Carol Nolan
Ceist:744. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if the HSE provides supports or services for parental alienation syndrome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23802/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMental Health Services
Ceisteanna (744)
Freagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Nursing Homes Support Scheme
Ceisteanna (745)
Carol Nolan
Ceist:745. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health when legislation amending and updating the fair deal scheme will be brought to Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23804/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Nursing Homes Support Scheme, (NHSS) commonly referred to as Fair Deal, is a system of financial support for people who require long-term residential care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their means while the State pays the balance of the cost. The Scheme aims to ensure that long-term nursing home care is accessible and affordable for everyone and that people are cared for in the most appropriate settings.
The proposed policy change to the NHSS, to cap contributions based on farm and business assets at 3 years where a family successor commits to working the productive asset, has been approved by Government. The Department developed draft Heads of Bill while considering a number of complex ancillary policy and operational matters which may need to be addressed in the proposed legislation.
The stated policy objective of the general scheme of the Bill is to introduce further safeguards in the NHSS to further protect the viability and sustainability of family farms and businesses that will be passed down to the next generation of the family to continue to work them as productive assets to provide for them their livelihood.
The amendment of the scheme will bring certainty to the duration for which a contribution to the cost of care under NHSS will be levied against family farms and businesses. This in turn will support the viability of farms and businesses by increasing the likelihood of access to financing & promoting investment, which will encourage orderly succession planning with family members, encourage young farmers to remain farming and potentially encourage family members that had changed occupation or emigrated to return to the family farm.
The General Scheme of Bill for the Amendment to the NHSS was approved by Government on 11 June 2019 and subsequently published. The changes to the Scheme will come into effect as soon as the legislative process is successfully complete. The General Scheme was sent to the relevant Joint Committee and the Department participated in pre-legislative scrutiny on 13 November 2019. Engagement with the Office of the Attorney General began in early 2020 to progress the legislative development process.
Further progress on the development of the Bill has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with focus entirely on responding to the challenges presented by COVID-19. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been and continues to be a national and public health priority.
Medicinal Products
Ceisteanna (746)
Carol Nolan
Ceist:746. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has been notified of significant adverse outcomes including hospitalisation in women who were prescribed mifepristone and misoprostol in 2019 and to date in 2020. [23807/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In Ireland, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), is responsible for monitoring the safety of medicines, which is also known as, pharmacovigilance. As such, the HPRA operates the national adverse reaction reporting system.
During 2019, and to date in 2020, the HPRA has not received any reports of suspected adverse reactions in association with misoprostol or mifepristone which resulted in significant outcomes including hospital admissions.
Since adverse reaction reports may contain limited information, I have also referred this PQ to the HSE for direct response to the Deputy on the matter.
Healthcare professionals (including doctors, dentists, pharmacists and nurses) are requested to report suspected adverse reactions observed in their practice to the HPRA.
In addition, the HPRA also encourages patients, carers and other members of the public to report suspected adverse reactions to it via its online reporting system.
http://www.hpra.ie/homepage/about-us/report-an-issue
Question No. 747 answered with Question No. 630.
Question No. 748 answered with Question No. 670.
Covid-19 Tests
Ceisteanna (749)
John Lahart
Ceist:749. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health his plans to further streamline Covid-19 testing and to increase its capacity to reduce the number of days of schools missed by schoolchildren and work days by their parents and guardians, who currently will be forced to isolate for two to five days; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the inconvenience to families will result in some parents not getting their children tested due to the amount of time off school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23811/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
A comprehensive, reliable and responsive testing and tracing operation is central to our public health strategy for containing and slowing the spread of COVID-19. The HSE has worked intensively since the start of the pandemic to put this in place and I would again like to acknowledge the huge work undertaken in this regard across the HSE.
Capacity has been in place since early summer to test 15,000 people a day/100,000 people per week. The testing and contact tracing operational and resource model has been designed to flex up and down as needed. In recent weeks we have needed to flex it up significantly as demand has increased. We are testing more people than ever before, with almost 70,000 tests completed in the week ending 7th September. The HSE has deployed additional resources to meet this level of demand, including the opening of additional community testing centres and mobile pop-up testing units, significantly increased contact tracing teams and increased laboratory testing.
