Written Answers Nos. 485-497
485. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the capital works projects that are scheduled to be carried out at South John's Hospital, Limerick in 2024; and the nature of these works, in tabular form. [50621/23]
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.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
486. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of any supports in place for parents who have to accompany their children for an urgent medical procedure, such as an organ transplant procedure, to assist with costs of accommodation, food, transport, time off work and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50625/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
487. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health to provide a detailed response to correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50627/23]
View answerFirstly, I would like to express my gratitude to all Caredoc employees for providing valuable healthcare right around the Country. I would like to thank the Deputy for bringing this letter, which has been written on behalf of Caredoc Telephone Triage & CIT Nurses and their respective Nurse Managers, to my attention.
Caredoc is a privately owned and operated company, not a public service organisation and as such, staff employed by Caredoc do not fall under the current Public Service Agreement, Building Momentum. Building Momentum was agreed between public sector unions and the State and the agreement set out matters such as reform measures, industrial relations processes and pay rises for public servants. Only public service staff encompassed by the agreement benefitted from the pay rises.
The Independent Body Examining Additional Working Hours (HRA) in the Public Service was established under the Building Momentum public service agreement. The Independent Body recommended that working time be restored to pre-Haddington Road agreement (HRA) levels for virtually all civil servants, public servants and non-commercial State agency staff in grades where working hours were increased in 2013. Again, it is important to note that this recommendation was for public service staff only.
Caredoc is privately owned and run and the terms and conditions of employment of their staff, once in line with employment legislation, is strictly between the employer and the employee. Caredoc is not and have not been party to the Public Service Agreements.
In relation to the Pandemic Recognition Payment, eligibility criteria for the payment were set following significant consideration and consultation. I can confirm that in order to receive the recognition payment, staff must have:
• Been in COVID vaccination cohorts 1 or 2, and
• Worked ordinarily onsite in a COVID-19 exposed healthcare environment, and
• Worked for at least 4 weeks in the 1/3/2020 – 30/6/2021 period, and
• Worked in a HSE/Section 38 organisation, or one of the following:
1. Private Sector Nursing Homes and Hospices (e.g. Private, Voluntary,Section 39 etc.);
2. Section 39 long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities, working on-site;
3. Agency roles working in the HSE;
4. Health Care Support Assistants (also known as home help / home care / home support) contracted to the HSE;
5. Members of the Defence Forces redeployed to work in frontline Covid-19 exposed environments in the HSE;
6. Paramedic staff employed by Dublin Fire Brigade to deliver services on behalf of the HSE.
Only those staff who met all of the above eligibility criteria were covered for this payment. I appreciate that many other workers, volunteers, and other citizens including those working in Caredoc provided important services during this most difficult time. It was a hard task to set out the eligibility criteria for this payment but the Government based its decision on certain aspects of all the different roles within the health sector and certain risks which eligible frontline workers faced. Undoubtedly immense efforts have been made by all healthcare staff since the onset of the pandemic which has not gone unrecognised.
488. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health for an update on the development of eating disorder services at Mount Carmel Hospital; when construction works will be completed; when services will be operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50634/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible. As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday, 6 October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes.
As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
489. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health for an update on the number of operational eating disorder beds in Linn Dara; when capacity will be restored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50635/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday, 6 October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
490. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the current status of the eating disorder unit in the new children’s hospital; how many eating disorder beds are included in the plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50636/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
491. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if he will publish any research his Department has commissioned on loneliness in society post-Covid. [50638/23]
View answerEvidence shows loneliness is a significant issue for population health and a number of different studies have linked loneliness to multiple chronic health conditions. Loneliness levels in Ireland are rising, and the pandemic was a major contributory factor to increases in social isolation. Loneliness can be detrimental for our physical and mental health, while reconnecting with others post-COVID-19 pandemic has numerous physical and mental health benefits.
Mental health and social connectedness have been measured periodically in the Healthy Ireland Survey, which is published in Q3-4 each year. Mental health has been measured in 2016, 2021 and 2023, while social connectedness has been measured in 2021 and 2023.
The 2023 Healthy Ireland Survey was published this week. The 2021 Survey was conducted during significant COVID-19 restrictions, however, the field work for forthcoming 2023 Survey was conducted after all significant restrictions had been lifted.
The Healthy Ireland Survey has been published annually since 2015, with the exception of the 2020 Survey, which was not completed as a result of the onset of the pandemic. The published reports are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/231c02-healthy-ireland-survey-wave/
On 20 November 2023, I along with my colleague, the Minister for Health, Wellbeing and National Drugs Strategy Hildegarde Naughton TD and the Chief Medical Officer Professor Breda Smyth invited people to say “Hello Again World”, supported by a multi-media campaign that aims to empower people to increase their social connections.
The campaign also features a new online resource www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/6c10f-social-connections/?referrer=http://www.gov.ie/socialconnections/ that provides information and advice on building and maintaining social connections, as well as signposts to resources nationwide.
The following www.gov.ie/en/press-release/0545c-ministers-and-chief-medical-officer-advise-older-people-how-to-reconnect-with-their-communities-as-they-launch-online-resource/ includes links to
1. The first ever EU-wide survey on loneliness which found that on average 13% of respondents report feeling lonely most or all of the time. Figures for Ireland were higher than the EU average with 20% of respondents reporting feeling lonely.
