Written Answers Nos. 420-439
420. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule of neurology nurse specialists by location in the State; and his plans to engage with the HSE with a view to the provision of increased capacity and resourcing in this specialist area. [20438/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
421. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule of neurology rehabilitation specialists by location in the State; and his plans to engage with the HSE with a view to the provision of increased capacity and resourcing in this specialist area. [20439/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
422. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list for hip replacement surgery at Cavan General Hospital as of 24 April 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20453/23]
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. 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. On the 7th March, I published the 2023 Waiting List Action Plan, which is the next stage of a new multi-annual approach to sustainably reduce and reform hospital waiting lists, and builds on the foundational work done through the short-term Waiting List Action Plan between September and December 2021, which was followed by the first full year Waiting List Action Plan for 2022, both having reversed the annual trend of rising waiting lists.
The 2023 Plan sets out the priorities to continue to address waiting lists this year. The 30 actions in the Plan, which are governed by the Waiting List Task Force, focus on delivering capacity, reforming scheduled care and enabling scheduled care reform.
For 2023, funding totalling €443 million is being allocated to tackle Waiting Lists with €363 million of this being allocated to the 2023 Waiting List Action Plan, to implement longer term reforms and provide additional public and private activity to clear backlogs exacerbated during the pandemic. This will reduce hospital waiting lists by 10% in 2023 as well as continuing to significantly reduce waiting times in line with Sláintecare recommendations. The remaining €80 million of the €443 million is being targeted at various measures to alleviate community/primary care waiting lists.
With this ambitious 2023 Waiting List Action Plan, my Department, the HSE and the NTPF are taking the next steps in the multi-annual approach towards achieving our vision of a world-class public healthcare system in which everyone has timely and transparent access to high-quality scheduled care, where and when they need it, in line with Sláintecare reforms.
The NTPF has advised my Department that there are currently no patients waiting list for hip replacement surgery at Cavan General Hospital.
423. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of vacant optometry and ophthalmology roles in primary care services in CHO 1; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20454/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
424. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health his views on establishing midwife-led clinics for community-based maternity services in areas of the country more than 45 minutes from a maternity hospital unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20455/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
425. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the timeframe within which we will see the opening of the new primary care centres in both Clones and Monaghan town; the services that will be provided in each of these primary care centres, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20456/23]
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.
426. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of theatre slots for dermatology surgeries that were allocated each week in 2022 and to date in 2023 in Our Lady Of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20457/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
428. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health when a catering assistant who worked in a nursing home all through the pandemic for a company (details supplied) will receive their pandemic special recognition payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20467/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
429. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if a person’s (details supplied) 60 care hours in the absence of a suitable provider can be transferred into a grant so that the family can get some respite; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20474/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
430. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the case of a person (details supplied) who, following an endoscopy on 23 February 2023, was referred to the cardiology department of University Hospital Limerick and has yet to receive an appointment date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20477/23]
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.
431. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will put in place a refund scheme which would allow persons (details supplied) who have to rent medical equipment such as breathing assistance machines to receive repayments of the monies which are due to them for the cost of the use of these machines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20483/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
432. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) who is in constant pain has been told they cannot get physiotherapy until after the summer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20488/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
433. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the reason the special Covid leave scheme will cease on 30 June 2023 despite the large number of healthcare staff on long-term leave due to long-Covid; if he will review this decision; the number availing of this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20489/23]
View answerThe Special Scheme of Paid Leave in respect of long-Covid introduced for a certain cohort of staff in the public health sector is a temporary Scheme, and as the Deputy has pointed out, is due to conclude at the end of June. At present, those who remain unwell beyond that date may utilise the provisions of the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme.
I am keenly aware of the impact of the Scheme concluding on employees, and I have asked officials in my Department to review options in this regard.
The HSE have advised me that there are approximately 120 employees currently on the special scheme of paid leave.
434. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if the posts of both national director for genetics and genomics and the bioinformatics lab director have been filled for the Genetic Testing Service at CHI Crumlin. [20497/23]
View answerThe Government and the Department of Health are fully committed to improving genetics services in Ireland, including at CHI Crumlin. In 2023, I allocated €2.7 million to implement the National Strategy for Accelerating Genetics and Genomics Medicine in Ireland, including the establishment of a National Office of Genetics and Genomics and the recruitment of key staff within the National Office and the wider genomics service.
A priority for 2023 is to ensure that key frontline staff and National Office roles are recruited. Appointment of staff to the National Office for Genetics and Genomics is underway. To accelerate the establishment of this office, interim appointments will be made for the senior positions in the first instance. The Interim National Director has now been appointed and commenced in post. The interview process for the Interim National Bio-Informatics Director has commenced.
435. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who have availed of HSE stop smoking classes within each CHO in 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [20498/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
436. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE staff by job title working in the long-Covid clinic at Tallaght University Hospital; the number of WTE staff vacancies by job title at this clinic; and when these vacancies will be filled, in tabular form. [20499/23]
View answerAs the matter raised is a service delivery matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
437. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health his plans to increase direct access to echocardiography for general practitioners through community-based ambulatory care hubs. [20500/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
438. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a report on the waiting list for genetic test for BRCA1; the number of persons on the waiting list; and the average waiting times, per hospital, in tabular form. [20501/23]
View answerThe Deputy's question has been referred to the HSE.
439. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the current average processing time for the CORU international recognition process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20516/23]
View answerCORU have indicated that the average time required to deliver a recognition decision from receipt of a complete application was 69 days in Q3 and Q4 of 2022. The average time for 2022 overall was 75 days.
It should be noted that every application for recognition of non-Irish qualifications to CORU is assessed on a case-by-case basis and I am satisfied that CORU deal with all applications in a timely manner from receipt of application through providing a final decision. In 2022, CORU’s Registration Boards made 48% more decisions on applications for recognition of international qualifications than they had in 2021.
Delivering a recognition decision is a complex process and includes checking and verifying of all evidence supplied such as: evidence of eligibility to practice; degree certificates; transcripts and course curriculums/syllabi/module descriptors; additional training and/or education; and relevant work experience. CORU require this information to be notarised/verified by the relevant body to ensure it is true and authentic. Applicants are advised of the documentation and notarisation/verification requirements in the guidance notes available.
Following the submission of a complete application, there is a portfolio-style assessment of all of the required information, formulation of a recommendation by a team of experts, and consideration of that recommendation and final decision by the Registration Board. In some cases, this involves a request for, and analysis of, additional information. This is to ensure that professionals meet the standards of proficiency (the minimum standards required for entry to the profession in Ireland) and to ensure public protection and safety.
Applicants submit their applications via an online portal and can communicate with the team via email or telephone, as needed, to clarify issues as the process progresses.
Applicants are given extensive guidance notes on CORU's website and online application portal. CORU's phone lines are open daily from 10am to 1pm and emails are responded to as per service level agreements as set out in CORU's customer charter (2 days). Telephone calls are also facilitated outside of these times where necessary.
CORU has undertaken numerous measures aimed at reducing timeframes which are listed below:
• The process for recognition of international qualifications has been fully digital since September 2021.
• Guidance notes were updated and guidance has also been incorporated into the front-end online application portal which should assist applicants to submit a complete application when undertaking the application process.
• Work has also been ongoing to identify possible new approaches for recognition of international qualifications. In addition, new systems operable within the law as it stands are being researched and tested to speed up the process.
• CORU also invite applicants whose files are considered complete to apply for registration so that the recognition and registration tasks can processed in parallel.
• The frequency of Registration Board meetings has also been increased to allow for quicker decision-making.
