Ivan Yates
Ceist:11 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Health if he will establish a new post of community nurse at district level, as recommended in the report The Years Ahead.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers - Community Nurse Post.
The report The Years Ahead — A Policy for the Elderly recommended that the function of co-ordinating services for the elderly in each district should be the responsibility of a district liaison nurse. This would not involve the establishment of a new post of community nurse at district level as the working party envisaged that the district liaison nurse would normally be a senior public health nurse with a special interest in the care of the elderly.
Most health boards have prepared plans to implement the recommendations of The Years Ahead, which include the appointment of district liaison nurses. The additional allocation of £5 million made available by the Government this year to develop services for the elderly will enable boards to appoint liaison nurses in many districts.
I think the Minister has missed the point. The report The Years Ahead — A Policy for the Elderly contains the proposal that a panel of general nurses, comprising nurses who would work on a part-time basis, be established in each district. Would the Minister acknowledge that community care nursing is either provided by public health nurses, who are very well qualified, or home helps, and that there is a need for a nurse, equivalent to the staff nurse in a general hospital, at community level if we are to strengthen community care services? Furthermore, would the Minister consider revising the staff nurse and career structure arrangements in such a way that they would allow for nurses from panels to be made available for, say, three hours one week and 12 hours the next, the panel being organised either by the district nurse or the public health nurse?
There is no need to create a new post for the purpose outlined by the Deputy as the panel of nurses recommended by the working party will comprise general nurses working on a part-time basis. Therefore there will be no need to create new posts.
I take the point made by the Minister but, as the Minister is aware, no such panels of general nurses exist at present. I ask the Minister to set up such panels so that a proper community nurse service is provided and to ask the eight health boards to set up such panels.
In the first instance, this is a matter for the health boards. As I said, extra money was made available in the budget for the health boards this year. Indeed, a number of health boards including the Eastern, Mid-West, North Eastern and Southern Health Boards, have sought the approval of the Department for the appointment of liaison nurses, for example. There is no reason the health boards should not appoint part-time nurses if they believe there is a need to do so in their areas.
Like the Minister, I acknowledge the important work done by the district nurse within the community. However, would the Minister accept that the cutbacks in travel allowances in recent years have had a detrimental effect on the quality of care provided to people at home and say whether the extra money provided will be allocated in such a way that district nurses will be able to undertake the maximum number of home visits?
I do not accept what the Deputy has said. It would be most unfortunate if it went out from this House that Members reflected on the quality of a care provided by public health nurses.
No one is suggesting that. Mileage rates have been cut.
Public health nurses, ever since the advent of public health nursing, provide care of high quality.
Despite the cutbacks.
That is not what the Deputy said.