Mark Ward
Question:1209. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health when a response will be issued to the petition submitted (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27893/23]
View answerDepartmental Correspondence
Questions (1209)
Written answers
A response to the petition was issued to the Joint Committee on Public Petitions on 12 June 2023.
Eating Disorders
Questions (1210)
Mark Ward
Question:1210. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the eating disorder services available to people in CHO3 and CHO8; the plans in place to develop services in these CHO areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27904/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Grant Payments
Questions (1211)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:1211. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if bereavement support funding will be made available to communities in instances (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27909/23]
View answerWritten answers
I have been advised by the HSE that they provide a range of bereavement supports while also working in partnership with the voluntary and community sector. Support is provided in line with the Adult Bereavement Care Pyramid which highlights four levels of support that people may require following a bereavement. Levels of support range from Level 1 (community support, self-help resources) to Level 4 (specialist counselling). For adults requiring Level 3 and 4 supports, the HSE provides bereavement counselling through Counselling in Primary Care (CIPC) across the country.
The voluntary organisation First Light provides therapeutic services to suddenly bereaved parents and family members across Ireland. First Light received €50,000 in 2021 and 2022 from the HSE and provided professional counselling to over 200 individuals in 2022.
Anam Cara is a charity founded by bereaved parents to ensure all bereaved families have access to information and support. They provide a wide range of bereavement support services and peer support which are available to all parents regardless of the age or circumstances of their child’s death. Anam Cara also received €50,000 in 2021 and 2022
Both organisations have been allocated recurrent funding of €75,000 each in the HSE National Service Plan for 2023. This will enhance bereavement supports for parents after the death of a child.
In addition to the above, the Irish Hospice Foundation in partnership with the HSE provide a bereavement support helpline which is available to the general public. It provides a confidential safe space for individuals who have lost a loved one, friend or colleague, to talk about their loss and grief.
Finally, within the area of children’s palliative care, Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice provides bereavement counselling on a national basis to families in need. In 2022 Laura Lynn provided bereavement support to over 200 families. Laura Lynn has a service arrangement with the HSE and been allocated funding of €2.3 million in 2023.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Pharmacy Services
Questions (1212, 1270, 1285, 1308, 1314, 1323, 1330)
Steven Matthews
Question:1212. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a Departmental review of community pharmacy services; if he is currently engaging with an organisation (details supplied) on the concerns of community pharmacists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27919/23]
View answer
Peter Burke
Question:1270. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health his plans to meet an organisation (details supplied) to discuss urgent matters on dispensing fees for community pharmacies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28265/23]
View answer
Marc Ó Cathasaigh
Question:1285. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Health his Department’s plans to engage with the community pharmacists sector and their representative body (details supplied) as committed to in the Programme for Government, with a view to renegotiating the existing fees model, which remains unchanged for 15 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28379/23]
View answer
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
Question:1308. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health what engagement his Department has had with an organisation (details supplied) in relation to pay for services provided, and where its payments had been reduced in 2009 and have been frozen ever since; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28450/23]
View answer
Alan Dillon
Question:1314. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health given the obligations stipulated by the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act of 2017, can he provide an update on the progress of the review concerning the nature of services performed by community pharmacies; if discussions will be held with community pharmacies about restoring their dispensing fees to a flat fee model in line with the precedent set before the recession-induced cuts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28470/23]
View answer
Paul Kehoe
Question:1323. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health what discussions he or officials from his Department have had with an organisation (details supplied) regarding reduced opening hours at evenings and weekends; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28554/23]
View answer
Róisín Shortall
Question:1330. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the steps he has taken to review the nature of services that community pharmacies perform on behalf of the State, under the terms of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017; if he will meet with an organisation (details supplied) to discuss this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28602/23]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1212, 1270, 1285, 1308, 1314, 1323 and 1330 together.
I recognise the significant role community pharmacists play in the delivery of patient care and acknowledge the potential for this role to be developed further in the context of healthcare service reform.
In that regard, various approaches to extending the scope of practice of community pharmacists are being progressed by my Department. The implementation of these necessitates engagement with a range of stakeholders and full consideration of all the relevant legislative and operational issues involved.
The regulations governing the pharmacy fee structure are set out in the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 (No. 34 of 2017) and in S.I. No. 639 of 2019, the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 (Payments to Community Pharmacy Contractors) Regulations 2019, which put the current fee structure in place, with effect from 1 January 2020.
