Duncan Smith
Question:724. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the current funding that would be required to extend the opening hours until 9pm, seven days a week at the Mater Smithfield Rapid Injury Unit. [33711/23]
View answerHealth Services
Questions (724)
Written 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 Facilities
Questions (725)
Duncan Smith
Question:725. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the capital works projects that were carried out at Croom Orthopaedic Hospital in the years of 2021, 2022 and to-date in 2023; the nature of these works; and the costs of each capital works projects in tabular form. [33712/23]
View answerWritten answers
As 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.
Hospital Staff
Questions (726)
Duncan Smith
Question:726. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE physiotherapists working in Monaghan General Hospital in the years of 2021, 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form. [33713/23]
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 Staff
Questions (727)
Duncan Smith
Question:727. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE advanced nurse practitioners in older persons services in CHO9 in 2021, 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form. [33714/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Health Services Staff
Questions (728)
Duncan Smith
Question:728. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of palliative care teams and staff members in CHO2 at present. [33715/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Staff
Questions (729)
Duncan Smith
Question:729. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE radiographers working in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda in the years of 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form. [33716/23]
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 Staff
Questions (730)
Duncan Smith
Question:730. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant orthopaedic surgeons working in Portiuncula University Hospital in 2021, 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form. [33717/23]
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 Staff
Questions (731)
Duncan Smith
Question:731. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the current number of staff vacancies across all Departments and details of each vacant at Tipperary University Hospital. [33718/23]
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 (732)
Duncan Smith
Question:732. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of births at Mayo University Hospital Maternity Ward in each of the past three years and to-date in 2023, in tabular form; and the staffing level breakdown in this Department for each of these years. [33719/23]
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 Staff
Questions (733)
Patrick Costello
Question:733. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health for an update regarding the recruitment of the outstanding nurses promised as part of the 2018 Valproate Response Project, for which funding was confirmed in 2022; if advertising of the positions and interviews have taken place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33720/23]
View answerWritten answers
As the question refers to HSE recruitment, it has been forwarded to the HSE for direct response to the Deputy.
Medical Research and Training
Questions (734)
Paul Murphy
Question:734. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health whether the medical school which the Secretary General of his Department suggested will be established by TU Dublin will be located on the Tallaght campus; when the first intake of students is expected; and if the TU Dublin governing body had approved the proposal for a medical school prior to the Secretary General's comments at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health (details supplied). [33749/23]
View answerWritten answers
A draft concept proposal to create a new medical school in Dublin has been submitted to the Department. The Department is examining the concept proposal and will be consulting with the Medical Council and other relevant bodies as appropriate.
Programmes of basic medical education and the bodies that deliver these programmes are approved by the Medical Council in accordance with the Medical Practitioners Act 2007. The Council is responsible for quality assuring medical education and training in Ireland across the continuum spanning the undergraduate, intern and specialist training stages of professional development. The Council uses the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) 2015 Global Standards to do this.
The draft proposal received is at early stage in development. The assessment process for a medical education programme requires a large amount of documentation review, surveys of trainers, site visits by assessors and following the award of conditional approval, interviewing of the first cohort of students as they progress. Medical Council staff are keen to support medical schools in preparing for accreditation and will offer to meet with the medical school representatives at the beginning of the process, to provide guidance and information on the process and requirements of the accreditation.
Hospital Facilities
Questions (735)
Thomas Pringle
Question:735. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health when Letterkenny University Hospital will have an onsite outpatient clinic to replace the one damaged in the flood ten years ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33752/23]
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.
Healthcare Policy
Questions (736, 738, 739, 740)
Mattie McGrath
Question:736. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health who decided to go ahead with reconfiguration of the mid-west region despite the 600 beds required by the Hanly Report to offer safe patient safety not being in place; if he will launch an investigation into this decision, given that it has caused untold suffering on patients and staff in the mid-west region for 14 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33755/23]
View answerMattie McGrath
Question:738. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health following his comments that reconfiguration was not working (details supplied), if he will put an urgent plan in place to reopen Nenagh, Ennis and St. Johns accident and emergency departments, given the new 96-block bed unit will only actually realise 48-beds meaning that the mid-west region will still not be at the 600-beds needed to provide patient safety according to the Hanly Report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33757/23]
View answerMattie McGrath
Question:739. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will publish the evidence he relied upon when he stated that reopening an accident and emergency department in Ennis Hospital was inadvisable on safety grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33758/23]
View answerMattie McGrath
Question:740. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will commit to meeting with TDs and Health Forum members from the mid-west as requested by the HSE Mid-West Forums meeting recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33759/23]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 736, 738, 739 and 740 together.
The Government remains committed to improving services in Limerick and the Midwest region. I have engaged extensively with the University of Limerick Hospital Group (ULHG) and the HSE regarding the challenges being experienced, particularly in UHL. This includes convening a meeting earlier this year involving An Taoiseach, senior management from the Hospital Group, and Mid-West Oireachtas Members, including the Deputy. I have also made a number of visits to UHL and the regional hospitals in the Group, most recently at the end of June this year.