We had seen improvements in turnaround times over the week ending 7th September. 85% of GP referrals received an appointment the same day or the next day - the median being 0.9 days. The median time from swab to lab result was 29 hours. In total, the median end-to-end turnaround time for negative tests in the community setting ranged from 2.0-2.1 days while median end-to-end turnaround time from referral to communication of a positive result was 2.3-2.8 days. I do acknowledge that the system has come under strain in recent weeks, with a very significant increase in demand experience last week which resulted in some delays. There was a record of 13,000 referrals to community testing on Monday alone, and demand remained high for the week. As outlined above, additional capacity has been brought on stream quickly to meet this demand.
It is critical that parents continue to contact their GP if their child has any of the symptoms of COVID-19. The impact that the requirement to restrict movements has while waiting for a test and a test result is understood. But it is essential to prevent any further transmission of the virus, protecting other children and teachers in school and the community more generally.
More generally, the HSE is now finalising a future service model for testing and tracing. This service model will aim to deliver a patient-centred, accessible, consistent and flexible service. This plan includes the recruitment of a permanent workforce which has already commenced, and a range of other service improvements which will be rolled out over the coming weeks to ensure that people can access a test quickly and get their result quickly. Transition to the new model is underway and will continue through the Autumn.
Primary Care Services
Ceisteanna (750)
Rose Conway-Walsh
Ceist:750. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health when each of the primary care services, such as X-ray, chiropody services and physiotherapy services, at Belmullet Community Hospital that were ceased in response to the Covid-19 outbreak will be restarted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23823/20]
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.
Hospital Admissions
Ceisteanna (751)
Rose Conway-Walsh
Ceist:751. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the protocols being put in place in order that patients may be admitted directly to Belmullet Community Hospital having full regard for Covid-19 screening prior to admission in view of the fact that they have to be sent to the emergency department of Mayo University Hospital before they can be transferred to Belmullet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23824/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented challenge across our health services.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has developed an extensive body of guidance and support tools on resident transfers and admissions, which are available on the HPSC website.
The guidance sets out the measures that should be adopted for admissions to residential facilities.
Belmullet District Hospital is a step-down facility supporting acute hospital discharges. It has a bed capacity of 20 but now has a reduced capacity of 12 beds. The 8 beds were unoccupied at the time the reduction took place. Admissions to the District Hospital must comply with the Infection Prevention and Control guidance that issued by the HPSC.
The HSE has advised the Department that all measures put in place in Belmullet are in order to adhere to COVID-19 infection protection control guidelines to maximise patient safety. There are no direct admissions from the community to any District Hospital since the commencement of the COVID-19 emergency surge in March 2020.
Belmullet District Hospital faces a number of challenges including infrastructure issues with the building.
I understand that recommendations from a recent HIQA inspection and an Infection Control review has highlighted significant infrastructural deficits to be redressed to ensure a safer environment for patients and staff.
I have been informed by the HSE that a meeting is scheduled to take place today in Belmullet District Hospital to review the infrastructural deficits within the District Hospital and to assess and quantify the level of works required to address these structural deficits.
Mental Health Services
Ceisteanna (752)
Brendan Griffin
Ceist:752. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding mental health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23825/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Protection of the vulnerable continues to be a Government priority, especially in these challenging times, and those with mental health issues are often among the most vulnerable in society.
Access to services is central to the Government’s commitments under Sláintecare and the new national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision, and the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future highlights these policies. The Government’s commitment to continued enhancement of mental health services is shown in ongoing increases in the mental health budget. Since 2012, €315 million has been added, bringing the mental health budget today to €1.026 billion, an increase of 44%.
Much has been achieved in mental health in recent years, but it is recognised that much remains to be done. Ireland is fortunate to have fundamentally robust legislation, policies and services that have been built up over time and which, overall, compare favourably internationally. More importantly, there are identified and widely agreed pathways to undertake further improvements in all these areas, including improved residential and community-based care for children and adults and psychiatry of later life.
Sharing the Vision promotes equitable access to quality, safe mental health care for all citizens. Service users and their families, carers and supporters will have timely access to evidence-informed mental health services. Tailored measures will be put in place to ensure that individuals with complex mental health difficulties can avail of services across the State without discrimination. This builds on the intent of A Vision for Change and Sláintecare and is expected to be implemented as part of a ten-year plan.
