Written Answers Nos. 1-30
6. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health what steps are being taken to improve the recruitment for all grades involved in CAMHS in order that fully resourced teams can be in place across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9414/24]
View answerInvestment in child and youth mental health services has been a priority for me and this Government, and is exemplified through the year on year increased investment into CAMHS over the lifetime of this Government. As additional CAMHS teams have been established, staffing has increased in parallel.
More specifically, the HSE has increased staffing in community CAMHS from 388.76 WTEs in 2011 to 659 in December 2021 to approximately 820 posts by the end of 2023. This is an increase of more than 50% over the last 12 years. In addition, I announced a further 68 posts for youth mental health as part of Budget 2024, and the further announcement of €10m earlier this year will bring the total number of people employed by CAMHs above 900.
The HSE continues efforts to recruit for vacancies as quickly as possible, ensuring that those who are recruited into CAMH services have the skills needed to meet the care needs of young people experiencing mental health difficulties. In addition, the HSE is fully utilising opportunities offered by telehealth technologies to mitigate recruitment challenges and modernise delivery of care. This rounded approach is in place to ensure that children and young people can access the care that they need, when they need it. This approach is further supported by the utilisation of CAMHS Hubs. The new multi-disciplinary Model of Care for CAMHS Hubs, which I launched on 7 September last, is currently operational across 5 pilot sites in CHOs 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8. Support from these Hubs is designed to be provided to young people over a short period of time, as they provide targeted and intensive interventions with flexibility to respond to different young people’s or parent/carer needs.
In response to the Deputy's question, the HSE has also committed to offering all Nursing and Health and social care graduates permanent contracts of employment in the HSE. It is envisioned that this initiative will also help to increase CAMHS staffing levels across nursing and social care grades. In this context the HSE have advised my Department that they are now directly targeting fourth year health and social care students in both Irish and UK colleagues for opportunities across all services.
In addition, under the HSE's Resourcing Strategy, Expert Implementation Groups have worked to identify resourcing challenges within grade categories and professions to recommend resourcing actions to address them. To date this strategy has resulted in the development of additional Trainee psychology places, increased training places across Health and Social Care Professions, and provided additional funded Medicine placements and increased the number of training places for undergraduate mental health nursing.
Key statistics:
· There are 76 Community CAMHS teams and 4 in-patient units nationally.
· The HSE has significantly increased staffing in community CAMHS to approximately 820 posts at present.
· The 68 new posts allocated under Budget 2024 increases this figure to 888.
· This figure will be further augmented by new posts under the €10 million Minister Butler recently announced.
Key messages: Use speaking note format
· The development of CAMHS is directed by our national mental health policy Sharing the Vision (StV) which is the successor policy to A Vision for Change.
· A Vision for Change was prescriptive on the composition of multi-disciplinary teams and staffing levels required to serve a given population.
· In contrast, StV recognises that in line with current best practice and to enable future flexibility in terms of service delivery, additional competencies are recommended for multi-disciplinary teams, to complement core skills.
· In addition to core skills like psychiatry, social work, clinical psychology and occupational therapy, additional competencies like dietetics, peer support, outreach and job coaching, for example, may be appropriate.
· Rather than being specific on staffing numbers and team composition, a flexible approach can be more responsive to local needs which helps achieve recovery-oriented outcomes.
· As additional CAMHS teams have been established staffing has increased in parallel.
· The HSE increased staffing in community CAMHS from 388.76 WTEs in 2011 to 659 in December 2021 to around 820 posts at present.
· This figure will increase significantly this year with the additional posts Minister Butler secured for CAMHS.
· The HSE continues efforts to recruit for vacancies as quickly as possible, with the skills to meet the needs of young people.
· The HSE is fully utilising opportunities offered by telehealth technologies to mitigate recruitment challenges and modernise delivery of care.
· This includes a new multi-disciplinary Model of Care for CAMHS Hubs launched by Minster Butler on 7 September last, with pilots across five sites.
· The HSE is operating in a fiercely competitive global race for talent across all professions in which the mobility of healthcare workers across the globe has become an ever-increasing challenge.
· The HSE fully understands the requirements to build our workforce now and into the future to meet the increasing needs of services including CAMHS.
