Mark Ward
Ceist:634. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the IT supports that are in place for perinatal mental health services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27245/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMental Health Services
Ceisteanna (634)
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.
Mental Health Services
Ceisteanna (635)
Mark Ward
Ceist:635. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the current facilities that perinatal mental health services have in which to hold clinics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27246/22]
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 Services
Ceisteanna (636)
Niamh Smyth
Ceist:636. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the number of pregnant mothers who used a scan (details supplied) in Cavan General Hospital to date, per month, since its introduction in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27267/22]
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.
Disease Management
Ceisteanna (637)
Niamh Smyth
Ceist:637. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the status of services for persons with Parkinson's disease in counties Cavan and Monaghan; the locations in which services are available in primary care in a hospital setting; his plans to introduce a dedicated nurse in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27274/22]
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 (638)
Niamh Smyth
Ceist:638. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on a planned project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27276/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this question relates to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (639)
Niamh Smyth
Ceist:639. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the status of ophthalmology clinics (details supplied); the days on which the services are operational; the locations of the clinics; if clarity will be provided in relation to clinics in Cavan town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27277/22]
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.
Industrial Relations
Ceisteanna (640)
Jackie Cahill
Ceist:640. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health his plans to avert further industrial action by medical scientists by ensuring pay parity and better working conditions for them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27282/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Firstly, I would like to acknowledge and pay tribute to the dedication, professionalism and commitment of all medical scientists throughout the country. Their drive and dedication have been key components in our managing of the pandemic.
I acknowledge the MLSA’s claim for pay parity between medical scientists and clinical biochemists. As you are aware, the current public service agreement, Building Momentum 2021-2022, includes the process of Sectoral Bargaining, to address outstanding claims such as this one. Despite continued engagement between the MLSA and Health management since November 2021, and several proposals being explored, it has not been possible to agree a route to fully resolve the longstanding claim due to insufficient funds being available through Sectoral Bargaining.
This matter was escalated through the dispute resolution mechanisms under Building Momentum and considered twice by the Public Service Agreement Group (PSAG) on 31 March and 11 May. PSAG recommended that this matter be referred to the WRC for urgent engagement and that industrial peace be maintained. The MLSA met with Health management on May 17th at the WRC, however, no resolution was reached.
I welcome that the MLSA has suspended their strike action and that the issue has been referred to the Labour Court on May 25th for an exploratory engagement. I would encourage all parties to continue to utilise all of the State's industrial relations machinery to resolve this matter.
Emergency Departments
Ceisteanna (641)
Niamh Smyth
Ceist:641. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health his plans to upgrade Monaghan Hospital and re-introduce an accident and emergency department; his views on the concerns of the public about the lack of this service and delays in ambulance response times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27290/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Last year saw a number of new initiatives at Monaghan General Hospital, including:
- 18 new stepdown beds;
- a second endoscopy room;
- centralisation of Haemochromatosis Services for patients in the Cavan Monaghan Hospital Catchment area; and
- provision of a 3rd Ultrasound.
The RCSI Hospital Group advises that there are no plans to expand the Minor Injury Unit at Monaghan General Hospital. As you know, Cavan General Hospital provides 24-hour emergency critical care to adults and children in the region.
There has been significant investment in our National Ambulance Service in recent years. In 2022, the National Ambulance Service received its largest overall investment to date, €200.7m. This total includes €8.23m in funding for new service developments to further address capacity deficits in the service and will involve the recruitment of an additional 128 WTEs.
Hospital Staff
Ceisteanna (642)
Pa Daly
Ceist:642. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health when a consultant podiatrist will take up a position in University Hospital Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27312/22]
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 (643)
Pa Daly
Ceist:643. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of months that University Hospital Kerry has been without a consultant podiatrist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27313/22]
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 (644)
Pa Daly
Ceist:644. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of patients who have had to travel from County Kerry to each hospital in counties Cork and Limerick to be seen by a consultant podiatrist from January 2021 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27314/22]
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.
Industrial Relations
Ceisteanna (645)
Patrick Costello
Ceist:645. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if he will make a meaningful proposal or issue an invitation to an organisation (details supplied) that represent healthcare professionals for talks to address long-standing pay and career development issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27317/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Firstly, I would like to acknowledge and pay tribute to the dedication, professionalism and commitment of all medical scientists throughout the country. Their drive and dedication have been key components in our managing of the pandemic.
