Seán Sherlock
Question:623. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if he will consider a request (details supplied) regarding a GP service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2849/24]
View answerGeneral Practitioner Services
Questions (623)
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.
Mental Health Services
Questions (624)
Violet-Anne Wynne
Question:624. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health how he intends to implement the 49 recommendations identified in a report (details supplied) in respect of child and adolescent mental health services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2868/24]
View answerWritten answers
The HSE have advised my Department that a progress report in response the Mental Health Commission Final Report on CAMHS was sent by the HSE to the Mental Health Commission on 31 October 2023. A key development in 2023 was the establishment of the new Child and Youth Mental Health Office in the HSE (CYMHO). This office is to fundamentally improve supports to deliver children and young people’s mental health services in Ireland.
The HSE have advised that the correspondence sent to the Mental Health Commission highlighted proposed changes to the current governance structure to a new structure to further support the delivery of actions arising from the Mental Health Commission report and recommendations. This new governance structure will drive development of the wider child and youth mental health improvement programme, aligning current programmes of work in the implementation of our national mental health policy Sharing the Vision, national mental health clinical programmes as well as the recommendations from the Mental Health Commission report and the Maskey Report.
It is proposed that in Q2 2024 the HSE will publish the Child and Youth Mental Health Service Improvement Programme to provide a transparent plan that will guide the development of child and youth mental health services for the lifetime of Sharing the Vision, up to 2030. Importantly, the HSE propose to continue to update and provide the Mental Health Commission and the Department of Health with their progress against these actions through regular and ongoing engagement.
The Department continues to examine on each of these, which revolve around legislation, monitoring, future resource provision, and draft standards that are wider than just mental health. Further detailed consideration of these recommendations will continue.
Notably I recently announced a further €10million to support clinical programmes and youth mental health, highlighting the Government’s recognition of mental health as a central component to overall health. Four recommendations also sit with the Department of Health.
Emergency Departments
Questions (625)
Violet-Anne Wynne
Question:625. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the number of people under 18 years of age who have presented to accident and emergency at University Hospital Limerick with mental health issues and-or at risk of suicide or self-harm in each of the past ten years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2869/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy directly.
Mental Health Services
Questions (626)
Violet-Anne Wynne
Question:626. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if he will comment on the increase in recent years of children with medical referrals being refused support from child and adolescent mental health services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2870/24]
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.
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.
Primary Care Services
Questions (627)
Colm Burke
Question:627. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if all primary care eye teams, PCETs, are in full operation nationally; to set out in tabular form all PCETs that are in operation and all PCETs that are not in operation as of 17 January 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2875/24]
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.
Primary Care Services
Questions (628)
Colm Burke
Question:628. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if a community ophthalmic physician lead, reporting directly to the CHO chief officer, has been appointed to provide overall clinical governance for primary care eye services within the CHOs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2876/24]
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 (629)
Colm Burke
Question:629. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if his Department will engage with the HSE to review the current position where there are no psychotherapists employed by them, in view of the fact it is well recognised that they provide a valuable service to vulnerable patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2877/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently not in a position to answer PQs due to industrial action. It is hoped that normal services will resume soon. In the meantime, this Department will continue to refer PQs to HSE for their direct reply as soon as possible.
Medical Qualifications
Questions (630, 631)
Colm Burke
Question:630. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health what action his Department is taking to ensure the minimum qualification threshold for entry to the register for psychotherapists is set at a level which meets international and European standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2878/24]
View answerColm Burke
Question:631. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health what action his Department is taking to ensure the minimum qualification threshold for psychotherapists will be adopted for registration by CORU, which would include a minimum number of hours of placement under supervision prior to registration being completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2879/24]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 630 and 631 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Health and Social Care Professionals Council and Registration Boards, collectively known as CORU, are responsible for protecting the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct, education, training, and competence amongst the professions designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act (2005).