Under Section 42(14) of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 the current pharmacy fee structure must be reviewed every third year after 2020.
My Department is currently carrying out a review and Department officials will communicate with the Irish Pharmacy Union in that regard very shortly.
I believe that there is a real opportunity to work collaboratively, and with other healthcare providers, to make a significant difference to patient outcomes. Of course, any publicly funded pharmacy service expansion should address unmet public healthcare needs, improve access to existing public health services, and provide better value for money.
Ambulance Service
Questions (1213)
Pauline Tully
Question:1213. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the first- and full-year cost of providing five additional ambulances in each HSE region, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27929/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (1214)
Pauline Tully
Question:1214. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list to see a consultant nephrologist at Beaumont Hospital; the average waiting times to see the consultant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27930/23]
View answerWritten answers
It 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 information requested by the Deputy concerning the waiting list to see a consultant nephrologist at Beaumont Hospital is outlined in the attached document. The NTPF has advised that the health system does not collect the data necessary to calculate average wait times. In particular, the time to treatment of patients who have already received their care is not collected. The NTPF collects data on patients currently on the waiting list and the average time that these patients have been waiting is provided here.
Nephrology Specialty for Beaumont Hospital by time band with Average number of days waiting.
|
Date |
Specialty |
Hospital Name |
Wait Time Band |
Total Waiters |
Average Wait Time (Days) |
|
25/05/2023 |
Nephrology |
Beaumont Hospital |
0-6 Months |
175 |
62 |
Health Services Staff
Questions (1215)
Pauline Tully
Question:1215. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE dentists and dental surgeons employed by the HSE working in each health centre and primary care centre within CHO1 in 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27931/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Medical Aids and Appliances
Questions (1216)
Pauline Tully
Question:1216. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of ceiling hoists delivered to families in CHO1 in the years of 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27932/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (1217)
Robert Troy
Question:1217. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite an appointment for a person (details supplied). [27936/23]
View answerWritten answers
Under 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.
Departmental Data
Questions (1218)
Matt Carthy
Question:1218. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the engagements or training missions abroad engaged in by the Irish National Ambulance Service in the years 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; the purpose of such delegations; the officials or Ministers who provided sanction to such; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27941/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Mental Health Services
Questions (1219, 1292, 1294)
Neasa Hourigan
Question:1219. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health if the Mental Health Commission took any action against the HSE in 2022 following the transfer of a resident of the Owenacurra Centre, Midleton, to Unit 3, St. Stephen's Hospital which had conditions on its registration following inspection reports in 2021 and 2022 by the Mental Health Commission which raised serious concerns about the premises, the staff culture, lack of rehabilitation focus and fire safety; if so, if he will provide details of that action; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27942/23]
View answerNeasa Hourigan
Question:1292. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the steps taken by the Mental Health Commission to uphold the rights of a patient transferred to Unit 3, St. Stephen's Hospital in July 2022, in breach of a condition of registration of that service as an approved centre following the Mental Health Commission's the decision to suspend a prosecution it had commenced against the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28399/23]
View answerNeasa Hourigan
Question:1294. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health if a resident transferred from the Owenacurra Centre, Midleton to another facility in July 2022 outside of the agreed process of transfers in place, was given the option to return to the Owenacurra Centre; if the Mental Health Commission judged the placement in question to be meeting the needs of the resident; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28401/23]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1219, 1292 and 1294 together.
The Mental Health Commission (MHC) is an independent statutory body, established under the Mental Health Act 2001.
The Commission’s principal functions are to promote, encourage, and foster the establishment and maintenance of high standards and good practices in the delivery of mental health services and to take all reasonable steps to protect the interests of persons detained in approved centres under the Act.
Department officials directed this query to the Mental Health Commission and the following is their response:
'The three questions are related. The Mental Health Commission (MHC) is an independent state agency. The Department is simply notified if proceedings are issued by the Mental Health Commission against another state agency. The Department has no other involvement in the matter. The MHC does not comment on individual residents. The MHC has confirmed that proceedings were issued against the HSE - the proprietor of St Stephen’s - in September 2022, for the offence of the contravention of a condition attaching to the registration of the Approved Centre, specifically the admission of a resident to Unit 3 of the Approved Centre in contravention of a condition of the Certificate of Registration held by the Approved Centre, which prohibited the admission or transfer of patients to this unit, other than residents transferred from one other Approved Centre in certain circumstances. The MHC can confirm, as was stated in open Court, that following discussion between the parties, assurances were given by the HSE and the MHC withdrew the prosecution.'
