff being recruited to support its roll-out. When complete, this will be the most extensive EHR deployment in Ireland to date. The New Children’s Hospital has been designed as a digital hospital and requires a functional electronic health record (EHR) as a core element of its operations.
The deployment of electronic health records at the New Children's Hospital builds on the success of other major eHealth programmes such as the EHR deployment at St James Hospital, which has a hospital wide electronic health record system in place since 2018. The use of electronic health records is now embedded in the process of delivering care to patients at St James, the largest acute hospital in Ireland.
With the aim of reducing risk to newborn babies and their mothers, we now have an EHR system deployed across three of our major maternity hospitals (plus the maternity unit at University Hospital Kerry), with plans to cover the two remaining large maternity hospital by 2024. This means that today 40% of babies born in Ireland. By 2024, 70% of babies will have an electronic health record assigned at birth. Completion of the two remaining large sites at the Coombe and Limerick Maternity was delayed as plans were adjusted because of the cyberattack in 2021, and the need to migrate the system to the cloud and take other mitigating actions to increase cyber resilience prior to further expansion.
It’s important to note, that Electronic Health Record (EHR) deployment is only but one of over 700 funded ehealth project and initiatives currently underway under the government’s eHealth programme to deliver a range of eHealth/Digital services to meet the needs of all patients and healthcare professionals working in the acute, community and primary care settings, in line with Sláintecare objectives.
The Department of Health is currently accelerating progress on a digital patient healthcare record deployment programme with the HSE which will deliver access for patients to their digital health record, starting with a summary care record. The roll-out of digital health record solutions will complement the existing work being undertaken to progress more extensive EHR deployments such as those at St. James Hospital, our maternity hospitals, the new children's hospital, the national rehabilitation hospital and the national forensics hospital. A business case is also being developed to deploy an EHR across community healthcare settings.
As part of this, the development of a Health Information Bill is well advanced and will underpin the future roll-out of patient records digitally to the population; it is expected that a Memo for Government approving the General Scheme will be brought forward shortly. As part of the health information policy landscape, the Bill will ensure Ireland has a fit for purpose national health information system to enhance patient care and treatment and support better planning and delivery of health services.
It was necessary in the last 2/3 years to focus on development and deployment of national health systems to respond to the pandemic (e.g. national vaccination system linked to GPs & pharmacy systems, national test & trace surveillance systems etc ). The health service also had to deal with the devastating impact of the cyber attack in May 21 and the significant effort required to restore health systems and services.
We are now investing a significant amount of resource in Digital Health to support the implementation of Sláintecare. Capital funding for ICT has increased from €85 million in 2018 to €140 million in 2023. Additional revenue funding since 2019 also means that there are more ICT professionals now working in our health service than ever before. Staffing has increased from 365 in 2019 to 867 in March 2023, with teams made up of ICT professionals, technical project managers, healthcare professionals and support staff. Revenue funding allocated to the Office of the CIO at the HSE for eHealth has increased from €50m in 2019 to €165m in 2023. This is in addition to recurring funding spent across the rest of the health service for routine, operational ICT expenditure such as network and telephony charges, application support etc that is paid for directly by hospitals and local healthcare sites. In addition to this, Budget 2023 also allocated once off funding of €40m to strengthen cyber-resilience.
Given the priorities of the last few years, the Department of Health is now working closely with the HSE, given the emergence of the Regional Health Areas, to develop a procurement approach, a phased deployment plan and a hosting model, suitable for the deployment of EHRs on a much broader basis, to enable reform of the health service, and to meet the needs and expectations of patients and healthcare professionals. This approach is also taking cognisance of the significant investment and the time required need to deploy these systems and will need the necessary support of Government and stakeholders.
Our engagement with other countries who have deployed EHRs, indicate this is a complex task that requires a clinical leadership, a strong focus, robust governance, sustained commitment, significant resources and expertise in technology and data privacy. Of particular note is that countries that are well advanced in terms of eHealth have reported significant challenges implementing enterprise EHR systems in particular.