· To this end, the HSE has established a national resourcing strategy for the HSE ‘Resourcing our future’.
· This is an action orientated programme of work which includes initiatives such as the development of a career hub.
· The hub, provides potential candidates with automatic notifications as roles are advertised and allows for targeted engagement/marketing and profiling of services, the CAMHS services is expected to be subject of one of these profiles in 2024.
· The HSE has also committed to offering all Nursing and Health and social care graduates permanent contracts of employment in the HSE.
· This initiative should help to increase CAMHS staffing levels.
· The HSE is now directly targeting 4th year Health and social care students in both Irish and UK colleagues for opportunities across all services.
· Under the Resourcing Strategy, Expert Implementation Groups have worked to identify resourcing challenges within their grade category and professions to recommend resourcing actions to address them.
· To date the programme has added additional Trainee psychology places which commenced in September 2023 over a three year period, increased the trainee cohort across Health Social Care Professions, provided additional funded Medicine placements and increased the number of training places for undergraduate mental health nursing.
· The Recruitment Reform & Resourcing Programme, established in June 2022 is also working to identify resourcing deficiencies within the HSE.
· While the existing Recruitment Operating Model is working to reduce the time it takes to recruit and to bring the selection decision and control closer to the services.
13. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to increase the number of operational inpatient CAMHS beds from 52 currently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9505/24]
View answerI thank the Deputy for his question. Ensuring that children have access to inpatient mental health beds is a priority for me and this Government.
There are four inpatient CAMHS units in Ireland, namely Eist Linn, Linn Dara, Merlin Park and St Vincent’s. These Units, also known as Approved Centres, are registered, regulated and inspected by the Mental Health Commission. While CAMHS in-patient bed capacity is 72 beds nationally, currently, due to a range of issues including staffing and necessary renovations, there are 51 beds in operation. The HSE is making every effort to address service challenges and bring the number of beds in operation back to 72.
It is important to note that access to these inpatient beds is being carefully and actively managed by the HSE. As of 13 February 2024, the waiting list nationally to access units was 0. At present, approximately 35 (68%) of available beds are currently occupied, therefore even with the reduced operational beds, there remains capacity to admit to CAMHS inpatient units. All four CAMHS units are working collaboratively to maximise national CAMHS bed capacity and to minimise the impact of this temporary reduction.
The CAMHS waiting list for inpatient beds fluctuates each week and is monitored and discussed at a weekly CAMHS inpatient bed meeting between the four CAMHS inpatient units and HSE National Mental Health Operations. There is also a weekly call with both the Children's Health Ireland (CHI) and Southern Hospitals Groups to identify any delayed discharges which is working well.
The Department of Health is provided with an update from HSE National Mental Health Operations on CAMHS Bed Status on a weekly basis, and this is actively monitored and reviewed by officials in my Department.
The HSE will continue to utilise all available options to care for urgent cases, including the use of private providers if needed.
14. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the measures he and his Department are taking to ensure greater utilisation of technology for the provision of health care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9662/24]
View answerThank you deputy for your question. You reference 'technology' in your question, which is a very board term in healthcare, that can include medicines, diagnostics and genomics etc. . In my answer, I have taken your question to mean a focus on the ICT aspects of technology.
First of all, its important to recognise where there is strong utilisation of ICT and where we are well advanced in terms of utilisation of technology. Some very obvious examples include the National Medical Imaging System (NIMIS), that covers all the major imaging modalities and enables Ireland’s health professionals to collaborate, seamlessly and securely sharing patient imaging data electronically, thus improving the speed and accuracy of clinical decisions.
Another useful example is the Maternal and Newborn Clinical Management System (MN-CMS), which supports the delivery of safer care by using electronic health records to ensure all maternal, newborn and gynaecology information is available in real time to doctors and nurses responsible for providing care to patients on sites where MN-CMS is deployed already.
However, we must acknowledge that Ireland is still significantly behind peers internationally in terms of digital health maturity, with OECD reports issued prior to the pandemic indicating Ireland was placed 21 out of 27 EU member states.
In response to this, and recognising that investing in this area is very expensive, this government has provided capital to ensure the new Children's Hospital will open as a digital first hospital, with an enterprise level EHR system and all the ICT infrastructure needed to operate as a world class facility.
