Written Answers Nos. 200-219
200. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the circumstances in which a woman is referred to the specialist perinatal health teams; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13651/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
201. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the type of postnatal care provided within the health service with particular reference to mental health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13652/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
202. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the current restrictions on nursing home visits; the plans to ease these restrictions in view of the high level of vaccination amongst nursing home residents and staff and the problems the social isolation from close family and friends is causing to nursing home residents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13653/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe impact of COVID-19 on society in general and especially those living in nursing homes has been considerable and this remains a very difficult time for nursing home residents and their families. The importance of continued social interaction of residents and their families cannot be overstated and every effort should be made, in line with public health advice, to ensure that these interactions continue, including through window visits.
Notwithstanding this, it is also important to be cognisant of the wider epidemiological situation and the risks associated with same. On 19th November, the European Centre for Disease Control published its latest risk assessment with regard to long-term care facilities. It highlights that the probability of COVID-19 introduction into a long-term care facility depends on the level of COVID-19 circulation in the community, with a higher risk associated with higher incidence rates in the community.
Data indicates that 104 nursing homes are actively dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak. Noting that on 6th March approximately 525 confirmed cases of COVID-19 had been reported, the level of risk, including to residents of nursing homes remains high. The public health advice remains clear, as noted in the statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team on 24th February “Given the increased transmissibility of the virus now, we must continue to limit our social contacts and do all we can to starve this disease of opportunities to spread”.
Nursing home providers are ultimately responsible for the safe care of their residents. Under Regulation 11 of the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 it is the legal responsibility of each registered provider to make arrangements for a resident to receive visitors, having regard to any risks that may present for the resident or other residents. Public health guidance has been developed in order to assist and support providers in this regard.
I recently wrote to all nursing home providers, through HIQA’s communication portal, to emphasise the importance of adopting a holistic and person-centred approach, noting the important role that visiting, social connections and communication with family and friends has in the context of residents’ overall health and wellbeing. The importance of ensuring that visits take place to the greatest extent possible, in line with public health guidance and risk assessments was reiterated and providers were encouraged to frequently communicate with residents and families on the matter of visiting and to respond to phone calls by family members, in so far as is practicable, given the constraints on staff.
The Government’s revised plan, COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 - The Path Ahead, published on 23rd February, recognises that the challenge of balancing protective health measures and normal living has been particularly important in the context of visitations to long-term residential care settings (LTRC). LTRC visiting guidance has remained under ongoing review throughout the pandemic. In light of the advanced stage of rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in LTRCs for both residents and staff, the NPHET (the National Public Health Emergency Team) requested that the HSE progress a process for considering the scope and application of LTRC visiting restrictions in the context of the Framework of Restrictive Measures, having regard to international and national evidence, the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine and the level of disease in the community. The HSE has drafted new visiting guidance, which will be considered by the NPHET today, 11th March.
203. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the position regarding access for medical card holders to chiropody services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13655/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
204. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on inpatient hospital waiting lists by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13657/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra205. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on outpatient hospital waiting lists by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13658/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 204 and 205 together.
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.
The HSE continues to optimise productivity through alternative work practices such as the use of alternative settings including private hospitals, community facilities and alternative outpatient settings.
In addition the National Treatment Purchas Fund (NTPF) is currently reviewing strategies to maximise activity and benefit for patients, to include, increased use of private hospitals , funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “ see and treat” services where minor procedures are provided at the same time outpatient consultations, funding hybrid services where public and private hospitals contribute to the treatment of patients, virtual clinics, and clinical validation.
Budget 2021 provided an additional €240 million for an Access to Care Fund, €210 of which will be allocated to the HSE and €30 million to the National treatment Purchase Fund. This will be used to fund additional capacity to address the shortfall arising as a result of measures taken in the context of Covid-19, as well as to address waiting lists.
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.
The information requested by the Deputy concerning the number of patients on inpatient & daycase (IPDC) and outpatient waiting lists by county, is outlined in the attached document.