The Department is also progressing a new Digital Healthcare Strategic Framework 2023-2030, which will succeed the eHealth Strategy published in 2013, and associated implementation plan, will provide a roadmap for how EHRs systems will be approved, procured, and deployed in the future, how interoperability standards will enable the provision of national electronic health records, shared care records, summary care records and the ability for patients to access their own health data in the future. It will also guide the programme of work required to deliver electronic health records for all.
Our engagements with health systems in other parts of the world, that are considered leaders in digital health, all indicate that patient access to digital health records is a long term project with very few, if any, examples where this has been achieved simply by deploying a single, national enterprise EHR solution. These programmes must be clinically led, informed by patients, and address the needs of healthcare professionals, patients and the health system itself that is responsible for managing the service.
1755. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the steps that have been taken to put an end to medical card holders being charged for blood tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18166/23]
View answerUnder the terms of the current GMS contract, GPs are required to provide eligible patients with ''all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess". Persons who hold a medical card or a GP visit card are not subject to any co-payments or other charges in respect of such services including GP consultations.
The issue of GPs charging GMS patients for phlebotomy services (blood tests) is complex given the numerous reasons and circumstances under which blood tests are taken. Clinical determinations as to whether a blood test should taken to either assist in the diagnosis of illness or the treatment of a condition are made by the GP concerned. There is no provision under the GMS GP contract for persons who hold a medical card or GP visit card to be charged for such blood tests. In addition, blood tests undertaken in the context of services provided under the GP Chronic Disease Management Programme are covered by the fees paid to GPs by the HSE for this care.
The issue has been raised previously with the relevant GP representative body. However, it did not prove possible to achieve agreement that no charges for blood tests would be applied in any circumstances. It is intended to raise this issue again at an appropriate time.
Where a patient who holds a medical card or GP visit card believes he or she has been incorrectly charged for routine phlebotomy services by his or her GP, or has been charged for a blood test provided under the Chronic Disease Management Programme, then that patient should report the matter to their HSE Local Health Office. The local management, upon being notified of potential inappropriate charging of GMS patients, carry out an investigation into each complaint and will, where appropriate, arrange for a refund of charges incorrectly applied by the GP.
Fees charged by GPs outside the terms of the GMS contracts are a matter of private contract between the clinicians and their patients. The HSE does not have any role in relation to such fees.
1756. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health his views on the ongoing issues within County Tipperary ambulance service; the steps he is taking to provide additional support to ambulance services in County Tipperary to address ambulance shortages within the county; if he will provide from January 2022 to March 2023, in tabular form, the number of ambulances and ambulance staff operational or stationed at each ambulance station in County Tipperary; the average response time to ambulance call-outs per ambulance station in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18171/23]
View answer1757. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health to provide in tabular form from January 2022 to March 2023, the number of times ambulances typically stationed to operate in County Tipperary were asked to responds to ambulance call-outs outside of County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18172/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1756 and 1757 together.
As these are service matters I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1758. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health to provide in tabular form from January 2022 to March 2023, the number of times ambulances not typically stationed to operate in County Tipperary were asked to respond to ambulance call-outs in County Tipperary because an ambulance was not available for dispatch within County Tipperary; the average response time for ambulance call-outs in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18173/23]
View answerThis PQ relates to operational matters and has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1759. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to ensure that facilities to apply for the technical aids grant is available in each CHO; to provide a list of the items covered by the grant. [18178/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1760. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health to remove all remaining restrictions in maternity units regarding partners attending antenatal appointments and assessment units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18180/23]
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.
1761. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health when surgery will be scheduled for a person (details supplied) in Beaumont Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18182/23]
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.
1762. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of staffing levels by profession in each of the 73 CAMHS teams across the State; the vacancy levels per CAMHS teams by profession in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18183/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1763. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health to identify the specialist inpatient mental health treatment that is not provided in this State for which patients are sent to the North, to Britain or elsewhere abroad; what efforts are being made to provide these services in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18184/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
