David Cullinane
Ceist:691. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status of unique patient identifiers; the number of identifiers in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4523/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraPatient Files
Ceisteanna (691)
Freagraí scríofa
Significant progress in the development of unique patient identifiers (individual health identifiers/ IHIs) was made during the pandemic. The HSE now has IHIs assigned for the majority of individuals with a PPSN. The challenge now is to deploy these IHIs across the multitude of patient record systems and databases across the wider health system and to assign an IHI to each patient record within those systems. During the pandemic, where it was essential for public health to track and trace individual cases of Covid, the IHI was allocated to records on the national Covid Track & Trace (CTT) system. The national Covid Vaccination System (Covax) also assigned unique IHIs to vaccination records and this was vital when trying to link records between dose 1, 2 and booster. The IHI also facilitated the generation of unique EU Digital Covid Certificates (DCCs) as required under EU regulation. The IHI was also useful in matching between databases for individuals who had a positive PCR test and subsequently required a recovery certificate. The process of self-registration for vaccination, collection of PPSN and verification of identity as people arrived at mass vaccination centres made it possible to allocate IHIs more easily with approximately 97% of those who provided a PPNS, matched directly to their IHI. Plans to deploy the IHI to GP practice systems and hospital patient administration systems were delayed slightly whilst Covid took precedence, but that work will recommence as the impacts of the pandemic reduce and the health system returns to business as usual.
Patient Files
Ceisteanna (692)
David Cullinane
Ceist:692. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status of the digital summary patient records system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4524/22]
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.
Departmental Projects
Ceisteanna (693)
David Cullinane
Ceist:693. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status of each major information and communications technology digital transformation and modernisation project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4525/22]
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.
Departmental Data
Ceisteanna (694)
David Cullinane
Ceist:694. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the year-on-year nominal change in headcount and whole-time equivalent for each staff grade in the public health service as of December in each of the years 2018 to 2021, in tabular form. [4526/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
Hospital Staff
Ceisteanna (695)
David Cullinane
Ceist:695. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of additional consultant posts budgeted for in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, in tabular form. [4527/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
Hospital Staff
Ceisteanna (696)
David Cullinane
Ceist:696. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of Consultant Applications Advisory Committee approved consultant posts filled and vacant, respectively; and the total for year end in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, in tabular form. [4528/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
Primary Care Centres
Ceisteanna (697)
David Cullinane
Ceist:697. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of primary care centres in operation by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4529/22]
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.
Primary Care Centres
Ceisteanna (698)
David Cullinane
Ceist:698. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of primary care centres that opened in 2021, by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4530/22]
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.
Primary Care Centres
Ceisteanna (699)
David Cullinane
Ceist:699. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status of each existing primary care centre project and expected status by county, by the end of 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4531/22]
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.
National Children's Hospital
Ceisteanna (700)
David Cullinane
Ceist:700. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the expected handover date of the National Children’s Hospital; the expected date by which it will be fitted-out and operational; the expected month for opening; if the hospital will open for some services before it is fully complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4532/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In November 2021, the second paediatric Outpatient and Urgent Care Centre, at Tallaght University Hospital, opened, marking the second major milestone on the NCH project. The new facility will accommodate up to 17,000 outpatient and 30,000 emergency care attendances per year.
Together with ‘CHI@Connolly’, which opened in July 2019, these facilities will improve access to urgent and outpatient care for a significant number of children. More than 95% of those presenting for urgent care at Connolly are able to go home after treatment and waiting lists for general paediatrics significantly reduced within a year of opening.
Despite delays, the new children’s hospital building at St James’s is really taking shape. The façade is almost complete, with the building largely weathertight, and the internal fit out of all clinical areas is now underway.
However, this remains a very complex project with over 40,000 activities detailed in the contractor’s programme to complete the over 6,000 rooms/spaces in the new hospital.
The NPHDB has advised that BAM’s own schedule suggests substantial completion of the project could be achieved by December 2023 which would mean the National Children’s Hospital (NCH) at St James’s could open in the second half of 2024, after the necessary commissioning period. This is approximately one year beyond that originally expected under the contract.
