Written Answers Nos. 1716-1742
1717. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if there are any plans to offer financial assistance to nursing homes to cover the increasing costs related to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30100/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of the specific challenges faced by the Nursing Home sector related to price inflation and increased energy costs. I have met directly with Nursing Homes Ireland, the representative organisation for private and voluntary nursing homes, to discuss this issue, and have written to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to request that they consider the matter alongside departmental officials. Nursing Homes Ireland has recently responded to a request for further information from the NTPF, this response is currently being considered.
Funding to support people to access services in the sector continues to be provided in line with the long-established statutory mechanisms under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009. This is the mechanism established by the Oireachtas to provide for the processes relating to funding under the NHSS and the negotiation of prices for services for private and voluntary providers with the designated State agency, the National Treatment Purchase Fund.
The Department of Health has also provided significant specific supports to the private and voluntary nursing home sector over the course of the pandemic. As you are aware, the COVID-19 Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme, also known as TAPS, was established as part of a package of support measures for nursing homes at the start of the pandemic. €134.5 million was made available under the scheme from March 2020 to June 2021. The outbreak assistance element of the scheme is still in payment. In addition to TAPS, direct support has been provided by the HSE to private nursing homes in many areas, including the provision of PPE, serial testing and support with staffing.
The Department published a review of the NTPF pricing system in June 2021. This review was conducted by the NTPF with input from stakeholders and external experts. It recommended several actions to improve the pricing system. These are now being taken forward by the Department and NTPF. Given the size and scope of the NHSS, which is expected to cost the State more than €1.053 billion this year, any changes must be delivered carefully and with due consideration to their impact and any unexpected consequences.
The Department is also taking forward the 9 recommendations of the Value for Money Review on Nursing Home Costs, which was published in December 2021. The purpose of the VFM Review was to identify, quantify and analyse the reasons for any cost differential between private/voluntary and public nursing homes and, following analysis, to make recommendations for improving the value for money obtained by the Health sector.
To continue the substantial progress being made on implementing the recommendations of the COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel report, nearly €18 million euro was allocated in Budget 2022 including investment in Community Support Teams and Safeguarding supports.
Finally, in response to the strategic workforce challenges in the nursing home and home care sector, a Cross-Departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group has been established. The Group is working to a tight timeline and is committed to providing a set of recommendations to me by September 2022.
1718. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the report on the response to Covid at St. Mary's Nursing Home in the Phoenix Park; when it will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30102/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE), I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1719. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on emergency department activity at University Hospital Limerick in 2022; the number of presentations and admissions; the average patient experience time to admission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30107/22]
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.
1720. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans to expand capacity to manage the high volume of unscheduled care at University Hospital Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30108/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn recent years, there has been significant investment and development in the University of Limerick Hospital Group to improve access and patient flow and to provide additional infrastructure and services right across the Group. These include:
- The new Outpatients Department at Ennis Hospital opened on Monday, March 29th 2021. The new OPD in Ennis has 15 clinical rooms, in addition to a phlebotomy bay, four waiting areas, offices and staff changing rooms.
- The new Outpatients Department at Nenagh Hospital opened recently, allowing the enhancement of facilities for outpatients in Nenagh in the long term. The development includes a dedicated Ophthalmology Injection Suite.
- ULHG has also engaged with the HSE's National Women and Infants Health Programme to establish ambulatory gynaecological and fertility services in Nenagh. The ambulatory gynaecology clinic and the regional fertility hub became operational in 2022. The ambulatory gynaecology service is expected to significantly reduce the number of patients waiting for gynaecology appointments across the Group.
- ULHG recently opened newly developed inpatient accommodation at Croom Orthopaedic Hospital. ‘The Maigue Unit’, is a modern, state-of-the-art 24 single room ward complex, and includes a new operating theatre suite.
- In total, 98 new beds were added to UHL by the end of 2020. A suite of 24 single rooms were completed on the UHL site and there is a dedicated Haematology Oncology Unit. A separate temporary 14-bed single room block has also been completed.
