Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 January 2024
551. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health to outline the details of his Department’s/HSE analysis on the safe staffing and skill mix of nurses and others working in nursing homes, public and private and in care homes; to give an update on findings and recommendations to date; when the final analysis will be completed and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4128/24]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware the Framework for Safe Staffing is an evidence-based approach to determine safe staffing and skill mix for nursing. It is determined by patient need and demonstrates impact through the measurement of a range of outcomes. The Framework comprises three phrases. Since 2018, two safe staffing policy documents have been published, Phase 1 focused on Adult General and Specialist Medical and Surgical Care Settings and Phase 2 focused on Adult Emergency Care Settings.
Development of these policies was fully supported by Government and they are currently being implemented by the HSE.
Phase 3 of the Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing in Community settings comprises: (i) Long-Term residential care settings for older persons; (ii) Community care settings; and (iii) Step-down and Rehabilitation settings.
My Department is currently testing the first part of Phase 3 of the Framework for Safe Nurse and Skill Mix across a selection of public, private and voluntary long-term residential care settings for older persons. To date, two research reports have been developed, collating data from 8 pilot sites in both private and public settings. The Evaluation of the ‘Pilot Implementation of the Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix in Long Term Residential Settings for Older People, Report 1-Baseline Report” and “Pilot Implementation of the Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix in Long-Term Residential Settings for Older People - Report 2” are available on Gov.ie at www.gov.ie/en/publication/79fb9-framework-for-safe-nurse-staffing-and-skill-mix-phase-3/
Based on the evidence now being collected and analysed, and in line with the recommendation of the COVID-19 Nursing Home Expert Panel, it is my intention that Phase 3(i) be developed into a national policy for broader implementation. Following consideration of a final research report, I expect that the associated national policy document will be published by the end of Q2 2024.