2. The largest survey on loneliness globally which showed that 29% of older adults aged 65–74 and 27% of those aged 75+ said they felt lonely often or very often.
3. The impact of loneliness on older people was highlighted during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, with almost half of those aged 70 or over feeling very or extremely concerned about maintaining social ties.
4. There is a strong link between loneliness and chronic health conditions plus higher mortality risk, including heart disease, lung disease, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, atherosclerosis, stroke, and metabolic disorders, such as obesity and metabolic disease. It’s also linked to poorer cognitive function and poorer mental health.
492. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health if the patient safety bill will be fully commenced this year; and if not, the reason. [50639/23]
View answerThe Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 provides a legislative framework for a number of important patient safety issues, including the mandatory open disclosure of a list of specified serious patient safety incidents that must be disclosed to the patient and/or their family, and the expansion of HIQA’s remit into private hospital services. The Act was passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas and signed into law by the President on 2nd May 2023.
Prior to commencement of the Act, there are a number of preparatory steps required. These are currently being progressed and significant multi-stakeholder engagement is now taking place across the health system.The Act establishes a mandatory requirement for the notification of certain serious patient safety incidents. To facilitate this notification process, a new module to the existing National Incident Management System (NIMS) must be designed, tested and implemented before this provision can be commenced. Work with key stakeholders, including the HSE, State Claims Agency, HIQA and the Mental Health Commission, is currently taking place. The HSE advise that work is underway to finalise and fully roll out their new open disclosure training policy and communications plan to all staff regarding the new disclosure and notification requirements under the Act before its implementation can be rolled out.The Patient Safety Act also mandates open disclosure of patient requested review of cancer screening and the implementation of a communications programme regarding such reviews. The HSE and the Screening Services and currently finalising these processes.Once these preparatory steps have been completed, the intention is to commence the Act at the earliest possible date.
493. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health whether he was requested by HIQA or if he instructed HIQA to investigate a nursing home (details supplied) in February 2021. [50640/23]
View answer494. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health what role senior personnel from HIQA took in the investigation of a nursing home (details supplied); and the reason for the delay in senior personnel attending the nursing home site in 2021. [50641/23]
View answer496. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health what specific actions or directions were given to staff in a nursing home (details supplied) in February 2021; and the reason only one inspector attended the site at the time, given the serious concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50643/23]
View answer498. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health whether HIQA escalated concerns with potentially untrue information provided in relation to a nursing home (details supplied) in Q1 2021; if so, where these escalations were sent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50645/23]
View answer499. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the explanation given by CareChoice for the delay in reporting deaths in a nursing home (details supplied) in Q1 2021; and what action was taken in light of this. [50646/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 493, 494, 496, 498 and 499 together.
I propose to respond to PQs 50646/ 50645/ 50643/ 50641/ 50640 together.
The Chief Inspector of Social Services (Chief Inspector) within HIQA, has statutory powers to assess compliance by nursing home providers with the regulations and standards made under the Health Act 2007. All concerns about services brought to the attention of the Chief Inspector are risk-rated and appropriate action is taken to inform regulatory activity.
HIQA carried out an unannounced inspection of the nursing home referred to on 11 February in light of the notification of a significant number of deaths at the centre and following the receipt of a number of unsolicited concerns about the centre. The inspection report for this unannounced inspection can be found on the HIQA website www.hiqa.ie/reports-and-publications/inspection-reports.
The Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 requires the notification to the Chief Inspector within three days of the occurrence of the unexpected death of any resident.
The nursing home did not notify the Chief Inspector of nine unexpected deaths within the required timeframe, and this is outlined in the inspection report of 11 February 2021, where a judgement of non-compliance with the regulations was made in relation to Regulation 31. A compliance plan addressing all areas of non-compliance is published at the end of the inspection report.
It is not unusual for HIQA to conduct single-person inspections.
HIQA continued to engage with the nursing home and a further two inspections were conducted later that year. All three inspection reports can be found at the link provided.
495. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health whether HIQA, the HSE or his Department informed safeguarding and protection teams of concerns in a nursing home (details supplied) in Q1 2021; and whether further concerns were passed to the NMBI. [50642/23]
View answerI am not aware if any concerns were raised with safeguarding and protection teams in relation to the nursing home referred to as this is an operational issue.
More generally, Public Health and Community Response Teams in the HSE were responsible for supporting nursing homes during COVID-19 outbreaks. I understand that the HSE was notified of an outbreak at this nursing home in early January 2021. When notified of this outbreak, an Outbreak Management Team was convened by the Director of Public Health. In this instance, Public Health specialists and nurses worked with the Community Response Team to support the nursing home through the provision of a range of supports.
Concerning the second issue which the Deputy has raised, as this question relates to an operational matter of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), I have referred the question to the NMBI for its attention and direct response to the Deputy.
497. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health whether consideration was given to the HSE assuming control of a nursing home (details supplied) on 11 February 2021, or on another date in Q1 2021; and the reason a decision was taken not to act on this consideration. [50644/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday, 6 October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes.
As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
