Wednesday, 26 Jul 2017

Home Care Packages Provision

Ceisteanna (754)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

754. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will tackle the shortage of home care workers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35288/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

A recent study by University of Limerick on the prevalence of zero hours contracts among Irish employers and their impact on employees found that zero hours contracts within the meaning of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 are not extensive in Ireland and are not evident in the health sector. Employing staff working on zero hours contracts is not a policy of the HSE. In 2014, a home help annualised contract was introduced for HSE employees in conjunction with staff unions which, as well as matching the actual workforce to the changing needs of the service, gives certainty to employees by way of guaranteed weekly minimum paid hours.

The HSE provide services on a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year basis, particularly in acute hospitals and community care residential settings for the elderly and persons with an intellectual disability. The HSE have advised that they have staff working on ‘if and when’ contracts which provide flexibility where hours of work may fluctuate in accordance with service needs. Staff in medical, nursing and support grades are contracted to provide their contracted hours at any time over a 24-hour period in accordance with accepted norms with regard to rostering arrangements.

Employees who are engaged on such contracts may be called upon to provide cover for employees who are absent on annual leave, sick leave or other service exigencies which may arise, particularly given the 24/7 nature of health and social care services. Employees on such contracts do not have fixed contractual hours and are not obliged to accept each assignment they are offered. As these employees are not obliged to commit to a certain number of hours per week and may decline any assignment which is offered, this working arrangement provides flexibility for employees.

Employees in the HSE and Section 38 agencies who are engaged on “if and when required contracts” are granted the same contractual terms and conditions of employment as their whole-time comparators in accordance with the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act, 2001 and have security of tenure. Where additional hours become available on an ongoing basis (e.g. due to expansion of services or vacancies arising), the HSE advises managers to review the use of such contracts and facilitate any requests from employees who work on an as and when required basis for fixed contractual hours.

Any consideration or revision to social welfare entitlements is a matter for the Minister for Social Protection.

Care Services Provision

Ceisteanna (755)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

755. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if the carer's need assessment will be rolled out for older persons in view of a five-year term for all carers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35289/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Respite Care Services Provision

Ceisteanna (756)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

756. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if the home care scheme will address a person's needs for respite care (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35290/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

My Department is currently engaged in a detailed process to develop plans for a new statutory scheme and system of regulation for home care services. An important step in this process is the public consultation which I, along with Minister Harris, launched on 6 July. The purpose of this consultation is to allow all those who have views on this topic to have their say, including older people themselves, their families, and healthcare workers. It will also allow us to find out what people think about current home care services as well as the public’s views on what the future scheme should look like. This includes views in relation to the scope of the scheme. The consultation paper is available online at http://health.gov.ie/consultations/ and I encourage all those with an interest in home care services to make a submission to the consultation.

The findings of the public consultation will be an important input to the process for the development of the new home care scheme. A significant amount of work remains to be undertaken before final decisions are taken on the form of the home care scheme, including decisions on what services will be included in the scheme.

Respite Care Services Provision

Ceisteanna (757, 758)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

757. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if a capital respite programme will be put in place (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35291/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

758. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if there will be increases in funding for respite options (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35292/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 757 and 758 together.

The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.

The Programme for Partnership Government states that the Government wishes to provide more accessible respite care to facilitate full support for people with a disability. The Health Service Executive's (HSE’s) Social Care Operational Plan for 2017 aims to provide 182,000 overnight stays in centre-based respite services, in addition to 41,000 day respite sessions. There are 210 new home support/in home respite supports for emergency cases and 185 new emergency residential placements in the 2017 HSE National Service Plan.

The level of any additional respite funding that may be available for my Department will be considered as part of the national Estimates and budgetary process for 2018 which is currently underway. Pending completion of this process, it is not appropriate for me to comment further at this stage.

Home Care Packages Funding

Ceisteanna (759)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

759. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if there will be an increase in funding for home care (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35293/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The overall funding for Services for Older People is €765 million in 2017 with €367m for direct funding of Home Help and Home Care Packages. A further €9m supported by HSE and Atlantic Philanthropies will provide Intensive Home Care Packages (IHCPs) for people with more complex needs. The HSE’s National Service Plan for 2017 provides for a target of 10.57 million Home Help Hours to support about 49,000 people, 16,750 Home Care Packages and 190 Intensive Home Care Packages for clients with complex needs including 60 clients with dementia supported with co-funding from Atlantic Philanthropies under the Irish National Dementia Strategy. This represents a significant increase on home care in comparison to last year’s Service Plan, which had an original target of 10.4 million hours home help and 15,450 Home Care Packages.

