David Cullinane
Ceist:1150. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of recruiting an additional 40 dementia advisers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21465/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraHealth Services Funding
Ceisteanna (1150)
Freagraí scríofa
A key commitment in the Programme for Government is the implementation of the National Dementia Care Strategy, which aims to improve how we provide care for people living with dementia. In line with the Programme for Government, an additional 10 dementia advisors will be recruited this year through the Sláintecare Enhanced Community Fund. The advisors will be recruited through an agreement between the HSE and the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and will enable a level of service to be provided throughout the country.
The current full year cost of a dementia advisor post is €64,706, including pay and non-pay costs. The cost for 40 further posts would therefore be an additional €2,588,240 per annum. Additional equipment costs in the region of €1500 per advisor would also be required in year 1.
Health Services Funding
Ceisteanna (1151)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1151. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of developing a community healthcare network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21466/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Community Healthcare Networks (CHNs) are key to the expansion of services in the community. The networks represent the “unit of organisation” for the delivery of health services based on population need and size and as such, they should be considered as a framework for both future healthcare reform and expansion.
Full implementation of the CHN model together with integrated care programmes will support a reorientation of the health service toward general practice, primary care and community-based services. Such a transformation in service delivery will require significant and sustained investment.
Work is ongoing within the Department, in partnership with the HSE, to estimate the resource requirements for a comprehensive community-based service. This work will inform resource planning for the delivery of services in CHNs in the context of Winter and Service Resumption planning as well as the Estimates 2021 process.
Health Services Funding
Ceisteanna (1152)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1152. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of increasing out of hours and rural general practitioner services by 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21467/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
It is not possible to estimate the cost of increasing out of hours services or rural GP services by 10%, as to estimate the cost of increasing the level of service provided would require an increase in the number of GPs providing out of hours services and an increase in the number of rural GPs. GPs are independent private contractors who receive payments directly from private patients, most GPs also hold (GMS) contracts and receive a range of payments from the HSE in relation to the services they provide to medical card and GP visit card holders. In addition to fact that as private contractors GPs choose the location where they wish to establish themselves, it is not possible to calculate costs on a per GP basis due to the large number of known and unknown variables involved.
Pharmacy Services
Ceisteanna (1153)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1153. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health when he plans to commence talks on a new contract for pharmacists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21468/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Community pharmacy is recognised as the most accessible element of our health service with an unequalled reach in terms of patient contact and access. Therefore community pharmacists play a vital role in the Irish Health Service in the delivery of holistic patient care. I also fully acknowledge that community pharmacy has played a pivotal role in responding to the health needs of the public during the COVID-19 crisis. It is recognised that community pharmacists have ensured the continued availability of a professional, accessible service for the public and have successfully managed to alleviate the worries and concerns of the population around continuity of medicine supply in the face of great uncertainty.
This has been a period of unprecedented difficulty for the country and pharmacists have been at the forefront of the response. Accordingly, commitment has been given to commence a strategic review of the role of community pharmacists and to engage with the Irish Pharmaceutical Union to develop revised contractual terms. On 5 December 2019, my predecessor met with the Irish Pharmacy Union and communicated this intention.
The existing GMS pharmacy contract dates from 1996 and it is accepted that it is substantially outdated. It has not kept pace with developments that have taken place over the course of recent years including the increasing emphasis on maximising the proportion of people’s healthcare needs met in primary care, interdisciplinary collaboration and the skillset that pharmacists have by virtue of their education and training.
The comprehensive review of the pharmacy contract will address the role to be played by community pharmacy in the context of Sláintecare. It will consider all aspects of pharmacy service provision including delivery of a multi-disciplinary model of service delivery for patients, ensuring clarity of roles and achieving optimum value for money. However, any publicly funded pharmacy service expansion should address unmet public healthcare needs, improve access to existing public health services or provide better value for money or patient outcomes.
Ahead of the planned contractual review, there has continued to be regular engagement with the IPU throughout the past number of months and a significant number of contingency measures have been put in place under the Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) Amendment Regulations, 2020, intended to relieve the pressures on community pharmacies during the COVID-19 crisis.
Health Services Funding
Ceisteanna (1154)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1154. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health when he plans to introduce a statutory scheme to support persons to live in their own homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21469/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
A high-quality, consistent home-support service, focused on keeping people well in their homes and communities for as long as possible, is a key enabler to ensuring that people across a continuum of care get the right care, in the right place, at the right time. In this regard, my Department is in the process of developing a statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support.
As part of this, work is on-going to determine the optimal approach to the development of the scheme within the broader context of the Sláintecare reforms. Work undertaken in 2019 focussed on the design of the scheme, the options for regulation, and a review of existing services. In 2020 it had been intended to focus on piloting a reformed model of service delivery for home-support services, the development of the evidence-base for the financing of home-support services; and the development of a framework for the regulation of these services.
While Sláintecare commits to the establishment of the scheme by the end of 2021, progress on the development of the scheme, including the planned testing of a pilot scheme in 2020, has been impacted by the ongoing work and diversion of resources as part of the response to COVID-19. However, my Department remains committed to bringing forward this work as a priority, taking on board the learning from the response to COVID-19, in order to support people to age well and continue to live independently in their homes for as long as possible.