Sharing the Vision recognises and plans for the increasing need for mental health services and demand for more holistic person-centred responses. The ten-year plan addresses population needs through a focus on the requirements of individuals. It promises early intervention, with a focus on prevention and positive mental health promotion. This focus advocates a mental health system that works in partnership with service users and their families to deliver a range of integrated services and supports.
Establishment of the National Monitoring and Implementation Committee (NIMC), to oversee Sharing the Vision, is well advanced. The NIMC will drive reconfiguration, monitor progress against outcomes and deliver on commitments in the new policy.
This year has been exceptional. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused significant stress, anxiety, worry and fear for many people throughout the world, from the disease itself and from impacts such as increased social isolation, disruption to daily life and uncertainty about employment and financial security.
The HSE has continued to provide all community services, as far as possible, while following Covid-19 guidelines to ensure protection for patients and staff. Acute inpatient and community residential facilities have remained open and patients have been provided with services throughout the pandemic, although with reduced numbers in some settings.
Covid-19 has rapidly accelerated online delivery of mental health services. The Department of Health, with the HSE, has launched a number of initiatives to promote mental health and well-being, including the national Crisis Text-Line in June. An additional €2.2m has been provided for a mental health promotion and well-being campaign, through enhanced online supports, and to support the HSE psycho-social strategy. This will enable implementation of integrated tele-health solutions and improve existing online interventions. Examples are the free counselling sessions offered by HSE partners MyMind and online peer support groups for front line workers from Turn2me.
A key priority for Minister Butler and the Department is to update the 2001 Mental Health Act. The Act sets out the care and treatment of people (including children) with mental illness, including involuntary detention procedures and patient safeguards. The updating process is in line with expert advice, international best practice and human rights. The Department is finalising draft heads of a bill to amend the Act and hopes to finalise a draft bill by the end of 2020.
Another priority is the new forensic mental health facility at Portrane. This significant and modern facility is expected to open early next year. The new 170-bed hospital complex will replace the Central Mental Hospital Dundrum (103 beds) as a modernised National Forensic Mental Health Service. It will include a 120-bed central mental hospital, a 10-bed forensic child and adolescent unit and a 30-bed intensive care rehabilitation unit.
Funding will be sought in this year’s Estimates campaign to implement the short-term objectives of Sharing the Vision. This will, of course, be influenced by the availability of resources. However, the current budget of over €1 billion enables the HSE to maintain and develop its wide range of mental health and suicide prevention services. These span all specialties and ages, from mental health promotion and early intervention to acute inpatient care and clinical programmes such as self-harm and eating disorders. Improving access and reducing waiting lists, where possible, are key Government objectives, despite acknowledged recruitment difficulties and the greatly changed Covid-19 operational environment.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Ceisteanna (753)
Joe McHugh
Ceist:753. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Health if NPHET will consider changing the 50% capacity on post-primary school buses in view of increasing evidence that students are being left on the side of the road; if he will consider a review of the capacity on private coaches for third-level students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23826/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) made recommendations to the Government in terms of the importance of ensuring social distancing on school transport. However, the Minister for Health has no function in relation to the capacity of school transport or private coaches.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Ceisteanna (754)
John Lahart
Ceist:754. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health his plans to increase the number of persons permitted to attend weddings and civil ceremonies if the venues allow for full adherence to the Covid-19 guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23830/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Deputy will be aware, the situation regarding COVID- has been, and continues to be, an evolving one. COVID-19 is still having a major impact both here in Ireland and elsewhere. The measures in place and the public health advice have been adapted to the changing circumstances and this will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future.
On 18 August, 2020 the Government introduced a number of enhanced public health measures in response to an increase in the number of cases in the previous weeks, with multiple outbreaks across workplaces, households, and in sports clubs. Internationally we have also seen a significant acceleration in the spread of COVID-19.
The measures introduced were required to protect the vulnerable in our communities, enable schools to reopen and support the resumption of health services.