My department is also finalising a refresh to our digital health strategy, that sets out a clear ambition for the greater utilisation of digital technology, and provide a roadmap for the future. I will be discussing this with Government, but progress will still be dependent on the how much future governments choose to invest in this important area.
16. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the use in certain retail outlets of text only, large, colourful and attention-grabbing posters which are used to highlight a select number of tobacco products for sale; if he has examined whether such posters are contrary to regulations and standards; if he has sought an update on enforcement where this is the case; if he will address through regulation this issue which allows for the use of these attention-grabbing price lists for tobacco products in retail stores; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9683/24]
View answerI am aware of efforts by a small number of retailers to use the tobacco price list in a manner that resembles an advertisement. The Deputy previously raised this issue during the passage of the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023.
Price lists are provided for in section 43(5) of the Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2002 and are prescribed in the Public Health (Tobacco) (Product Information) Regulations 2009, SI 123 of 2009.
The Environmental Health Service of the HSE, the enforcement body for the Tobacco Acts, has already taken action against what it determines to be an inappropriate use of price lists. It has also discussed this issue with my Department and has not sought any amendments to the current Regulations. Currently it appears to be a matter of enforcement rather than further legislation, though that option remains available if amendments to the current Regulations would be of use for enforcement purposes.
18. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if health service workers returning from career breaks will be able to return to work as agreed and not be impacted by the current HSE recruitment freeze; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9478/24]
View answerThere has been an unprecedented level of investment by this Government in the health service workforce in recent years. There has been consistent growth in the workforce each year since 2020, with the growth in the number of staff recruited in 2023 being the highest since the foundation of the HSE.
There are 26,617 more staff working in our health service than there were at the beginning of 2020. That’s a 22% increase in this period and includes an additional 8,414 nurses and midwives; 4,067 health and social care professionals; and 2,872 doctors and dentists.
I am very aware of the pressures that the current recruitment pause is causing on further recruitment. In part the reason is that sanction was provided for approx. 6,000 new staff and the HSE has hired well in excess of 8,000 people.
Unfortunately, that means that there are over 2,000 staff in HSE for where there is no funding to pay their wages. As in any organisation whether it be the Gardaí or the schools, we can’t hire staff with no money to pay them. The CEO and I were left with no choice other than to give clear indication that the HSE cannot continue to hire where there is no funding to meet the wages.
On my recent visit to Sligo, I saw first-hand what the frontline workers are experiencing. We are working on options and looking at ways to address the issue.
As of the end of December 2023, there were 145,985 staff working in our health service, which includes an increase of 8,239 staff in 2023, it is over 2,000 more staff than the HSE were funded to recruit for the year.
While the increase in our workforce has been incredibly positive and has enabled significant improvements in service delivery and reductions in waiting times for patients, it is important that the HSE operate within budgeted levels and that prudent controls are in place to ensure the workforce growth is managed in an affordable and sustainable manner.
I have secured funding for the recruitment of an additional 2,268 staff in 2024, which is outlined in the HSE National Service Plan approved and published on 14 February 2024. The HSE are currently finalising their Pay and Numbers Strategy for 2024.
The finalisation of the Pay and Numbers Strategy will enable the HSE to set out its recruitment targets in each area for 2024 and will inform decisions at local level on the filling of available posts, including those returning to work following a career break.
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19. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health to clarify the ownership of a nursing home (details supplied); if it remains in the ownership of the State in the form of the HSE; if there are plans to dispose of it; if local people can continue to enjoy historical rights-of-way over parts of the land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9377/24]
View answerI thank the Deputy for this question, and I acknowledge his long-standing engagement on the potential future use of Crooksling Nursing Home for community purposes. The Deputy and I have visited Crooksling and have had many conversations on the topic.
I can confirm that Crooksling is under the ownership of the HSE.
A HSE review of Crooksling Nursing Home was undertaken which determined that the site is surplus to the HSE’s requirements. In line with the HSE Property Protocol and DPER Circular 11/2015, the HSE offered the property to all State Stakeholders through the Intra-State Property Register.
My own view is that the site could potentially be redeveloped in the longer-term to provide community services for the area.