- The new Injury Unity in Ennis Hospital was handed over to the HSE on the 15th December 2021. The doors of the new €2m Injury Unit at Ennis Hospital opened on Friday April 8th, bringing an immediate improvement in the clinical environment and experience for healthcare staff and the thousands of patients who use this service every year.
- The development of the new four-storey, 96 single bed acute inpatient ward block extension at University Hospital Limerick has full planning permission, fire certification and is fully designed. It is anticipated that the works contract will be awarded in early Quarter 2 2022 subject to HSE Board approval and funding availability.
My Department and I remain committed to improving services at University Limerick Hospital Group and ensuring patient-centred care for the people of the Mid-West. The Department will continue to work with the HSE to ensure services, facilities and patient experience at ULHG continue to be developed into the future. As the UHLG are responsible for the management of capacity across the Group, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1721. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he has considered or plans to provide additional emergency department capacity at any hospitals in the UL group to take pressure off of University Hospital Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30109/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1722. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the full range of corporate governance responsibilities including but not inclusive of recruitment, finance, and procurement regional health areas will have once established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30111/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1723. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the full range of corporate governance responsibilities including but not inclusive of recruitment, finance, and procurement the HSE centre will retain once regional health areas are established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30112/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1724. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if the HSE centre will have a board once the regional health areas are established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30113/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1725. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if the HSE centre will be a legal entity once the regional health areas are established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30114/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1745. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the model of regional health areas that were signed off by Cabinet; the timeframe for establishing and operationalising same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30165/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1746. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if regional health areas will have a board once established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30166/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1747. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if regional health areas will be legal entities once established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30167/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1748. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the details of the proposed management structure for regional health areas; the plans to integrate local hospital and CHO management layers; if this will result in a single management layer for acute and community services at local level; the way that this will be geographically managed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30168/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1749. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if regional health areas will be the employer of staff in their geographical area of responsibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30169/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1722 to 1725, inclusive, and 1745 to 1749, inclusive, together.
The Department of Health (DOH) is actively progressing the implementation of RHAs in partnership with the HSE, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
Regional Health Areas (RHAs) will provide for the alignment and integration of hospital and community healthcare services at a regional level, based on defined populations and their local needs. This is key to delivering on the Sláintecare vision.
A Government Decision on RHA Implementation was approved on 5 April. This will provide policy direction and a clear mandate for the work programme. Concurrent with this a Business Case detailing the selection process for this policy direction was published and is available here: www.gov.ie/en/publication/4eda4-slaintecare-regional-health-areas-rhas/.
The recommended policy option is one in which the six new RHAs are implemented as separate branches of the HSE. RHAs will be set up internally as formal regional structures within the HSE to ensure national policies can be implemented consistently and disruption to the system will be minimised as we make this transition. This is in line with core Sláintecare principles.
In keeping with lessons learned from previous health system reforms, the option approved by Government balances the need for national consistency with more regional autonomy and associated accountability closer to the frontline.
While this option does not see RHAs established as separate legal entities, RHAs will have their own budgets with the power to determine their own hiring needs. While they will operate within a national policy context, this plan seeks to devolve decision making to RHAs and their leadership teams as much as possible.
The HSE is already a legal entity with a Board under the 2004 Health Act and it is not envisioned that this will change with the introduction of RHAs.
As we seek to better integrate acute and community based care, listening to health and social care system staff will be key. I established an independent RHA Advisory Group of patient and staff representatives from across the health and social care sector. This Advisory Group will provide guidance, support, and advice on the design of an implementation plan for RHAs to the Department of Health and HSE officials charged with implementing this work programme under Sláintecare. In addition to this group, a number of engagements with stakeholders have taken place over the past several months. More health and social care sector engagements are planned over the summer months.
All of the insights gained from these engagements will inform the overall design of RHAs. My Department is drafting a detailed implementation plan in partnership with the HSE and other key stakeholders which will cover how RHAs will impact finance, clinical and corporate governance and accountability, digital and capital infrastructure, workforce & HR and change, communications & culture. The implementation plan will set out the key objectives, actions, and deliverables for the successful implementation of RHAs. The implementation plan is currently in draft and will be finalised by the end of the year.