I acknowledge the MLSA’s claim for pay parity between medical scientists and clinical biochemists. As you are aware, the current public service agreement, Building Momentum 2021-2022, includes the process of Sectoral Bargaining, to address outstanding claims such as this one. Despite continued engagement between the MLSA and Health management since November 2021, and several proposals being explored, it was not possible to agree a route to fully resolve the longstanding claim due to insufficient funds being available through Sectoral Bargaining.
This matter was escalated through the dispute resolution mechanisms under Building Momentum and considered twice by the Public Service Agreement Group (PSAG) on 31 March and 11 May. PSAG recommended that this matter be referred to the WRC for urgent engagement and that industrial peace be maintained. The MLSA met with Health management on May 17th at the WRC, however, no resolution was reached.
Following engagement at the Labour Court on May 25th, the parties have agreed to reconvene at the WRC for a further final engagement. This engagement will take place within a three week period. Any outstanding issues that cannot be resolved through the WRC process will be referred to the Labour Court. All industrial action will be suspended throughout the engagement process and pending any Labour Court Recommendation.
I welcome the engagement that took place through the Labour Court and the suspension of industrial action.
National Maternity Hospital
Ceisteanna (646, 647)
Catherine Murphy
Ceist:646. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule of estimated delivery costs from 2017 to 2021 and to date in 2022 associated with the new national maternity hospital. [27321/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraCatherine Murphy
Ceist:647. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule of estimated delivery costs from 2017 to 2021 and to date in 2022 associated with the new national maternity hospital in the context of the public spending code; the number of instances in which his Department updated him and or his predecessors on increases to the estimated costs for delivery; and if he has sanctioned a delivery cost of €1 billion for the hospital. [27322/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 647 and 646 together.
The Public Spending Code (PSC) is designed to ensure that capital investment decisions are underpinned by a clear policy rationale, and that costs are well understood. In 2019, the PSC was updated and introduced a new project lifecycle, tightening the arrangements for project decision-making, and clarifying the roles of the parties involved including the responsibilities for Sponsoring Agencies and Approving Authorities.
All capital development proposals must progress through several approval stages, in line with the new lifecycle approach of the updated PSC, including detailed appraisal, planning, design and procurement before a firm timeline or funding requirement can be established.
The specific requirements that must be included in a business case at the various stages of the PSC, are detailed at:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/public-spending-code/.
The capital project business case for the relocation of the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) to the St Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH) Campus is progressing.
The total capital costs expended from 2017-to end April 2022 is €89.25m, with a breakdown provided in the table below:
NMH Relocation Project delivery costs 2017 to end April 2022
|
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
To end April 2022 |
Total from 2017 to end April 2022 |
|
|
€m |
5.05 |
6.19 |
25.67 |
28.36 |
21.88 |
2.1 |
89.25 |
The total capital expenditure to date is based on two main elements, enabling works on site and the preparation for the capital project including detailed design, business case and planning permission preparation. Enabling works are included in these costs, which commenced on the campus in early 2018 with a programme of Aspergillus prevention works. Construction of the new pharmacy and the multi-storey car-park were completed in 2021 and both are fully operational. The costs of all enabling works to date are €51m (including VAT).
With the exception of the construction works referenced above, no further contractual commitments have been entered into with respect to works on the new NMH project.
The final decision to proceed with the construction of the new maternity hospital, and therefore to estimate the cost for the new NMH, cannot be made until the tender process has been completed and the costings reviewed to ensure that the proposal delivers value for money and remains affordable.
Question No. 647 answered with Question No. 646.
Hospital Services
Ceisteanna (648)
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:648. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the out-of-hours services and supports available to oncology patients in Beaumont Hospital; if consideration has been given more generally to providing additional services and supports for oncology patients to avoid the need for them to attend accident and emergency departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27328/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
New development funding of €20 million was provided for implementation of the National Cancer Strategy in 2021 and again in 2022. Some of this funding was allocated to develop an Acute Oncology Nursing Service in each of the 26 hospitals providing Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT). This nurse-led service has resulted in cancer patients who are experiencing a disease or treatment related complication avoiding attendance to the acute hospital Emergency Department (ED), where possible, during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.