As part of the measures announced, limits on mass gatherings were reintroduced. However, weddings are exempt from these limits and can be held with up to 50 people in attendance including staff working at the venue. The Health Act 1947 (Section 31A – Temporary Restrictions) (Covid-19) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 326 of 2020) provides the legal basis for this exemption. The Regulations also provide that a closing time of 11.30pm will apply to businesses selling intoxicating liquor for consumption on the premises.
The measures in place around weddings and other gatherings and the public health advice is kept under continuing review by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET). As I am sure the Deputy can appreciate, the evidence relating to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the decisions necessary to protect everybody living in Ireland from its effects is constantly evolving.
It is not possible to say what circumstances will apply in the future due to the nature of the virus that has caused this global pandemic and the concerns that remain about the very serious threats to health that can be caused by this virus.
The latest public health advice on these matters is available at the following links and is updated on a regular basis:
https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-health/
https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/
Question No. 755 answered with Question No. 690.
Covid-19 Tests
Ceisteanna (756)
Cian O'Callaghan
Ceist:756. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to concerns about the deployment of speech and language therapists and other allied health professionals by the HSE for Covid-19 testing; the steps being taken to provide a plan for staffing test centres that does not rely on redeployment of essential health professionals; when such a plan will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23839/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
This issue is being addressed by both the Department of Health and the HSE as a matter of great importance. The HSE are running a recruitment campaign for the role of "community swabber", which will create 700 new jobs. Significant plans are underway in the HSE to ensure that staff can return to where they are most needed in order to resume essential services.
I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy with further information, as soon as possible.
Question No. 757 answered with Question No. 656.
Question No. 758 answered with Question No. 686.
Primary Care Centres
Ceisteanna (759)
Alan Dillon
Ceist:759. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the way in which he plans extending the opening hours for primary health centres to elevate demand for acute accident and emergency hospital settings and address the trolley crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23850/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the HSE has responsibility for the provision, along with the maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres and other Primary Care facilities, the Executive has been asked to reply directly to the Deputy.
General Practitioner Services
Ceisteanna (760)
Alan Dillon
Ceist:760. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the timeline for reopening general practitioner clinics for routine medical assessment for patients who require a medical examination and have tested negative for Covid-19. [23851/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
General practice has continued to operate during the public health emergency and GPs are still seeing patients where necessary, albeit with infection-control measures in place. However, the exceptional circumstances faced by medical practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a change in how GP services are delivered. At this time, walk-in clinics are not generally being provided and patients are asked to phone their GP initially to discuss their medical problem. GPs are performing assessments over the phone to determine if a patient needs to attend the surgery. Where clinically indicated, the GP will arrange an appointment to see the patient in the surgery. These measures are necessary to ensure the safety of patients, GPs, and practice staff.
Each GP practice must have regard to its own circumstances and facilities. It is necessary to balance the safety of patients and staff and the needs of individual patients. The decision on what services can be provided and what can be done face to face will depend on each practice’s location, availability of personal protective equipment, resources available to conduct virtual visits and the patient and staff profile of the practice.
Question No. 761 answered with Question No. 70.
National Public Health Emergency Team
Ceisteanna (762, 763)
Gary Gannon
Ceist:762. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Health the reason NPHET is blocking the release of the risk register under a freedom of information request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23859/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraGary Gannon
Ceist:763. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Health the reason NPHET is refusing to make publicly available the risk register under a freedom of information request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23860/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 762 and 763 together.
A Freedom of Information request was received by my Department , which was originally refused under the Act. This refusal was subsequently appealed by the requestor under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
Following an internal review by my Department, I understand that the appeal has been upheld and a decision taken to grant the freedom of information request and to publish the relevant documents.
National Public Health Emergency Team
Ceisteanna (764)
Gary Gannon
Ceist:764. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Health the number of meetings of NPHET and the research subgroup of the Expert Advisory Group that have taken place since 12 June 2020. [23861/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Deputy may wish to note that since 12th June 2020,
The NPHET met on the following dates:
18th and 25th June, 2nd, 9th, 14th , 16th, 23rd, 30th July, 4th, 6th, 7th, 12th, 17th, 20th, 27th, 31st August, and 3rd and 10th September.
The Research Subgroup of the Expert Advisory Group met on 4 occasions since 12th June 2020.