Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 September 2023
253. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health his views on patient and public involvement within the health service; if the Government has plans to pay those involved in PPI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40781/23]
View answerThe Department of Health has been working on a policy for the selection and remuneration of a certain cohort of patient representatives, to be known as Patient Voice Partners or PVPs. The Department recognises and values the vital role that patients play in the development of health policy and the reform of health services.
Throughout the health service, patient representatives or “Patient Voice Partners” make a significant contribution on an ongoing basis to the work of the Department of Health, the HSE and health agencies. Patient Voice Partners are patients/service users who are willing to share their experiences and perspectives of the health service to inform the development and reform of health policy and services.
The purpose of developing a Patient Voice Partner Policy is to ensure that patient participation is embedded in health policy and service development and to ensure that Patient Voice Partners are recognised and valued for their contribution. The policy will set out guidance for organisations on the recruitment and selection of and the rates of remuneration for certain categories of patient representatives which are defined in the policy.
Following the completion of a comprehensive stakeholder engagement with key partners , including patient representatives, the Department of Health (DOH) developed a draft. This Patient Voice Partner (PVP) policy has also been informed by both International and Irish policy and guidance documents.
In line with best practice, a Public Consultation on the draft PVP policy took place earlier this year. In total, 120 submissions were received via the EU survey website. The responses received from the online survey were processed and analysed and the findings show very positive support for the Patient Voice Partner policy.
The findings of the public consultation have been considered and are being used to inform the final draft of the Policy prior to its publication. Once this has been completed, the policy will be published, and implementation will commence.