Despite this significant level of service provision, the demand for Home Care continues to grow. It is important to note that the allocation of funding for home care across the system, though significant, is finite and services must therefore be delivered within the funding available. The level of activity and associated costs must be managed in a way that ensures that those with the greatest needs are supported and that the overall expenditure on home care services by the HSE does not exceed the available funding.

The Programme for Government commits to increasing funding for Home Care Packages and Home Help every year. The planning and management of future health expenditure will be considered as part of the annual estimates and budgetary process which seeks to balance available funding across all of the various service areas to achieve the best possible outcomes for the greatest number of service users and prioritise areas of greatest need.

Hospital Equipment

Ceisteanna (760)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

760. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health when funding will be made available for equipment at a hospital (details supplied); if funding applications for same were made in each of the years 2014 to 2016; if funding was committed in those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35302/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The HSE and The Saolta University Health Group are working to resolve the equipment issues that have caused the suspension on Cardiology Rehabilitation services at Letterkenny University Hospital.

The Cardiology Rehab services provided at Letterkenny Hospital are aimed at optimising physical function in patients with cardiac disease or who have had recent cardiac surgeries. As part of the programme, patients attend rehabilitation sessions under the direct care of nursing staff and the supervision of a consultant cardiologist.

A critical element of this type of rehabilitative care is the gathering of telemetry data, which is gathered using monitors worn by the patients, while undertaking physical activity during their rehabilitation sessions.

The Saolta University Healthcare Group has advised that the Letterkenny Cardiac Rehab programme was suspended for the last few weeks on the advice of the Consultant Cardiologist for reasons of patient safety.

This was due to the technical malfunction of some of the telemetry monitors required to monitor patients during their rehab sessions, resulting from expected wear and tear on the units.

In light of critical need for the Cardiology Rehab Service in Donegal, the Saolta Group has advised the Department of Health that they have recently given Letterkenny Hospital go ahead to order suitable replacement telemetry devices.

It is expected that the Cardiology Rehab Service will return to a normal level of operation once the new equipment is in place. This will allow the service to continue supporting cardiac patients along their path to recovery.

The Saolta Group has confirmed that at no stage have these issues affected the monitoring of telemetry for cardiac patients in need of acute care. Telemetry services continue to be in place in Letterkenny Hospital for these critical patients.

On a national level, the importance of the continued provision of these services is recognised by the Department of Health and the HSE. To this end, the HSE is currently preparing a Self-Management Support Framework which will specifically target this issue throughout the country.

In response to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have also asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

Hospital Appointments Status

Ceisteanna (761)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

761. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35307/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

Under 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.

Home Help Service Data

Ceisteanna (762)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

762. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health the length of time home help applications are taking to process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35308/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Occupational Therapy

In order to achieve clarity on this issue, I have asked that any difference of perspective in relation to the provision of phlebotomy services be addressed in the GP contractual review process, which is currently underway. I look forward to constructive and positive engagements with a view to achieving a satisfactory outcome.

Ambulance Service

Ceisteanna (768)

Brian Stanley

Ceist:

768. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if all ambulances have satnav systems fitted; if not, the reason therefore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35319/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

Newborn Screening Cards

Ceisteanna (769, 770)

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

769. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health his plans further to the report on the newborn screening card archive forum; the position regarding the next steps in the process in dealing with the so called Guthrie cards and data protection; the timeframe for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35320/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

770. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the current policy for the retention of newborn screening cards; his plans to change this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35321/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 769 and 770 together.

In late 2009, a complaint was made to the Data Protection Commissioner regarding the indefinite retention of the Newborn Screening Cards (the cards) without consent, which constituted a breach of the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003. The complaint was upheld by the Commissioner, who ruled that the Newborn Screening Card archive be destroyed. A policy was developed to address both the legal and ethical requirements of the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme (the programme).

The policy required changes to the programme including retention of the cards for 10 years with consent; and that cards older than 10 years would be destroyed (disposed of in the child’s 11th year). This policy was implemented on 1 July 2011, and provides that parent(s)/guardian(s) are given an information leaflet regarding the programme.