Health Services Funding
Ceisteanna (1155)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1155. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of introducing and delivering a statutory scheme to support persons to live in their own homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21470/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The development of a statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support services is a key objective of the Government, which the Department of Health is currently progressing. This encompasses work to determine the optimal model for, and approach to the development of, the statutory scheme within the broader context of the Sláintecare reforms.
The development of the new statutory scheme is a complex process which will require costing, and this work is currently on-going.
Health Services Funding
Ceisteanna (1156)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1156. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of a 10%, 20% and 25% increase in homecare hours; and the additional number of hours this would provide respectively in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21471/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Health Services Funding
Ceisteanna (1157)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1157. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of increasing the eHealth budget by 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21472/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The HSE ICT Capital budget is €95 million for 2020 up from €85m in 2019. Investment objectives are in line with Project Ireland 2040 and support eHealth activities agreed in the Programme for Government and support the cross-party reform priorities of Sláintecare as well as a continuing body of work on national ICT maintenance and upgrades A 10% increase in the 2020 HSE ICT capital funding of €95 million represents an additional investment of €9.5 million. Proposed funding for 2021 is currently €120m which represents a planned increased funding provision of €25m.
Health Services Funding
Ceisteanna (1158)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1158. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans to deliver a carers guarantee of services; the estimated cost of such a plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21473/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government commits to delivering a ‘Carers Guarantee’ that will provide a core basket of services to carers across the country, regardless of where they live. This commitment is consistent with the National Carers' Strategy, which seeks to support family carers to care with confidence through the provision of adequate information, training, services and supports.
As reflected by the National Carers' Strategy, the needs of family carers encompass a wide range of areas and involve a number of Government departments. In relation to my own role as Minister for Health, I am committed to listening to family carers and their representative organisations and working with my Government colleagues to ensure that we are providing the most appropriate supports to help sustain carers in their caring role. My colleague Mary Butler, T.D, the Minister with responsibility for Mental Health and Older People at the Department of Health will hold a roundtable with Family Carers on 15 September to hear about their experience as carers and how we can best support them in their caring role, in particular, given the challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.
It should be noted that under the existing National Carers' Strategy, a range of measures have been introduced or extended by my Department to support family carers in recent years. Since September 2018, free GP visit cards have been extended to persons in receipt of the Carer’s Allowance. The Programme for Government commits to further extending this service to recipients of the Carer's Support Grant. In addition, the 2020 National Service Plan provides for an additional 1 million home support hours in 2020, while up to 1,000 new community frontline staff will be recruited to enhance community care under Sláintecare.
The Programme for Government commits to reviewing and updating the National Carers' Strategy and it is in this context that the carers' guarantee commitment will be addressed. The HSE have also committed in the 2020 National Service Plan to pilot the Carer's Needs Assessment Module of the InterRAI needs assessment tool in the context of testing of the Statutory Homecare Scheme. This will help identify the needs of family carers and how best to respond to them.
General Practitioner Services
Ceisteanna (1159)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1159. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of extending free general practitioner care to carers in receipt of the carer’s support grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21474/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Since 1 September 2018 all those in receipt of either a full or half-rate Carer's Allowance or Carer's Benefit are automatically eligible for a GP visit card. It is noted that many persons in receipt of the Carer's Support Grant will qualify for a GP visit card as the Carer's Support Grant is paid automatically to persons in receipt of Carer's Allowance or Carer's Benefit.
In relation to the cost of the provision of GP visit cards to carers in receipt of the Carers Support Grant, the data required is not readily available and it is therefore not possible to provide an estimate of the cost.
Hospital Consultant Contracts
Ceisteanna (1160)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1160. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the timeline for legislating for a public only consultant's contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21475/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Programme for Government provides for the finalisation of the new Sláintecare Consultant Contract and the introduction of related legislation to support 'public-only work' in public hospitals. The FEMPI Acts currently prohibit pay increases for serving public servants and will require amendment to enable pay increases for serving consultants who move to the Slaintecare 'public only' Consultant Contract.
It is envisaged that this legislation will be progressed as a priority in the autumn and that my Department will at the same time engage with the representative bodies on the Contract in conjunction with the HSE and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Care of the Elderly
Ceisteanna (1161)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1161. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health when he plans to establish a commission on care and supports for older persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21476/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Minister for Health is committed to establishing a commission to examine care and supports for older people, in accordance with the Programme for Government.
The Nursing Homes Expert Panel Report, which was published on 19 of August, includes 86 recommendations in total, over 15 thematic areas, with associated timelines for implementation over the short, medium and long term. An oversight structure has been established to ensure the implementation of the important recommendations contained in this Report, a number of which are intrinsically linked with the development of a Commission on Care.
