Written Answers Nos. 279-290
279. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the details of the report which has endorsed the St James's site as the best location for the new national children's hospital; the rationale that resulted in the St James's site being selected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4819/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra280. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the clinical considerations undertaken by his Department which resulted in the St James's site being selected as the best location for the new national children's hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4820/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 279 and 280 together.
The Government decision that the new children's hospital should be co-located with St James's on its campus in Dublin 8 was clinically led. In 2006, the McKinsey report, Children's Health First, recommended that the population of Ireland and projected demand could support only one world-class tertiary paediatric centre, that this should be in Dublin and that it should ideally be co-located with a leading adult academic hospital, to ensure relevant sub-specialty and academic linkages. The McKinsey report recognised the importance for quality of healthcare of having a critical mass of sub-specialist skills in a tertiary centre and stated this could be achieved firstly, by serving a large enough population to support a full complement of sub-specialists and secondly, by co-locating with an adult teaching hospital thus enabling access to specialties that encompass both adult and paediatric patients, facilitating clinical and academic “cross fertilisation”, and attracting the top staff.
Reviews since 2006 have reaffirmed the importance of co-location with a major adult academic teaching hospital. In 2011, Minister Reilly established an Independent Review Group to examine the project at the Mater. The clinical aspect of this review was carried out by a team of four Chief Executive Officers drawn from the National Association of Children's Hospitals (NACHRI) and the Children's Hospitals International Executive Forum (CHIEF). Their report stated that “co-locating with tertiary adult and maternity hospitals is essential to the development of an excellent paediatric service. This has become best practice internationally and was recognised in the McKinsey report.”
In 2012, following the refusal of planning permission for the project at the Mater campus, Minister Reilly established the Dolphin Review Group to advise on next steps. Their report stated that “Having reviewed the reports already prepared and considered their analysis and opinions, and having also consulted with a wide range of professionals in the field, we are also of the view that co-location is essential and tri-location optimal. We recommend that the Minister remains on this path." Co-location with an adult hospital is the norm internationally, driven by four major advantages, namely access to adult specialists; access to expensive equipment (such as PET, MRI scanners); research and educational synergies; and facilitation of continuity in the care of the adolescent/young adult with chronic disease. A clinicians' sub-group of the Dolphin Group examined issues relating to clinical specialties and sub-specialties, transitional care for adolescents, and the integration of paediatric health research and education in the new children's hospital. From a clinical and academic perspective, the Dolphin Group identified St James's Hospital as the existing Dublin Academic Teaching Hospital that best meets the criteria to be the adult partner in co-location because it has the broadest range of national specialties and excellent research and education infrastructure.
The Government decision to co-locate the hospital with St James's was announced on 6 November 2012. In identifying the location, the Government considered the report of the Dolphin Group, and detailed supplementary information on cost, time and planning which was subsequently sought from those members of the Group with the relevant technical expertise. The decision was made in the best interests of children, with clinical considerations paramount in the decision.
As announced in June 2015, the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital will relocate to the campus in time, achieving tri-location of adult, paediatric and maternity services. Tri-location has benefits for children, adolescents, newborns and mothers. In all cases, the benefits of tri-location are maximised where the adult hospital provides the broadest possible range of clinical sub-specialties and expertise, which are readily accessible for paediatric and maternity patients on the shared campus. Also, tri-location that delivers the most significant breadth and depth of clinical and academic research on site will enhance the potential of research to drive best clinical outcomes.
Furthermore, excellence in modern paediatric practice cannot be achieved without an embedded culture of, and focus on, research, education and innovation. More than a hospital, the new children's hospital and satellite centres will be a research-intensive academic healthcare institution. To deliver this vision, the main facilities for research and innovation will be located at the Children's Research and Innovation Centre (CRIC) on the St James's campus. The CRIC facility will be located adjacent to the Institute of Molecular Medicine, a cross university facility which delivers both undergraduate and postgraduate education and has a strong research platform in cancer, infection and immunity and neurosciences. This direct adjacency reflects one of the many and significant opportunities being leveraged by co-locating on the campus with St James's Hospital, with its rich history in clinical research. Clinical management and research staff at the new children's hospital will be able to study, evaluate, and improve the healthcare services provided to children and young people in Ireland.