Most recently, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) expressed an interest in Crooksling in order to facilitate the provision of suitable accommodation to Persons Seeking International Protection.
This interest from DCEDIY is welcome, as it would enable the site to be put into active use in the short-term, providing investment which would potentially be of benefit for the longer term use of the site in provision of community services.
Any existing registered rights of ways associated with the property will be honoured by the HSE and DCEDIY should DCEDIY take over the property.
I, my Department, and the HSE, continue to engage with DCEDIY and other stakeholders with a view to achieving the optimal use of State Lands and properties to meet overall government priorities across all sectors, including the provision of healthcare and community services.
21. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that the advanced paramedic roster put in place in County Roscommon after the closure of the accident and emergency unit is restored in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9148/24]
View answerI wish to acknowledge the commitment of the National Ambulance Service in delivering essential pathways to support access to care for patients in County Roscommon and across the country.
The Government is investing over €227m in the NAS this year, an increase of €58m over the 2019 allocation. This investment has helped raise NAS staffing to 2,338 WTEs at end January 2024, a growth of 38% or 644 WTEs in eight years.
The HSE has informed me that a vacancy arose on the County Roscommon Emergency Ambulance roster last year. In December 2023, the NAS attempted to fill this vacancy through a national transfer process but was unsuccessful. I have been informed that following updating of 2024 staff allocations, NAS will soon be positioned to seek a suitable candidate for the position.
In terms of building NAS capacity, I recently met with the Director of the NAS to discuss future service developments and to identify opportunities for increased training capacity.
Increased staffing in Roscommon in recent years has supported the operation of three 24/7 ambulance bases and the rollout of pathways that allow patients be transported by NAS to the Medical Assessment and Local Injury Units at Roscommon University Hospital.
These initiatives, together with the NAS Clinical Hub and Pathfinder alternative care pathways across the country, are vital in transforming urgent and emergency care and improving patient access to care.
22. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he will report on reviews into serious patient safety incidents at University Hospital Limerick's emergency department; the number of such incidents; his plans to deliver safe capacity at the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9682/24]
View answerThe HSE's Incident Management Framework is applied to managing and reviewing incidents. The Framework’s focus is on understanding how and why an incident occurred. This approach to incident management is cognisant of the needs of those affected. It also supports services to learn and improve safety.
The Framework describes a Category 1 incident as a clinical and non-clinical incident. They are rated as major or extreme on the HSE’s Risk Impact Table.
Incident data is reported on the National Incident Management System. Limerick University Hospital Emergency Department reported 19 Category 1 incidents from January 1st 2019 to December 31st 2023. Such incidents are reported in other Emergency Departments. This hospital is not an outlier in terms of this number when compared to other sites.
I have provided significant investment to increase capacity and staffing in the region. Total staffing increased at University Hospital Limerick by over 37% since December 2019.
Since 2019 the budget for this hospital increased by 45%. We are also investing in additional bed capacity in the Midwest. We are building two new 96-bed inpatient blocks. This is in addition to 98 beds brought online since 2020.
150 additional beds have been opened in the Hospital Group since 2020. 98 of these new beds are in University Hospital Limerick.
23. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Health if his Department has conducted a consultation with stakeholders on the policy topic incentives of the EU's General Pharmaceutical legislation; the findings of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9719/24]
View answerOn the 26 April 2023 the EU Commission published its proposal to revise the general pharmaceutical legislation - this is in the form of a Directive and a Regulation. This is the first full revision of the pharmaceutical legislation in over 20 years and is significant to all stakeholders involved in the medicines’ ecosystem.
The aim of the pharmaceutical revision is described as ensuring access to affordable, available medicines, while maintaining the competitiveness of the EU pharma industry sector, combating antimicrobial resistance, and providing for compliance measures which reinforce environmental protections (the ‘3 A’s and 3C’s’).
Ireland is currently deliberating these legislative proposals with national stakeholders to inform the national position. My Department is the lead Government department tasked with responding and engaging nationally and at EU level, as the proposal is negotiated by all EU-27 and progresses through the ordinary legislative process.
Belgium, during its Presidency, have confirmed that they will focus their efforts in January and February on shortages/security of supply. They will then move to deliberate on the theme incentives during the planned Working Party meetings taking place in March.