A period of operational commissioning was always required beyond the substantial completion date- the date which the main contractor would hand the site back to the NPHDB and then to Children’s Health Ireland. Work is ongoing to determine if some of that commissioning activity timeline can be reduced or conducted in parallel with substantial completion, where it is safe and appropriate to do so. Work on commissioning and an opening plan is ongoing.
The NPHDB and the contractor are working to do everything they can to ensure that this new substantial completion date and opening can be met. There remain external risks which the NCH is not immune to and are beyond the control of the Development Board and the contractor to the timeline, arising from Brexit, the global pandemic, global supply chain difficulties and shortages of construction raw materials. However, BAM, as a Tier 1 construction company, has global reach into supply chains and is doing its best to mitigate those risks. Nonetheless, these external risks make speculation and more definitive forecasting unwise.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (701)
David Cullinane
Ceist:701. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status of the elective centre proposals; when he will publish further material in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4533/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Cross Party Sláintecare Report in 2017 articulated a new vision for healthcare in Ireland, including the provision of elective only hospitals, providing protected capacity for elective care. The “Elective Hospitals Oversight Group”, under the joint governance of the Health Service Executive, Department of Health and Sláintecare, has been guiding the development of the elective hospital proposals, following the process outlined in the updated Public Spending Code, setting out the value for money requirements for the evaluation, planning, and management of large public investment projects.
In December 2021 the Government agreed, subject to the necessary approvals and requirements under the Public Spending Code being met, a new National Elective Ambulatory Care Strategy. This new strategy aims to change the way in which day case, scheduled procedures, surgeries, scans and outpatient services can be better arranged to ensure greater capacity in the future and help to address waiting lists. The development of additional capacity will be provided through dedicated, standalone Elective Hospitals in Cork, Galway and Dublin.
The elective care scope of service will be developed in two phases commencing with day cases, diagnostics, and outpatients and then by in-patient treatment. On this basis, the Elective Care Centres (ECCs) will be designed to provide sufficient capacity to facilitate future phases, including some elective in patient capacity, thereby providing a sustainable and strategic response to cater for the highly dynamic landscape of healthcare policy and practice.
Individual Preliminary Business Cases for each location are at an advanced stage of development. and will be subject to technical review by the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Pending favourable review(s) under the Public Spending Code, that further memoranda for Government would then be brought forward to progress this proposal for Cork, Galway and Dublin.
The Preliminary Business Cases, if approved, will be published in line with the Public Spending Code.
Question No. 702 answered with Question No. 644.
Disability Services
Ceisteanna (703)
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:703. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health when early intervention services including access to speech and language therapy and occupational therapy will be facilitated for a child (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4536/22]
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.
Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
Ceisteanna (704)
David Cullinane
Ceist:704. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of capital projects currently being developed or underway; the number of wards and beds these will provide; if these are replacement or additional to total stock; the timeline for completion and the next major milestone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4538/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (705)
Matt Carthy
Ceist:705. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the number of patients waiting for audiology appointments per CHO and former LHO by quarter during 2021 and to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4540/22]
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 Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (706)
Matt Carthy
Ceist:706. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health his plans to address the backlog in audiology appointments in counties Cavan and Monaghan; when he expects the backlog to be cleared; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4541/22]
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 Staff
Ceisteanna (707)
Claire Kerrane
Ceist:707. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time medical, nursing and dental staff by job title working in the dental clinic at Roscommon University Hospital; the number of vacancies by job title within the clinic; and when each vacancy will be filled in tabular form. [4550/22]
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.
Disability Services
Ceisteanna (708)
John Paul Phelan
Ceist:708. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health if the appropriate services will be expedited for persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4576/22]
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
Ceisteanna (709)
David Cullinane
Ceist:709. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the agency spend for each quarter in 2020 and 2021. [4579/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Hospital Services
Ceisteanna (710)
David Cullinane
Ceist:710. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of delayed discharges and bed days lost by hospital in each quarter for 2020 and 2021. [4572/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy with the requested information.