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Wednesday, 27 Jan 2021

Written Answers Nos. 722-741

Hospital Appointments Status

Ceisteanna (722)

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

722. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive a hospital appointment in Roscommon University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3822/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted in the last year as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The HSE is currently recommending that only critical time dependent elective procedures are undertaken at this time due to the on-going and significant increased demand for bed capacity related to Covid-19.

This decision was made arising from the rapid increase in Covid-19 admissions and to ensure patient safety and that all appropriate resources were made available for Covid-19 related activity and time-critical essential work.

Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.

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 National Waiting List Management Policy is a standardised approach used by the HSE to manage scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures. It sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists and was developed in 2014 to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Audiology Services

Ceisteanna (723)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

723. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of paediatric audiologists working in CHO4 in each of the years of 2018 to 2020, in tabular form. [3828/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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

Podiatry Services

Ceisteanna (724)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

724. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time diabetes podiatrists working in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin in each of the years 2018 to 2020, in tabular form. [3829/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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

Occupational Therapy

Ceisteanna (725)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

725. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time occupational therapists working in Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, in each of the past three years; and if this number will be further increased in 2021. [3830/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí 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 Staff

Ceisteanna (726)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

726. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health if funding will be provided for the recruitment of an additional two full-time permanent gastroenterology registrars for the Mater Hospital, Dublin. [3831/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí 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 Staff

Ceisteanna (727)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

727. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the estimated full year cost of recruiting two additional full-time diabetic CNS posts for St. John's Hospital, Ennis. [3832/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

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 Staff

Ceisteanna (728)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

728. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time permanent nurses working in South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital in each of the past three years in tabular form. [3833/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

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.

Audiology Services

Ceisteanna (729)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

729. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the current waiting times for consultations with audiologists in County Leitrim. [3834/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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

National Dementia Strategy

Ceisteanna (730, 731, 732)

Mary Lou McDonald

Ceist:

730. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the current care pathways for persons with dementia requiring acute hospital care. [3836/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Mary Lou McDonald

Ceist:

731. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the actions he has taken following publication of the HSE's second national audit of dementia care in acute hospitals. [3837/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Mary Lou McDonald

Ceist:

732. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the dementia training provided for front-line acute hospital staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3838/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 730 to 732, inclusive, together.

The 2014 National Dementia Strategy contains a number of actions intended to improve care for people with dementia who require acute hospital admission. These actions are centred around the provision of a dementia and delirium care pathway, including through emergency departments, and the assignment of a senior clinician to lead the development and implementation of the pathway. The Strategy emphasises the importance of an integrated and multi-disciplinary response by care providers. Hospitals should be dementia-friendly, people with dementia should spend no longer than is absolutely necessary in hospital, and staff should have the training necessary to treat and support the person with dementia.

The second national audit of dementia in acute hospitals, which was published in 2019, shows that there have been improvements in dementia hospital care since the first audit in 2013, and highlights the need for further work in areas including delirium screening, dementia pathways and staff training. The National Dementia Office in the HSE has produced a range of online resources to support acute hospital staff to improve the care experience for people with dementia.

Budget 2021 provides an additional €12.9 million for dementia services and supports and includes provision for the development and implementation of dementia care pathways in acute hospitals as well as for the implementation in all settings of the National Clinical Guideline on the appropriate prescribing of psychotropic medication for non-cognitive symptoms of dementia.

In relation to the specific issues raised by the Deputy, as these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Healthcare Policy

Ceisteanna (733)

Neasa Hourigan

Ceist:

733. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the status of the commitment in the programme for Government to introduce a statutory right to home care. [3845/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Programme for Government (2020) commits to the introduction of “a statutory scheme to support people to live in their own homes, which will provide equitable access to high-quality, regulated home care.” In this regard, the Department is in the process of developing a statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support. It is intended that the new scheme will provide equitable and transparent access to high-quality services based on a person’s assessed care-needs, and that it will also provide transparency about service-allocation while ensuring that the scheme operates consistently and fairly across the country.