To recognise the importance of this EU file, I established the Cross Government and Cross Agency Pharmaceutical Strategy Working Group (PSWG) to support the development of Ireland’s response to the proposal from a national perspective and facilitate this position to be informed by a whole of government view.
The PSWG continues to meet to discuss this package regularly and is actively involved in considering the detail of the proposed package of legislative measures, ensuring a well informed and balanced Irish position.
The Department of Health conducted a consultation exercise on shortages with key external stakeholders from various backgrounds at the end of 2023 to help in informing the national position and this will feed into the Irish negotiation mandate.
Furthermore, the Department has recently completed a consultation on incentives and again this information will feed into the preparation of an Irish position. Officials in the Department have started reviewing and analyzing this data. It is vital that the Irish position is fully considered and a balance is found that ensures improved access to medicines to patients in Ireland while also addressing industry concerns.
I look forward to working collectively with all stakeholders as the package continues to be deliberated in Europe and I would like to thank key stakeholders for their continued engagement with this important file.
24. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the reason the neurology/epilepsy nursing phone support service at CHI Crumlin has been curtailed to one hour a day, three days a week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7778/24]
View answerThe Neurology Nurse Specialists are part of the Neurology Team in CHI at Crumlin. They support parents and children with epilepsy and other chronic neurological conditions. CHI at Crumlin has a dedicated neurology nurse phone line, which supports parents caring for their child at home.
CHI has advised that there was a temporary impact to the operation of the phone line at the end of last year due to staffing issues, which is now resolved.
Previous to this impact, the advice line was operating 9am-12 midday Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Following resolution of this issue, the phone line opened from 9am to 10.00am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. On 20 February, the opening times increased by half an hour. The line is now open 9am-10.30am, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
CHI is currently upskilling staff to support this service and it is being reviewed weekly in order to assess capacity to increase the hours of operation. CHI has also advised that parents who require access to the neurology service can phone the secretary lines between 8.30am and 4pm Monday to Friday. The numbers are available on the CHI website.
According to the National Treatment Purchase Fund, the number of patients waiting for outpatient neurology services in CHI Crumlin has reduced from 347 in December 2019 to 198 in January this year.
25. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health for an update on Macroom day care centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9696/24]
View answerIt is a priority for the Government to allow more people to engage in services that allow them to remain independent and live in their own homes. The HSE has operational responsibility for planning, managing and delivering health and personal social services.
The HSE has advised that it intends to use part of the revamped Health Centre building at Macroom Hospital as a new Day Care Centre for the older population of Macroom and the surrounding areas, including people living with dementia in the region. Pending the renovations, the Alzheimer Society of Ireland’s one-day dementia-specific day care service for Macroom is currently operating out of Ballyvourney.
The HSE also advised that significant extension and refurbishment works continue at Macroom Community Hospital in order to comply with statutory requirements and HIQA regulations. While these refurbishment works on the main hospital have been ongoing, HSE staff have been decanted at various stages to the Health Centre building. The ambulance service is also still currently operating out of this building and this usage is likely to continue into the first months of this year.
Allocation of capital funding for the Day Care Centre project in Macroom is still awaited. Following same, the HSE will progress to the tender phase and, once that phase has been completed, timelines will be established for progression and completion of this project.
26. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will supply data for the ten fastest and ten slowest approvals of orphan drugs by the HSE, by year, for the period 2014 to 2023, stating the date on which the applications for said drugs were received by the HSE and the date on which a reimbursement decision was subsequently made, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9461/24]
View answerThe HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines. This arises from the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The Act provides a rigorous process for the assessment of new medicines for reimbursement. This enables taxpayers to be confident that the right medicines are chosen, at a sustainable price. However, price is not the only concern. The Act specifies nine criteria which must be considered. These include the health needs of the public and the clinical need for the medicine. All these factors, taken together, allow the HSE to make an informed decision on new medicines.
The State is committed to providing timely access to new and innovative medicines to all patients. Budgets 2021 - 2023 provided almost €100 million of dedicated funding for new drugs. This enabled the HSE to approve 148 new drugs, 39 of which had orphan designation. We are also making changes to speed up the process. In Budget 2024, I secured funding for an additional 34 staff across the pricing and reimbursement process. This will give each organisation greater capacity, and I am confident it will shorten the time taken to reach decisions on reimbursement.
