Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 July 2013
485. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of public health nurses who have or are caring for patients in excess of the recommended number of 2,500 patients; the geographical spread of same; the reasons for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32933/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile the ratio of one Public Health Nurse (PHN) to 2,500 of the population was recommended in a number of reviews of the PHN service, the provision of community services is ideally based on assessed health needs, rather than crude population ratios. In recent years the delivery of services in the community has been reconfigured to meet population health needs. This has involved the development of Primary Care Teams (PCTs) to ensure the delivery of services by multidisciplinary teams. Furthermore, the numbers of Registered General Nurses (RGNs) working in the community has increased.
There are currently 418 PCTs in place across the country and it is planned that 484 PCTs will be developed nationally by the end of 2013. At the end of May 2013, the average number of PHNs per PCT in place is 2.94 and the average number of RGNs is 0.87. There are a further 450 wholetime equivalent RGNs working in primary care services who are not attached to PCTs. The ratio of PHNs and RGNs combined in the community is 4.3 per 10,000 population.
In 2012, the HSE completed a detailed analysis of the numbers and distribution of public health nurses, registered general nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists. The analysis revealed considerable variation across the HSE’s 17 Integrated Service Areas in ratios of health care professionals to population, and to population numbers in areas of high deprivation. Based on this exercise, in 2013, Primary Care funding of €20 million, nationally, will be invested to support the recruitment of prioritised front-line primary care team posts and enhance the capacity of the primary care sector.
I issued approval to the HSE on the 27th March 2013 to commence recruitment to Primary Care Teams with immediate effect of the following additional 251 Primary Care posts:
- 70 Public Health Nurses;
- 37 Registered General Nurses;
- 51 Occupational Therapists;
- 46 Physiotherapists; and
- 47 Speech & Language Therapists.
The allocation and distribution of the above posts is based on bringing each Integrated Service Area, where staffing is below the national average, towards the national average.