Disease Management
Ceisteanna (1162)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1162. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of increasing funding by 10% to the communicable diseases control policy unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21477/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
There are no individual staffing budgets allocated to Units of my Department. Within the Department’s overall staffing budget and depending on prioritised business needs, employees of the Department are assigned to work within business units as required. The previously named Communicable Diseases Control Policy Unit is one of the Units which has very recently been brought in under a new Health Protection Division. The particular Unit referenced is part of a wider Division which has a particular focus, alongside the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, on the response to Covid-19 and a range of other related issues. Previously, this particular Unit had nine members of staff at various grades. Were the Department to allocate a 10% increase in the staffing budget for that Unit as it was, it would fund an additional staff member at Higher Executive Officer level.
Throughout 2020 the Department has adopted a flexible approach to its staffing in order to address the main priority areas it has needed to address. The Department is undergoing a reorganisation of its structure at the present time in order to best respond to its overall responsibilities in a sustainable way, while placing a particular focus on the response to Covid-19. Functions are being reassigned to various Divisions of the Department at the present time, with resources being assigned as they become available, using a flexible approach to account for business needs as they arise.
Disease Management
Ceisteanna (1163)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1163. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of developing a new national pandemic plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21478/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Government has indicated that it will publish a medium term national roadmap for managing the next phase of the pandemic response. Significant financial resources have already been provided across all aspects of government, and future resourcing will be dealt with by way of the Estimates 2021 process.
Health Services Reports
Ceisteanna (1164, 1165)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1164. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the time frame for implementing the 33 recommendations from the Scally Report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21479/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraDavid Cullinane
Ceist:1165. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the 33 recommendations of the Scally Report not yet implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21480/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1164 and 1165 together.
The implementation plan for the recommendations of the Scally inquiry was approved by Government on 11 December 2018. The implementation plan contains 170 actions. At the end of Q1 2020, 137 of the 170 identified actions were completed.
I fully support the full implementation of the recommendations of Dr Scally and am committed to publishing a quarterly progress report against the recommendations on the Department of Health website. There has been significant progress by all parties to date and my Department engages on an ongoing basis with the HSE and the National Cancer Registry to oversee implementation of the recommendations.
Q2 2020 report will be published shortly on Department’s website.
Question No. 1165 answered with Question No. 1164.
Health Services Reports
Ceisteanna (1166)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1166. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health when the two expert reference groups established following the Scally report will publish their reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21481/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Scally Report made a series of recommendations in order to ensure that all cervical cancer cases are known to the CervicalCheck programme, and that audits should be an important component of cervical screening based on good clinical practice. This led to the establishment by the HSE of Expert Reference Groups to recommend how interval cancer audit processes in the screened population should be carried out, informed by best international practice.
Measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 impacted the Groups’ work and interrupted progress. However, work is ongoing now with a view to the finalisation and publication of these reports.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Ceisteanna (1167, 1384)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1167. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the preparations the immunisation policy unit is making for a potential Covid-19 vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21482/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraDavid Cullinane
Ceist:1384. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking independently or in collaboration with other countries to develop a vaccine to combat the Covid-19 virus; if a vaccine will be administered to all persons when available without cost and through the public health system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22505/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1167 and 1384 together.
Neither the Minister for Health nor the Department of Health has any role in the development of vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines.
Ireland is currently involved in a Joint Procurement Exercise (JPE) being operated by the European Commission to procure suitable, safe and effective vaccines to combat COVID-19.
Following a Government Decision on 21 August 2020, Ireland has opted into an EU Advanced Purchase Agreement (APA) with the British–Swedish drug maker AstraZeneca, which is partnering with Oxford University.
The EU is also in advanced negotiations with a number of other major pharmaceutical companies. As and when any of the vaccines being developed become viable, Member States would be able to directly purchase that vaccine from the manufacturer on the basis and the conditions laid down in the APA without the need to carry out an additional national procurement procedure. Allocation of access to vaccine doses between Member States will be according to the population distribution key. The actual purchase and use of the vaccine product will remain under the responsibility of the individual Member States.
Ireland has also indicated an Expression of Interest in the World Health Organisation (WHO) linked COVAX initiative which seeks to provide global access to COVID-19 vaccines. Ireland will negotiate its participation and contribution to COVAX as part of a Team Europe effort following the EU joint engagement (Commission, Member States and European financial institutions, notably EIB) to mobilise resources in a coherent and efficient way in the context of the EU Global Response to coronavirus.
In addition, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) recommended that a COVID-19 Immunisation Strategy Group, chaired by the Department of Health, and informed by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), be convened. The inaugural meeting of the Group took place on the 26 August 2020. The purpose of the Group is to advise on and assist in the development of national policy relating to COVID-19 vaccines. The administration of the vaccine will be considered in this context.
Vaccination Programme
Ceisteanna (1168)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1168. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the annual uptake level in percentage terms for the primary childhood immunisation programme in each of the years 2016 to 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21483/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Vaccination Programme
Ceisteanna (1169)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1169. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of children vaccinated under the immunisation programme by children at two, four, six, 12 and 13 months, respectively for the first seven months of 2019 and the first seven months of 2020 by vaccine type in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21484/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.