Written Answers Nos. 336-348
336. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health to provide the names and budgets of organisations funded by the HSE to deliver child and youth mental health services in each of the nine CHOs, in tabular form. [45902/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
337. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the current waiting list for each CAMHS unit and the number of patients that have been waiting for over 6, 12, 18 and 24 months, in tabular form. [45903/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
338. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the rates for acceptance on the first referral for each CAMHS unit, in tabular form. [45904/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
339. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the progress of the working group responsible for the roll-out of Health link and the relevant ICT software in CAMHS units; the expected timeline for implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45905/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
340. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health for an update on the recommendation from the final report on the provision of child and adolescent mental health services in the State by a person (details supplied) for the Mental Health Commission to extend its regulatory remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45906/23]
View answerThe Mental Health Commission report is a welcome contribution to a common objective of improving CAMHS services. Of the 49 Recommendations, many are already being progressed under workstreams arising from the Sharing the Vision Implementation Plan, the Maskey Report, the COG audit and the national audit of prescribing practice.
The Mental Health Commission plays a vital independent role in supporting and assisting the Department of Health and the HSE in developing and improving mental health services. I, the HSE and all advocates in the sector share the Commission’s commitment to ensure the safest and most effective service for children. To this end, on foot of the Maskey report I had extensive engagement with the Commission and encouraged them to undertake a comprehensive review of children’s mental health services as the topic for their annual mental health services review. I was also pleased to provide the necessary resources to the Mental Health Commission to enable this comprehensive review to take place, running in parallel with the HSE national CAMHS audits.
While the MHC Interim Report highlighted concerns regarding service delivery and administrative practices in five CHOs, many of these related to operational issues within CAMHS teams that have been recognised and resolved. It is reassuring that the final report identified evidence of clinical audits of open cases during the review of the final four CHOs. This final report along with the interim report highlight concerns regarding gaps in governance, both at corporate and clinical level across CHOs. In highlighting these areas where practices can, and should, be addressed, the Commission provides an opportunity to ensure that the HSE’s services are improved.
Of course, any area that falls short of the high standards that young people and their families should rightly expect is an area of concern. However, I am reassured from the on-going and extensive engagement between my Department, the HSE, and the Commission regarding the findings of the Final Report, that care in individual cases has not been seriously compromised. It should be noted that any areas of concern identified by the Commission in carrying out its report were escalated immediately to the HSE for immediate action and resolution.
I look forward to continuing to engage with the HSE, and specifically with the new office for youth mental health, to ensure that these recommendations are delivered on.
341. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health for an update on the review of North Kerry CAMHS, including information on the scope of the review, areas or periods it may exclude; the expected timeline for its completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45907/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
342. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health to provide a detailed breakdown of his plans for the €100 million allocated to new measures in Budget 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45909/23]
View answerFollowing the announcement of the budget allocation for my Department, I will shortly be issuing a Letter of Determination to the HSE outlining my priorities and funding levels for 2024. This will be the basis on which the HSE will draw up its National Service Plan (NSP) for 2024. It is not until the conclusion of this process that a detailed breakdown of non-core expenditure will be available.
343. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to the allocation of €40 million to expedite the roll-out of the integrated financial management system, the timeline he is working towards; to provide a detailed breakdown of how he intends to spend this allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45910/23]
View answer344. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the funding provided to digital health in Budget 2024; to provide a detailed breakdown of his plans for this allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45911/23]
View answerThe Minister has increased investment in Digital Health in terms of capital, revenue and non core funding for 2024.
Funding for ICT capital specifically has been increased from €140m in 2023 to €155m in 2024, with separate funding provided to continue to build cyber resilience.
Recurring funding for digital has also increased consistently, year on year, since 2020.
Funding in 2024 will be allocated to the development of more patient focussed solutions, modernising the workplace and workforce, core clinical and corporate systems, data analytics, innovation, cyber resilience and foundational infrastructure. For instance, in the other way other organisations have demonstrated modernisation of services, through the development of a patient app, we will make the benefits of existing digital health systems more visible and accessible to the public.
Existing Level of Service (ELS) funding of €23.3m is being allocated to pay for the recurring costs associated with software licensing, technical development and support that would otherwise need to be paid for from ICT capital.
ICT Capital funding of €155m has been provided for in 2024 and details of how this will be invested will be available when the ICT capital plan is published in the coming weeks.
Non core funding of €82.7 is being provided in 2024 to ensure existing systems can resist cyberattacks (€55m), to fund support for existing clinical and corporate systems (€20m) and for the continued modernisation and digitisation of the workplace (€7.7m). The capital plan will also provide investment in these two areas.
Finally, funding of €3.4m is being provided to augment the digital health resources needed to deliver modern systems that improve the way in which health services are delivered and increase our capacity to deal with increasing demands on the service (€3.4m represents half year funding recognising it will take time to hire these specialist staff).
Throughout all investment in digital, the core thread is that these investments support reform of the health service, enable integrated care, and the ability of existing staff to provide a better service to the public.
345. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the funding provided for implementation of the Nurse Safe Staffing Framework in Budget 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45912/23]
View answer361. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health to confirm if additional funding has been secured in Budget 2024 for the implementation of the safe staffing; how much funding is in place for phase two of the Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45944/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 345 and 361 together.
I am hugely committed to supporting the nursing and midwifery workforce and progressing full implementation of the Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix continues to be a priority for me.
Between the budget 2024 allocation and conversion of agency costs it is intended to recruit more than two thousand more healthcare workers in 2024. This includes nurses and healthcare assistants for implementation of the Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing in all hospitals.
346. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health for an update on an application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45915/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
347. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health for an accurate timeline on the development of the emergency department in Mayo University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45916/23]
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.
348. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will facilitate funding for a person to attend a facility (details supplied). [45923/23]
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.
An individual may wish to consider attending their GP, who can do a full assessment and make appropriate referrals. There is also the HSE Drugs & Alcohol Helpline which is a confidential service through a freephone Helpline (1800 459 459) and an email support service (helpline@hse.ie). The HSE Drugs & Alcohol Helpline provides support, information, guidance and referral to anyone with a question or concern related to drug and alcohol use and/or HIV and sexual health. The service is non-judgmental and offers space to talk about your situation, to explore some options and to consider your needs. During calls/ emails, staff refer to a database of over 400 services nationwide. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm. There is a directory of drug and alcohol services per county on www.drugs.ie/services. Further information on seeking support for drug use can be found on www.drugs.ie and for alcohol on www.askaboutalcohol.ie.