Work is on-going within the Department to determine the optimal approach to the development of the new scheme within the broader context of the on-going reform of Ireland’s health and social care system, as envisaged in the Sláintecare Report . This work encompasses the development of the regulatory framework for the new scheme; the examination of the options for the financing model for the scheme; and the development of a reformed model of service-delivery.

The Sláintecare Implementation Plan commits to the establishment of the statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home support services by the end of 2021. Work planned in 2020, including the planned testing of a reformed model of service delivery, was adversely affected due to the impact of COVID-19 on delivery mechanisms for home support and the requirement for the diversion of resources to deal with COVID-19. This has had an impact on the final timeline.

The successful development of this scheme is an ambitious programme of reform and is a key priority for me, and the Minister for Health. In order to accelerate this work, the Department is working closely with the HSE to ensure that the required resourcing including personnel, governance structures and other requisite resources are scaled up to ensure that significant progress is achieved by the end of 2021.

Within this context funding was secured in 2021 for the HSE to progress the roll out of InterRAI as the standard assessment for care needs in the community, the testing of a reformed model of service delivery for home support services and the establishment of a National Office for Home Support Services. All of this work throughout 2021 will progress the development of a reformed model of service delivery to underpin the statutory scheme.

In parallel, the increased investment in home support services in 2021 will contribute to meeting the Programme for Government commitment to providing equitable access to home care.

Health Services Staff

Ceisteanna (734)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

734. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the current HSE staffing levels in comparison to the previous peak of Covid-19 positive cases in hospitals in April 2020 (details supplied); his views on whether it is appropriate to repeat the same arrangements for student nurses and midwives currently on or soon to commence clinical placement given the current levels of positive cases that the healthcare system is trying to deal with; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3849/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

At the end of April, there were 121,702 WTE employed by the HSE, which was an increase of 1,885 WTE from the end of 2019. At the end of the December, the health sector workforce had a total of 126,174 WTE. This is an increase of 6,357 WTE since the end of December 2019.

With a staffing complement of 100k plus, HSE has a well-developed and professional HR function. At any given time therefore, senior management within HSE is best placed to determine the type of staff it needs across all areas and disciplines.

Health Services Staff

Ceisteanna (735)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

735. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the rostered members of staff who are remunerated within an agreed salary for final year interns; his reasons for not providing them with an increased salary equal to the rate that interns were offered in spring 2020 for the duration of their rostered internship particularly given the significant increase in hospitalisations since that time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3850/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The regular pay for 4th year student nurses on paid internship increased by 2% on 1 October 2020. The annualised salary for this group is now €21,749 (or €10.72 per hour) for general nursing and midwifery and €22,229 (€10.96 per hour) for psychiatric nursing.

In relation to spring 2020, all student nurses and midwives were offered temporary contracts to work as Health Care Assistants. 4th year student nurses and midwives on paid internship had their contracts augmented as part of that temporary initiative. This Health Care Assistant (HCA) initiative began in April 2020 and ceased in August 2020 and was only ever intended as a temporary measure to provide additional support to the national effort in response to the initial impact of the Covid19 outbreak.

The recently commissioned report by Professor Collins examined the possibility of re-opening the HCA initiative. I remain committed to keeping the HCA option available to the HSE, should the circumstances require it. My Department and the HSE are continuing to engage on what suitable resourcing supports the HSE may require. Since spring 2020, substantial financial resources have been provided to the HSE to recruit additional staff needed to support its work during this pandemic. The Department remains committed to providing these resources as required by the HSE into 2021.

As part of the HSE's staffing requirements, should it seek a re-opening of the HCA initiative as suitable to its resourcing needs, my Department stand ready to assist.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Ceisteanna (736)

Gerald Nash

Ceist:

736. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health if his Department or NPHET has carried out a solid evidence-based feasibility study comparing a zero Covid-19 strategy for Ireland against the existing plan for living with Covid-19 which was adopted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3856/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Since the emergence of COVID-19, the Government has been guided at all times by the emerging scientific understanding of the virus and in particular has been in receipt of advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET). The advice of NPHET is usually provided in the form of a letter to the Minister for Health from the Chief Medical Officer, in his role as the Chair of NPHET. This advice is subsequently published on the Government website. It has set out a consistent set of advices and recommendations that are available for inspection by all.