In respect of the data you have requested, I have asked the HSE to send this to you directly.
27. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the measures his Department will take to help tackle issues at University Hospital Limerick and the knock-on effect on public health in the midwest region. [9347/24]
View answerThe Government is committed to improving access to acute services in the Midwest.
While it is not appropriate to discuss the specifics of any individual case. I am aware of the issues and challenges in the hospital.
I have provided significant investment to increase capacity and staffing in the region.
Total staffing increased at University Hospital Limerick by over 37% since December 2019. Numbers increased from 2,814 to 3,854 by end of November 2023.
This represents 146 more doctors and 45 more consultants.
It includes 348 more nurses and midwives.
It includes an increase of 84 more health and social care professionals.
Since 2019 the budget for this hospital increased by 45%. It increased from €265 million in 2019 to €383 million last year.
We are also investing in additional bed capacity in the Midwest. 150 additional beds have been opened in the Hospital Group since 2020. 98 of these new beds are in University Hospital Limerick. We are building two new 96-bed inpatient blocks.
We have funded additional services and infrastructure in local Model 2 hospitals. This includes €5.2 million in 2023 to expand Medical Assessment Units. This expansion will reduce demand on University Hospital Limerick. It will improve access across the region.
I will continue working with the HSE to improve our overall health system.
28. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the current breakdown of all staffing types at West Kerry Community Hospital; what net recruitment progress has been made in each category each year since 2019; the current bed compliment; the breakdown of bed types; how many people are currently waiting for a bed in the hospital; what recruitment efforts are being made for each category of staff, including healthcare assistants and nurses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9581/24]
View answerWest Kerry Community Hospital provides important and valued services for people in the West Kerry area. The hospital has 46 beds registered, of which 35 are long-stay beds and 11 are short-stay beds, including 2 respite and 1 palliative care bed. The maximum number of people that can be safely accommodated in the hospital are currently being accommodated.
The intention of the HSE is to continue to sustain the current workforce to maintain the 46 beds in the centre into the future. Considerable efforts are also being made to increase staff numbers and bed capacity in West Kerry as well as facilitating clear pathways for the transition of patients from the acute sector to the community. However, similar to other hospitals in remote locations, staff recruitment challenges have unfortunately had an impact. Cork Kerry Community Healthcare continues to endeavour to recruit staff to increase the number of community beds for the region and maximise the services available. The HSE will continue to seek qualified and interested candidates through recruitment campaigns undertaken at the national, regional, and local level.
I wish to advise the Deputy that the HSE are collating the information requested concerning staffing, bed availability and the waiting list for beds. I will arrange to have this information forwarded to you.
29. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health whether he is aware of a reduction in service in SouthDoc, Blackpool; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9637/24]
View answerI am not aware of a reduction in the SouthDoc out of hours GP service at the Blackpool treatment centre.
Services are provided by SouthDoc by appointment basis across all treatment centres. When an individual contacts SouthDoc all relevant information is taken. The nature and the clinical condition of the patient then determines the service provided. If it is determined that a consultation with the duty doctor is appropriate, depending on the circumstances, the consultation may be provided remotely, in-person at a suitable treatment centre or through a home visit.
The HSE has advised that SouthDoc's out of hours services remains available to patients and that patients continue to have access to their services. There has been no reduction in service to patients in Cork city and there are no plans to withdraw the availability of the centres in the city for when in-person consultations are deemed clinically necessary.
30. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the reason the National Ambulance Service is no longer training advanced paramedics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9147/24]
View answerThe HSE National Ambulance Service (NAS) utilises a range of different practitioner grades to deliver a broad range of pre-hospital services. This includes Emergency Medical Technician, Paramedic, Advanced Paramedic and Specialist Community Paramedic. Training for staff in NAS at basic and specialist levels is generally undertaken at the NAS College in partnership with academic partners.
The need for staff and practitioners in NAS is determined by expected future vacancies, as well as the expected cohort of staff that are required from time to time to meet pre-hospital service needs.
In the meantime, the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council continues to accept registrations from individuals who are eligible to be included in the Advanced Paramedic division of the Register.