I trust this clarifies the matter for you.
281. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health if the new national children's hospital will treat children up to 16 years of age or up to 18 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4821/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE National Model of Care for Paediatric Healthcare Services in Ireland states that there should be a cut-off age for admission to paediatric services and this age should be 16 years. It is also policy among the three children's hospitals in the Children's Hospital Group that they see children up to the eve of their 16th birthday. However, there can be occasions when a patient, for clinical reasons, will be seen past their 16th birthday and may not transition to adult services until they are 18 years old.
It is intended that this policy will continue when the three hospitals merge into one at the new children's hospital and satellites centres. New admissions will include children and young people up to the eve of their 16th birthday. However, readmissions will include young people up to the eve of their 18th birthday and/or where admission of a young person over the age of 16 years is considered clinically appropriate.
282. Deputy Hildegarde Naughton asked the Minister for Health the percentage of the health budget which is spent on the care of persons with chronic diseases here; and the cost of this to his Department and the economy in general. [4826/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
283. Deputy Hildegarde Naughton asked the Minister for Health if his Department has set aside in its annual Estimates a budget for spending on preventative health, education and promotion; and the criteria for private entities to be provided grants for this purpose. [4827/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra284. Deputy Hildegarde Naughton asked the Minister for Health his views on a departmental policy for providing grants to entities which have the aim to promote preventative health education for non-communicable chronic disease; and the way in which this policy will be administered. [4828/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 283 and 284 together.
The HSE, through the Health and Wellbeing Division, which received an increase in budget in 2017, funds a large number of organisations to provide a range of services including education, awareness, advocacy and support in order to tackle the causes of preventable chronic disease.
There is no mechanism for the Department of Health to provide grants such as envisaged to private entities.
285. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the total number of medical consultants paid from public funds with a breakdown by contract type, and details of the salary scales within each contract; and the number of consultants whose salary exceeds €200,000. [4836/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
286. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health the potential investment projects his Department put forward to the Department of Finance task force for the European Fund for Strategic Investments. [4867/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) is a joint initiative of the EIB Group and the European Commission, aimed at mobilising private financing for strategic investments, mainly through loan funding. In Ireland's case, the main potential beneficiaries of EFSI are commercial investment projects (including PPPs), as there is little scope to use EFSI for increased investment by Government due to the need to continue to comply with the requirements of the Stability and Growth Pact. My Department has not submitted any projects for funding under EFSI.
287. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite an appointment for cataract surgery for a person (details supplied). [4892/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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.
The scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she should take the matter up with the consultant and the hospital involved. In relation to the specific case raised, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
288. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health his plans to improve the ambulance service in the north east; if his attention has been drawn to recent incidents whereby undue delays occurred and the concern of local communities in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4914/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Ambulance Service has undergone a programme of modernisation in recent years and a number of significant service innovations and developments have taken place. These include the establishment of the National Emergency Operations Centre, a state of the art facility from which all call taking and resource dispatch is now undertaken.
There has been substantial investment in new technology and fleet to help improve ambulance service provision. The Intermediate Care Service has been introduced to provide inter-hospital transfers for lower acuity patients and this is freeing up more emergency ambulances for the more urgent calls.
Service improvements will continue in 2017 with the recruitment and training of additional staff, the development of alternative care pathways such as Hear and Treat, and the implementation of the Electronic Patient Care Record (ePCR).
With regard to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
289. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which he expects the capital programme in 2017 to meet the requirement in terms of extension of facilities including buildings at the various hospitals here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4915/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra290. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the number of hospitals projects likely to commence in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4916/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 289 and 290 together.
Future investment in hospitals must be considered within the overall acute hospital sector infrastructure programme, the prioritised needs of the hospital groups and within the overall capital envelope available to the health service. The HSE will continue to apply the available funding for infrastructure development in the most effective way possible to meet current and future needs, having regard to the level of commitments and the costs to completion already in place.
During 2017 my Department will work with the HSE and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to conduct a mid-term review of the capital programme. My Department will also conduct a Bed Capacity Review which will assess projected health care needs over the next decade and the associated infrastructural requirements to meet these needs.