At the time the blood sample is taken (heal prick test), the parent/guardian gives explicit written consent confirming that she/he has received the Parent Information Leaflet; verifies that the details for the baby on the card are correct; consents to the baby being screened and that during the retention period, the card can only be used:

i) to check the baby’s results;

ii) for other tests recommended by the child’s doctor, for which the parent(s) permission will be sought;

iii) for quality assurance to develop and improve the screening programme and the health of babies and families in Ireland.

The agreed policy also required that cards older than 10 years would be disposed of.

The State remains in breach of both European Union and national data protection legislation in relation to the retention of the cards without consent. The primary intention of the programme is to screen all newborn infants in the State for six conditions and has an uptake of 99.9%. As the most successful public health initiative, it is in the public interest that this level of uptake continues and that public trust and confidence in the programme is neither compromised nor undermined in any way.

The Department of Health hosted the Forum in October 2016 to provide participants from a broad range of areas with the opportunity to engage in dialogue with international experts regarding the retention and possible secondary uses, including research using cards from the archive and in the future.

The themes in the Forum report together with international evidence are being considered by officials in my Department to inform policy options to seal the outstanding breach of the Data Protection legislation regarding the cards retained without consent and to provide prospectively for the future retention, storage and potential secondary uses of the cards. Work on this policy paper is well advanced and will be considered in the coming months.

Newborn Screening Cards

Ceisteanna (771)

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

771. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health his plans to address the issue of the newborn screening card archive in the upcoming human tissue Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35322/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

It is not proposed to include provisions regarding the newborn screening card archive in the Human Tissue Bill.

Food Industry Data

Ceisteanna (772, 773, 774)

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

772. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 419 of 11 July 2017, if data publicly exist in regard to sugar, fat and salt reformulation by the food and beverage industry here in the past ten years; if the body which is monitoring the reformulation makes this available; if not, the reason therefore; the body which has monitored and verified the reduction in sugar in still and carbonated soft drinks since 2000; the exact detail of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35323/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

773. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health further to Questions Nos. 418 to 421 of 11 July 2017, if the food industry’s annual presentation of its reformulation programme and updates pertaining to his Department’s special action group on obesity are made available to the public; the way the food industry has liaised with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland for validation of its work; if this validation is made public; if not, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35324/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

774. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health further to Questions Nos. 418 to 421 of 11 July 2017, if and the way in which the assessment of a report (details supplied) which noted that it contained some unsubstantiated assumptions was dealt with; and if these assumptions were made public. [35325/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 772 to 774, inclusive, together as they all relate to the FDI/Creme Global Reformulation Project Report.

The food industry body, Food Drink Ireland (FDI) have been providing verbal updates to the Special Action Group on Obesity (SAGO) on their reformulation work regularly over the years. In November 2015, they presented the draft FDI/Creme Global Reformulation Project results to the Special Action Group on Obesity in November 2015. Representatives on SAGO agreed that a validation process was required and suggested that FDI refer the Report to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) for this purpose. The FDI followed this advice and the FDI/Creme Global Reformulation Project Report was published in 2016 and is available on the FDI website.

In relation to the food industry/ FSAI liaison, Food Drink Ireland (FDI) meet with FSAI periodically at the industry's request to seek their input into the industry's reformulation work and they also consulted the FSAI on the modelling used to predict the health impact of these reductions in fat, sugar and salt in foods and drinks.

The FSAI have been validating food industry salt reduction work for many years by sampling foods from the market and having them analysed in the HSE Public Analysts Laboratory in Galway. These data are published annually and are available on the FSAI web site. The FSAI has only recently started to look at validation of the FDI sugar and fat reduction work and have, in the first instance, been developing baseline data on yogurts and breakfast cereals based on labelled data. A report on this work is expected to be published later this year.

Reformulation information on reduction of sugar in still and carbonated drinks comes from the food industry report: Estimating the impact of reformulation and the introduction of low and no cal beverage products by FDI members on the Irish population, 2016 – a supplementary report published in line with the FDI/Creme Global Reformulation Project Report. The FDI/Creme Global Report and this supplementary Report covers the period from 2005-2012. Currently data are being collected and verified for 2013 onwards.