The Acute Oncology Nurse acts as a point of contact for patients and undertakes a comprehensive patient assessment using an internationally validated tool. The service provides increased access to specialised oncology nursing care for patients receiving SACT and Oral Anti-Cancer Medicines. The Acute Oncology Service links in with community services such as Community Intervention Teams, GPs and public health nurses to provide additional support to patients where required.
A dedicated telephone helpline to the Acute Oncology Service Nurses is advertised through a variety of methods in the inpatient and outpatient settings, including information leaflets, contact cards, and posters. In Beaumont, the service is also signposted by the Irish Cancer Society Daffodil Centre.
Beaumont has 1.5 Acute Oncology Service Nurses. The Nurses in Beaumont provide a service from 8am-4pm, Monday-Friday, with staff in the inpatient wards trained to receive phone calls during the out-of-hours period and provide guidance to attend the ED for medical review, if required.
The HSE's National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) advises that it is exploring ways to build resilience in the Acute Oncology Nursing Service, ensuring cross cover and potentially extending service hours. National metrics are completed by all Acute Oncology Service Nurses in each of the hospitals and returned to the NCCP. These will be of use in informing the future development of this service.
Departmental Investigations
Ceisteanna (649)
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:649. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if a new group has been formed to investigate maternal deaths; if a person (details supplied) is leading this investigation; the timeline being worked towards; its budget; its membership; to whom it reports; if this proposal has been before the Houses of the Oireachtas or the Cabinet for approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27331/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Serious adverse events in maternity care have a devastating impact on the families concerned. It is vital that our health services take steps to ensure serious adverse events in maternity care are appropriately reviewed and responded to at a national level.
The HSE's Incident Management Framework was launched in 2018 and updated in 2020. The HSE’s Incident Management Framework is applied to the management of individual incidents and is the mechanism for incident investigations in the HSE, including maternal deaths.
In addition to these processes, the HSE Obstetric Event Support Team (OEST) is a new initiative which was established in 2022 to establish a team within the National Women and Infant Health Programme (NWIHP) to provide objective oversight over a specified list of obstetric clinical incidents occurring within Maternity Networks. The OEST has an initial staffing requirement of 4 Whole-time Equivalents (WTEs) including a Clinical Director, Midwife and case managers. Dr Peter McKenna is the Clinical Lead for the OEST process. Funding of €540,000 was provided to support the establishment and expansion of the OEST across the maternity network from Budget 2022.
The aim of the OEST is to support the networks as they respond to the events in terms of overseeing and advising on appointment of the review panel, family engagement, conduct of the review, finalisation of the review report and follow up. In addition to assisting the health services in responding to severe maternity related incidents and in the provision of appropriate supports for patients and families, the OEST aims to ensure appropriate expert level support is available nationally by enabling learning from adverse maternity incidents to be actioned at a national level and by promoting engagement with relevant stakeholders across the maternity network. It is anticipated that this will lead to safer and improved high-quality of care for patients and families.
Mental Health Services
Ceisteanna (650)
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:650. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the reason for the closure of 11 beds in a unit (details supplied); the steps he is taking to re-open them in view of the growing crisis in the provision of child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, nationally; when he expects them to re-open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27332/22]
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.
Mental Health Services
Ceisteanna (651)
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:651. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to address recruitment and retention issues in CAMHS; if he will provide a breakdown of all vacancies with details of the teams involved; if he will provide an update on the implementation of the Sharing the Vision recommendations, particularly in respect of staffing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27333/22]
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.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Ceisteanna (652)
Patrick Costello
Ceist:652. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if he will extend the availability of the antiviral drug called paxlovid and-or other antivirals and monoclonal antibodies to patients diagnosed with long Covid beyond those with an immunodeficiency to cover patients who are affected with long Covid and are having symptoms (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27334/22]
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.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Ceisteanna (653)
Patrick Costello
Ceist:653. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health when access to diagnostic testing fluorescence microscopy to identify fibrin micro clots in long Covid patients will be introduced in Ireland so patients can be prescribed anticoagulants safely; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27335/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply to the Deputy directly.