In relation to the issues being raised by the Deputy, in 2013, the Smaller Hospitals Framework defined the role of smaller hospitals and outlined the need for both smaller and larger hospitals to operate within Hospital Groups. The Framework identified the activities that can be performed in smaller Model 2 hospitals, in a safe and sustainable manner. In developing our smaller hospitals, the first and overriding priority is the safety of patients. This Framework provided a stronger role for smaller hospitals, like Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s Hospitals, in delivering a higher volume of less complex care in many cases closer to patients’ homes. It also ensures that patients who require true emergency or complex planned care are managed safely in a larger hospital environment. Regarding hospitals in the ULHG, in April 2009, a process of reconfiguration commenced with the closure of the 24-7 emergency departments (EDs) in Ennis and Nenagh. These EDs were replaced with Medical Assessment Units (MAUs) for GP referrals; and by local injury units/urgent care centres for self-referrals and operating 12 hours a day, seven days a week. These changes were supported by an Emergency Care Network, which had been set up in the region and led by consultants in emergency medicine. These consultants, while based in UHL, have clinical responsibility for the Injury Units in Ennis, Nenagh and St John's. Additional consultants in emergency medicine were recruited to support these changes in addition to Advanced Nurse Practitioners for the Injury Units in the smaller hospitals and for the ED in UHL. Within the ULHG, there are two Model 2 Hospitals, Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals. 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. These hospitals play a pivotal role in the delivery of high-quality patient care within the region. The model 2 hospitals accept transfers of appropriate patients from UHL on a daily basis. 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.
ULHG remains committed to investing in their Model 2 hospitals to enhance non-acute patient care. In April 2022 the new purpose built €2m Injury Unit at Ennis Hospital opened replacing the existing unit that had operated out of the main hospital building since 2013. The new Unit, which I formally opened last month, has brought an immediate improvement in the clinical environment and experience for healthcare staff and the thousands of patients who use this service every year. There has also been investment in equipping the Outpatient Department, including provision of X-Ray Room and other diagnostics, in Phase 1b of the redevelopment of Ennis General Hospital and in redevelopment works to provide two replacement theatres and supporting facilities.
In addition, ULHG has confirmed that, through funding of €5.2m secured from the HSE, the MAUs at Ennis Hospital, Nenagh, and St John’s now all operate seven days per week. This funding will see 51 additional WTEs recruited across a number of specialties for the MAU services.
Another development in Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals has been the introduction of the MAU pathway for 112/999 patients. This allows patients that meet agreed clinical criteria to be transferred by ambulance and treated in a Model 2 hospital. This pathway is resulting in patients receiving medical treatment in a hospital closer to their home, is reducing patient presentations to EDs and is helping to release ambulances more quickly to respond to other emergency calls. The MAUs in Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals treat 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 EDs for assessment and treatment. In addition to Ennis and Nenagh, it is envisaged that the MAU pathway for 112/999 patients will commence operations at St John's Hospital, Limerick by the end of July 2023. ULHG has advised that there are currently 867 inpatient beds across the Group, which includes 530 beds in UHL. 150 additional beds have been opened in the ULHG since 1st January 2020 and 98 of these beds are in UHL.
There has also been significant investment in infrastructure in UHL in recent times. For example, work on the new 96-bed inpatient block project at UHL commenced in October 2022. This project represents a total capital investment of just over €90 million, and will deliver a 4-storey, 96 single bed acute inpatient ward block and will go some way toward addressing capacity issues in the region. Pre-planning meetings on a second 96-bed Ward Block at UHL have been also held and it is anticipated that planning permission will be applied for this month. In 2021, a new 60-bed modular ward block opened. 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.
Following these and other investments across the wider ULHG, consideration is also being given to future capacity requirements. It is noted that ULHG has developed proposals in this regard. These proposals will be considered by the hospital group and the HSE in line with their governance processes.
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. Regarding the Surgical Hub for Limerick, planning is at an early stage, and I have asked the HSE to expedite the development, so it is operational as soon as possible. My Department continues to work with the HSE to ensure the improvement of services for all patients in the Midwest region continues. For example, while I recognise that there is more to be done in UHL, particularly in relation to the ED, improvements are being made. This was acknowledged in the context of HIQA’s recent inspection report of UHL against the National Standards, in comparison to their previous report from March last year. In that regard, I am confident that the measures set out in the published Compliance Plan will help to address the issues raised in HIQA’s report and thereby further improve services at UHL.
Hospital Overcrowding
Questions (737)
Mattie McGrath
Question:737. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will publish the figures he relied on when speaking on a radio station (details supplied) when he stated that trolley numbers were down at UHL while comparing trolley numbers at the same period in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33756/23]
View answerWritten answers
On my recent visit to the University of Limerick Hospital Group, I mentioned that according to the HSE's TrolleyGAR figures, there were 2,697 patients counted on trolleys at 8am between January and May 2023 (inclusive). This represents a decrease of 22.7% compared to the same period in 2019.
TrolleyGAR figures are published by the HSE three times a day, and 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.
Question No. 738 answered with Question No. 736.