Disabilities Assessments
Questions (1220)
Michael Ring
Question:1220. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health if he will investigate the reason the HSE has not replied to Parliamentary Question No. 718 of 9 May 2023; when a reply will be forthcoming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27948/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Health Services
Questions (1221)
Sorca Clarke
Question:1221. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the engagement his Department has had with the INMO in relation to the latest figures outlining the number of patients on trolleys awaiting a hospital bed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27952/23]
View answerWritten answers
Although both the HSE’s TrolleyGAR and the INMO’s Trolley Watch systems provide daily reports on the number of patients treated on trolleys in our acute hospitals, there are notable differences between the two.
The HSE’s TrolleyGAR is a count at a given point in time of all Emergency Department (ED) patients waiting in an inappropriate bed space after a decision to admit as an inpatient has been made. The definition of an appropriate bed space agreed between the HSE and the INMO is that it must have a bed, curtains, access to bathroom facilities, access to oxygen and suction facilities, a named consultant and nursing team assigned, and the patient is on a documented pathway of care. As such, TrolleyGAR includes patients waiting on trolleys in the ED and in wards but does not include patients in designated surge capacity beds.
The INMO Trolley Watch is a count of the number of patients on beds, trolleys, or chairs, or on inpatient wards/units above the stated complement of that ward/unit. This includes inpatient beds being used as surge beds at a given time for instance.
Under the Health Act 2004 and the subsequent Health Service Executive Governance Act (2013 and 2019), the HSE is accountable to the Minister for Health. This allows Department officials, on the Minister’s behalf, to interrogate and report on the data provided by the HSE. My Department works closely with the HSE to examine trolley trends, and the question of ED congestion and performance is under constant review by my Department and the HSE. On the other hand, the INMO is a representative body and, as such, my Department has no role in its governance.
Health Services
Questions (1222)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:1222. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if more funding will be granted for MS services (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27954/23]
View answerWritten answers
The Sláintecare Integration Fund formed part of the Sláintecare Action Plan 2019, which established the building blocks for a significant shift in the way in which health services are delivered in Ireland. Budget 2019 provided €20 million for the establishment of a ring-fenced Sláintecare Integration Fund or SIF, to support service delivery which focuses on prevention, community care and integration of care across all health and social care settings.
The SIF Round 1 supported 123 HSE and NGO sector projects, to test and evaluate innovative models of care providing a ‘proof of concept’ with a view to mainstreaming and scaling of successful projects through the annual budget estimates process.
The selection criteria for funding were:
- To encourage innovations in the shift of care to the community or provide hospital avoidance measures;
- To scale and share examples of best practice and processes for chronic disease management and care of older people;
- To promote the engagement and empowerment of citizens in the care of their own health.
Successful SIF projects were mainstreamed via NSP 2021 and 2022 at an estimated cost of €24 million.
The MS Ireland “Active Neuro” project was mainstreamed with ring-fenced funding allocated in Budget 2022 to the HSE to continue the project in 2022, and this has continued in 2023.
Any consideration for whether, and how best, to expand this service within the HSE, would be matter for the HSE to consider and to make a business case to the Department of Health, as part of the annual Estimates process in advance of the Budget later in the year.
Departmental Expenditure
Questions (1223)
Rose Conway-Walsh
Question:1223. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the total spend on consulting services and on ‘business-as-usual’ outsourcing, as differentiated under the Code of ‘Practice for the Governance of State Bodies 2016’ for each non-commercial public body under the aegis of his Department for the year 2022. [27965/23]
View answerWritten answers
In relation to the information requested by the Deputy, as this is an operational matter, I have forwarded your query to the HSE and asked that they respond directly to you as soon as possible.
Details for other bodies under the aegis of my Department are operational matters for the bodies concerned and the Deputy should contact the relevant Director/CEO/Registrar directly.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (1224)
Pearse Doherty
Question:1224. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment in Galway University Hospital for cardiac surgery; if they are on the routine or urgent waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27982/23]
View answerWritten answers
Under 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.