OP Waiters by County as of 28/01/2021
|
County |
Amount |
|
Carlow |
9315 |
|
Cavan |
9161 |
|
Clare |
16311 |
|
Cork |
57010 |
|
Donegal |
23846 |
|
Dublin |
141380 |
|
Galway |
41153 |
|
Kerry |
17783 |
|
Kildare |
28673 |
|
Kilkenny |
9687 |
|
Laois |
13444 |
|
Leitrim |
3759 |
|
Limerick |
31924 |
|
Longford |
7235 |
|
Louth |
15002 |
|
Mayo |
20275 |
|
Meath |
22752 |
|
Monaghan |
5541 |
|
Northern Ireland |
69 |
|
Offaly |
11572 |
|
Roscommon |
9521 |
|
Sligo |
13134 |
|
Tipperary |
22747 |
|
Unknown |
22250 |
|
Waterford |
19070 |
|
Westmeath |
14491 |
|
Wexford |
20936 |
|
Wicklow |
14922 |
IP Waiters by County as of 28/1/2021
|
County |
Amount |
|
Carlow |
1727 |
|
Cavan |
846 |
|
Clare |
3671 |
|
Cork |
8461 |
|
Donegal |
7428 |
|
Dublin |
27184 |
|
Galway |
7937 |
|
Kerry |
1979 |
|
Kildare |
4896 |
|
Kilkenny |
2034 |
|
Laois |
2038 |
|
Leitrim |
848 |
|
Limerick |
7277 |
|
Longford |
1066 |
|
Louth |
1141 |
|
Mayo |
4190 |
|
Meath |
2128 |
|
Monaghan |
567 |
|
Northern Ireland |
54 |
|
Offaly |
1709 |
|
Roscommon |
1919 |
|
Sligo |
2575 |
|
Tipperary |
4255 |
|
Unknown |
9177 |
|
Waterford |
3017 |
|
Westmeath |
2070 |
|
Wexford |
4095 |
|
Wicklow |
3232 |
206. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the uptake rate of the HPV vaccine in the 2019-2020 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13659/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
207. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of first year students who received the first dose of the HPV vaccine from September to December 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13660/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
208. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of first year students who received the first dose of the HPV vaccine from September to December 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13661/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
209. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of first year students who received the first dose of the HPV vaccine from September to December 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13662/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
210. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health if there is a catch-up scheme planned for those who missed out on the first or second dose of the HPV vaccine during the 2019-2020 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13663/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
211. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health if there is a catch-up scheme planned for those who missed out on the first or second dose of the HPV vaccine during the 2020-2021 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13664/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
212. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists who have indicated they plan to leave the medical card system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13665/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
213. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health his plans to address concerns dentists have with the medical card system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13666/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental care, free of charge to medical card holders aged 16 and over. These services are provided by independent dental practitioners who have a contract with the HSE.
I met with representatives of the dental profession towards the end of last year when I had an opportunity to hear first-hand the challenges which they face under Covid, and the enormous efforts of their members in continuing to provide services in the current environment. I accept that the profession has concerns about the current contract, which dates back to the nineties, and that one of those concerns relates to the fee structure under the DTSS.
I want to ensure the sustainability and viability of that contract and that all eligible persons can continue to receive the services that they deserve from their local dentists. In that respect, I have asked my officials and the HSE to bring forward proposals to address the immediate concerns of the dental community. In the longer term, my commitment to the profession and to the public is for a fundamental review of the contract, in keeping with Smile agus Sláinte, the National Oral Health Policy.
214. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the status of the general practitioner direct access scheme for ultrasound in a hospital (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13667/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
215. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a radiographer for a hospital (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13668/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
216. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Health the number of front-line healthcare workers who have declined vaccination for medical reasons. [13675/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra217. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Health the number of front-line healthcare workers who have been vaccinated; the number who have declined vaccination; the number still awaiting vaccination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13676/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 216 and 217 together.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
218. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if a response will issue to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) in relation to outpatient appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13677/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI fully acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when elective procedures are cancelled, particularly for clinically urgent procedures. While every effort is made to avoid cancellation or postponement of planned procedures, the HSE has advised that planned procedures and operations can be postponed or cancelled for a variety of reasons including capacity issues due to increased scheduled and unscheduled care demand.
On 2nd January 2021, the HSE issued correspondence to the Acute hospital system advising of the need to curtail scheduled elective care. This decision was made arising from the rapid increase in Covid-19 admissions and the projected trend in admissions based upon community transmission levels of Covid-19.
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.
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.
€240 million has been provided in Budget 2021 for an access to care fund, €210m of which has been allocated to the HSE and a further €30m to the National Treatment Purchase Fund. This will be used to fund additional capacity to address the shortfall arising as a result of measures taken in the context of Covid-19, as well as to address waiting lists.
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.
219. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 249 of 18 February 2021, if his Department has conducted a workforce census of the entire public and private health and social care system (details supplied); the breakdown or estimates of workers across categories of service providers by profession and speciality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13691/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE conducts a monthly census of public health services employment for covering the HSE and Section 38 Voluntary Hospitals & Agencies. The Health Services Personnel Census (HSPC) is the official employment count for the public health sector and is routinely published at https://www.hse.ie/eng/staff/resources/our-workforce/workforce-reporting/.
The Deputy will be interested to note that, at 31st January 2021, there were 126,689 WTE (equating to 145,842 personnel) directly employed in the provision of Health and Social Care Services by the HSE and the various Section 38 organisations. These, latest available figures represent a 6,872 (+5.7%) WTE increase over the course of December 2019 outturn.
The Department has not completed a workforce census of private social care providers. However, The Nursing Homes Expert Panel report, published in August 2020, made 86 recommendations on a range of issues, including in relation to ensuring that safe staffing is available in nursing homes, that infection prevention and control measures are in place, and that PPE is readily available and utilised appropriately. The Department continues to engage, including through the Implementation Oversight Team and the Reference Group with HIQA as the regulator of the nursing homes sector, the HSE as a nursing home provider, and with the representative body for private and voluntary nursing homes, on the implementation of the recommendations of the Nursing Homes Expert Panel report.
One recommendation of the report is that HIQA should carry out and publish a detailed audit of existing staffing levels (nursing and care assistant) and qualifications in all nursing homes, public, voluntary and private. HIQA, supported by the Chief Nursing Officer’s office in the Department of Health, has developed and approved an audit tool for same and University College Cork has been engaged to support in the development of this tool, due to its experience in workforce data collection tools. These results shall be published when they become available.
