Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:1804. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of introducing home care as a demand-led service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35006/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 24 July 2018
Ceisteanna (1804)
Freagraí scríofa
In advancement of the Government’s commitment to promote community-care so that people can continue to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible, the Department of Health is currently engaged in the development of a new, stand-alone statutory scheme and system of regulation for home-care services.
The new home-care scheme will introduce clear rules in relation to the services for which individuals are eligible and in relation to service-allocation. It will therefore be an important step in ensuring that the system operates in a consistent and fair manner and will help to improve access to home-care services on an affordable and sustainable basis.
The development of a statutory scheme and system of regulation for home-care services is a complex undertaking. The publication of a Health Review Board Report in 2017 on the review of the home-care systems in place in four European countries and the publication of a report on the public consultation on homecare on 26th June 2018 commissioned by the Department of Health, represent important milestones in the process of developing the new scheme. However, a significant amount of additional work remains to be carried out before final decisions are taken on the form of the home-care scheme and system of regulation. This is required if the reforms are to be successful, affordable and sustainable. The Department will continue to prioritise its work in developing the new scheme and every effort will be made to progress this matter as quickly as possible. However a realistic timeframe for the establishment of the new scheme on a statutory basis is 2–3 years.
While the new home-care scheme is under development, the Department of Health and Health Service Executive are continuing efforts to improve existing home-care services. In 2018 the HSE brought the funding for home help and Home Care Packages together into a single home support service for older people. As well as simplifying the application-process for home-care, the new service will be more responsive to service-users' changing needs. More broadly the HSE will continue to encourage local integration of services and to build appropriate care-pathways, in particular for people with complex needs. A consumer-directed approach to home-support provision will be introduced, giving service-users greater choice in relation to when they receive services and their selection of a service-provider. This enhancement of current service-provision is being supported by increased investment in home-care services. In line with the commitment in A Programme for a Partnership Government (2016) to increase funding for home-care annually, home support services received particular priority in Budget 2018, with an additional €18.25m allocated bringing the total home support allocation for 2018 to almost €417 million which includes funding for intensive home care packages. The HSE 2018 National Service Plan provides for over 17 million home support hours to be delivered to 50,500 people at any time and 235 Intensive Home Care Packages for people with more complex needs delivering approximately 360,000 hours in the full year. A further 156,000 hours, relating to adverse weather funding, will be provided this year.
In relation to the request for an estimated full year cost I have asked the HSE to correspond directly with the Deputy to advise on the cost of servicing the current wait list for Home Help and Home Care Packages under the rules of the current scheme and of introducing home care as a demand led service.