The Government has always been clear that a “zero Covid” option is not one that is available to Ireland due to a number of factors, most pertinently the border with Northern Ireland and the Common Travel Area. Our proximity to Europe and the nature of the supply chains we are part of, both as an exporter and importer of vital goods, are also relevant in any considerations here.

The clear advice from NPHET has been and continues to be that our overarching objective must be to suppress the virus to the lowest level possible and to maintain it at a low level. This is essential for protecting public health and our core priorities of education, health and social care services and shielding the most vulnerable from the disease.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Ceisteanna (737)

Gerald Nash

Ceist:

737. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health the expected vaccination timeline for maternity staff at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3857/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí 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 Promotion

Ceisteanna (738)

Gerald Nash

Ceist:

738. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health the progress he or his officials have made on advancing the regulations relating to section 12 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 which ensure the public is informed of the danger of alcohol consumption and the direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers in anticipation of the EU Commission's publication of its strategic plan on beating cancer in February 2021; when he expects to commence these regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3861/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Section 12 of the Act empowers the Minister for Health to make Regulations on the labelling of alcohol products and provides that labels on alcohol products will contain:

- A warning to inform people of the danger of alcohol consumption.

- A warning to inform people of the danger of alcohol consumption when pregnant.

- A warning to inform people of the direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers.

- The quantity of grams of alcohol contained in the product.

- The number of calories contained in the alcohol product.

- A link to the HSE website which gives information on alcohol and related harms.

As well as the labels on alcohol products themselves, those selling alcohol, whether in pubs or in off-licences, will be required to display a notice containing the same health warnings, the link to the public health website, and indicating to the customer that the alcohol and calorie content of alcohol products is on the products themselves or, for all ’poured drinks’, can be found in a document, which must be made available upon request. Similar requirements will apply to those selling alcohol products online.

Drafting of the Regulations which will set out the detailed requirements in relation to the labelling of alcohol products has been interrupted in my Department and in the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel by COVID-19 related work but will be resumed as soon as possible.

Following finalisation of the draft Regulations by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel they will be submitted to the European Commission for it to assess whether they are in alignment with Single Market principles.

Subject to the consequences of the assessment by the Commission there will then be a three-year lead-in time after the Regulations are made in order to give businesses time to prepare for and to make the necessary changes to comply with the new requirements.

Maternity Services

Ceisteanna (739)

Pádraig O'Sullivan

Ceist:

739. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the status of the suspension of water birth services (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3865/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí 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 Provision

Ceisteanna (740)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

740. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3866/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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

Covid-19 Pandemic

Ceisteanna (741)

Neale Richmond

Ceist:

741. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health if his Department will be giving special consideration within the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccine to vulnerable children under the age of 18 that have mental and or physical disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3894/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Strategy sets out a provisional list of groups for vaccination. The Strategy was developed by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and my Department, endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and approved by Government on 8 December 2020.

Vaccine allocation is a matter my Department and further information is available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/39038-provisional-vaccine-allocation-groups/.

The roll out of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is the responsibility of the HSE.

The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to ensure, over time, that vaccine will become available to vaccinate all of those for whom the vaccine is indicated. Given that there will be initially limited vaccines available, it will take some time for all to receive those vaccines and that has necessitated an allocation strategy to ensure that those most at risk of death and serious illness receive the vaccine first.

The priority is to first vaccinate and protect directly the most vulnerable amongst us, that is, those most likely to have a poor outcome if they contract the virus. The priority is to directly use vaccines to save lives and reduce serious illness, hence the focus on the over 65 year old cohort in long term residential care facilities, and healthcare workers in front line services often caring for the most vulnerable.

All of the groups will be covered as further vaccine supplies become available and the immunisation programme is rolled out nationally.

The evidence will be kept under review and the allocation groups may be updated, where necessary, in light of new evidence.

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