The high level timeframe for the establishment of RHAs is as follows:
- A detailed implementation plan will be developed in partnership with stakeholders in 2022. Implementation work will be taking place in tandem in some instances.
- A shadow budget using population-based resource allocation will be developed in 2022.
- Corporate and clinical governance frameworks will be developed and finalised in 2022.
- Transition to RHAs will begin in 2023.
- A population-based resource allocation funding model will be used as part of Estimates 2024 to allocate funding by RHA.
- By Q1 2024, the expectation is that RHAs will be fully operational.
1726. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of net additional staff employed by the HSE as part of the target of 10,000 additional staff posts funded in Budget 2022, in tabular form; if he will provide a breakdown of the 10,000 funded posts by health area and speciality; the number of additional staff employed to date broken down by health area and speciality and further broken down by hospital, hospital group and CHO area and HSE centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30115/22]
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.
1729. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health the number of children and young people on the waiting lists in University Hospital Limerick for various assessments needs within the UL group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30119/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant work continues to positively impact on waiting times and improve pathways to elective care, acute hospitals have been impacted by operational challenges arising from surges in cases related to the Omicron variants.
The HSE has confirmed to the Department that 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 Department of Health continues to work with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to identify ways to improve access to care, including through increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services, providing virtual clinics, and increasing capacity in the public hospital system.
The 2022 Waiting List Action Plan, which was launched on the 25th of February, allocates €350 million to the HSE and NTPF to reduce waiting lists. Under this plan the Department, HSE, and NTPF will deliver urgent additional capacity for the treatment of patients, as well as investing in longer term reforms to bring sustained reductions in waiting lists.
The plan builds on the successes of the short-term 2021 plan that ran from September to December last year. The 2021 plan was developed by the Department of Health, the HSE and the NTPF and was driven and overseen by a senior governance group co-chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Health and the CEO of the HSE and met fortnightly.
This rigorous level of governance and scrutiny of waiting lists has continued into this year with the oversight group evolving into the Waiting List Task Force. The Task Force will meet regularly to drive progress of the 2022 plan.
This is the first stage of an ambitious multi-annual waiting list programme, which is currently under development in the Department of Health. Between them, these plans will work to support short, medium, and long term initiatives to reduce waiting times and provide the activity needed in years to come.
In relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, the attached document, outlines the waiting list at University Hospital Limerick by specialty, broken down by Adult & Child. This information is also available on the NTPF website at: www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm
1730. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of children who are currently waiting for an assessment of need in tabular form; the length of wait in three-month time bands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30123/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1731. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of children who are currently waiting for occupational therapy in tabular form; the length of wait in three-month time bands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30124/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1732. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of children who are currently waiting for speech and language therapy in tabular form; the length of wait in three-month time bands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30125/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1730 to 1732, inclusive, together.
As these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1733. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of children who are currently waiting for physiotherapy in tabular form; the length of wait in three-month time bands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30126/22]
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.
1734. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of adults who are currently waiting for occupational therapy in tabular form; the length of wait in three-month time bands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30127/22]
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.
1735. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of adults who are currently waiting for speech and language therapy in tabular form; the length of wait in three-month time bands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30128/22]
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.
1736. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of adults who are currently waiting for physiotherapy therapy in tabular form; the length of wait in three-month time bands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30129/22]
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.
1737. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of adults who are currently waiting for occupational therapy in tabular form; the length of wait in three-month time bands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30130/22]
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.
1738. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of children who are currently waiting for psychology assessment in tabular form; the length of wait in three-month time bands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30131/22]
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.
1739. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of adults who are currently waiting for psychology assessment in tabular form; the length of wait in three-month time bands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30132/22]
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.
1740. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of staff vacancies which currently exist in occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and psychology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30133/22]
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.
1741. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans to expand respite care provision; the number of adult respite and emergency respite beds across the State in tabular form; the number of persons currently on waiting lists for respite services; the length of wait in three-month time bands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30134/22]
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.
1742. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health if the HSE is providing transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of cocaine addiction and or for mental health care; and if so, the locations in which the treatment is provided. [30153/22]
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.