Each profession designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act has its own independent registration board with statutory responsibility for:
• Establishing and maintaining the register of members for that profession;
• Recognising qualifications gained outside the State;
• Approving and monitoring education and training programmes for entry to the register;
• Setting the code of professional conduct and ethics giving guidance to professionals on Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
The Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board (CPRB) was established in February 2019. Its membership comprises practitioners, representatives from education and training, and lay members, which ensures there is a broad range of voices and perspectives shaping the design of standards and criteria. The work of the CPRB includes consideration of the titles to be protected and the minimum qualifications to be required of existing practitioners and the qualifications that will be required for future graduates. The work of the CPRB is significantly more challenging than it is for registration boards for some of the more established professions owing to the different and complex pathways into these professions, the variety of titles used, and the variety and number of courses and course providers.
The CPRB undertook an extensive research process to inform the drafting of standards and criteria. This included a review of contemporary evidence-informed academic literature, an examination of comparator international professional standards, and understanding the contemporary practice of the profession in Ireland. Key stakeholders, including the public (through a public consultation process), are also part of the drafting process.
Throughout the course of 2022 and 2023, the CPRB drafted threshold level standards of knowledge, skills and professional behaviour – its Standards of Proficiency – and the systems and processes that education providers must have in place to ensure consistent and effective delivery of graduates who have achieved the Standards of Proficiency – its Criteria for Education and Training Programmes. Two sets of these requirements were drafted: one for counsellors and one for psychotherapists representing the first attempt to establish distinct standards for each profession in Ireland and the first effort to standardise threshold level education and training requirements for entry to each profession.
The public consultation on the draft Standards of Proficiency and Criteria for Education and Training Programmes ran for 12 weeks from 4 September until 1st December 2023. As part of this consultation, the CPRB encouraged feedback from all stakeholders, including members of the professions, education providers, employers, professional and representative bodies, as well as members of the public. The public consultation is the mechanism through which professional bodies, as well as other stakeholders, are given an opportunity to provide their views on the draft standards.
I am informed that the CPRB will consider all submissions very carefully in formalising Standards of Proficiency and Criteria for Education and Training Programmes for the psychotherapy profession. CORU, on behalf of the CPRB, will brief my Department on the outcome of the public consultation in due course.
I hope this information is of assistance.
Question No. 631 answered with Question No. 630.
Hospital Services
Questions (632, 633, 637, 642, 643)
Thomas Gould
Question:632. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of paediatric emergency beds currently available in Cork; and the number that will be available after facilities have moved to CUH. [2892/24]
View answerThomas Gould
Question:633. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health whether paediatric haematalogy and oncology units will be moved from the Mercy University hospital to CUH; when this will happen; and the engagement with parents to support them in this move. [2893/24]
View answer
Pat Buckley
Question:637. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of concerns regarding the additional strain on services at Cork University Hospital due to the planned closure of the MUH paediatrics unit; and to outline plans to address these concerns, including increased resources, beds and staff. [2903/24]
View answerPat Buckley
Question:642. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health to outline plans for paediatric care in Cork city and the surrounding area following the closure of Mercy University Hospital paediatric unit. [2908/24]
View answerPat Buckley
Question:643. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health if capacity for on-site administration of infusions at Cork University Hospital paediatric unit will be provided following the closure of the MUH paediatric unit, where such a service was available; and what consideration, if any, has been made for the consequences for families and young patients if such a service is not available on site following the change in services. [2909/24]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 632, 633, 637, 642 and 643 together.
As the matters raised by the Deputies are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputies directly, as soon as possible.
Question No. 633 answered with Question No. 632.
Hospital Staff
Questions (634, 641)
Thomas Gould
Question:634. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health whether paediatric staff in Mercy University Hospital have been reallocated within the same hospital pending the move to CUH; whether this will happen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2894/24]
View answerPat Buckley
Question:641. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that highly qualified and experienced paediatric staff in Mercy University Hospital, Cork, some of whom have 20-plus years service in paediatrics, are being ask to move to Cork University Hospital or apply for different roles due to the closure of the paediatric unit in MUH. [2907/24]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 634 and 641 together.
As the matters raised by the Deputies are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputies directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (635)
Niamh Smyth
Question:635. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) is waiting so long for a hip replacement in Cappagh hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2901/24]
View answerWritten answers
I fully acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when elective procedures are cancelled, particularly for clinically urgent procedures. While every effort is made to avoid cancellation or postponement of planned procedures, the HSE has advised that planned procedures and operations can be postponed or cancelled for a variety of reasons including capacity issues due to increased scheduled and unscheduled care demand.
Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.
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.
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.