Written Answers Nos. 310-319
310. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health when the €1,000 appreciation payment for healthcare workers who worked during the Covid the pandemic will be paid to those workers in Section 39 organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58565/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.
311. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if he will outline his response to the urgent appeal for funding and other supports outlined in correspondence to his Department from the Supported Care Homes Advisory Group CHO5; if the concerns outlined on behalf of the homes will be addressed as a matter of urgency relative to issues (details supplied); if he will support the initiative of this group to develop its services in response to the needs of the older person in their respective communities and to develop a response to older peoples future housing needs in conjunction with all relevant stakeholders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58567/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraA key principle underpinning Government policy is to support older people to live in their own home as long as possible. There will, however, always be people whose needs are best met in a residential care setting or supported housing model. There are 10 supported care homes in Community Healthcare Organisation Area 5 providing accommodation and support services to older people with low to medium dependency levels. The residents care needs are too great for them to remain safely at home, but they do not yet require 24-hour nursing home care.
I recently wrote to the 10 supported care homes regarding support related to funding pressures.
As I set out in my correspondence, a €100m once-off fund has been allocated to support community-based health and social care service providers for 2022 cost increases. This fund is being made available in recognition of the challenges being faced by the sector in delivering and maintaining key health and social care services against a backdrop of increased inflationary pressures affecting energy, heating and related costs.
These organisations are funded through the HSE to deliver a range of health and social care services on behalf of the HSE to communities around Ireland. This includes residential, day and ancillary services for people with a disability, older people, mental health services, palliative care services, addiction services and other health and social care services provided in the community. It is expected that supported care homes will be within scope of this measure.
The details of the plan are being finalised. It is proposed that the inflation support fund will be administered by the HSE utilising the mechanisms in place for funding eligible organisations in receipt of service level arrangements and grant aid agreements. These arrangements are already in place with organisations that provide key health and social care services for people in Ireland. It is proposed that payments will be made to eligible organisations in the final quarter of 2022 to meet the pressures of this coming winter. Many eligible organisations may be already operating within a context of increased inflationary pressures, and the payments will be made as soon as finalised.
As you will be aware I completely support the model of community care homes in the South East that supports older people to live well within their own communities, and I will continue to advocate on their behalf.
312. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health if he will consider granting a medical card to all children for whom the domiciliary care allowance is payable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58578/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 1st June, 2017, all children for whom a Domiciliary Care Allowance is paid qualify automatically for a medical card without the requirement of a financial assessment.
In order for a child, who does not already hold a medical card, to be registered onto this scheme it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian of the child to register their child by completing an online or manual application form.
For further information can be accessed at the HSE website as follows: www2.hse.ie/services/medical-cards/medical-card-for-domiciliary-care-allowance.html
313. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the measures that will be implemented at an early date to address the critical shortage of homecare workers which is causing severe problems in many areas with delays in providing home support for persons requiring such assistance, and also causing delayed hospital discharges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58588/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAddressing the shortage of care-workers in Ireland is an urgent priority for the Government. To this end, I established the cross-departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group in March 2022 to examine, and formulate recommendations to address, the challenges in front-line carer roles in the home-support and long-term residential care sectors. Working closely with key stakeholders, the Group examined the recruitment, retention, training, career-development, and pay and conditions of care-workers.
The Report of the Strategic Workforce Advisory Group on Home Carers and Nursing Home Healthcare Assistants was published on 15th October 2022. Providing an overview of the work of the Group and its key findings, the report presents a suite of 16 recommendations spanning the areas of areas of recruitment, pay and conditions of employment, barriers to employment, training and professional development, sectoral reform, and monitoring and implementation.
In the latest figures available, as of 22 November 2022, the HSE reported there were 599 Delayed Transfer of Care of which 96 people were waiting on home supports. At the end of September 2022, 16.08 million home support hours have been delivered to 56,490 clients in the community. I am acutely aware that there are strategic workforce challenges in the sector, however priority is given to those assessed in acute hospitals, who can return home with supports.
Finally, I strongly endorse all of the Strategic Workforce Advisory Group's recommendations and can confirm that work towards their implementation has commenced. I will be closely monitoring this implementation on an on-going basis to ensure that the recommendations are enacted in a full and timely manner.
314. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health pursuant to the National Development Plan 2021-2030, if he will provide a status update on the development of the promised cancer care centre for Galway University Hospital; the timeline for the completion of the centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58601/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with the National Cancer Strategy, the model of care for hospital cancer treatment is centred on eight Designated Cancer Centres serving a defined population and geographic area. University Hospital Galway (UHG) is one of the eight Designated Cancer Centres. The centralisation of specialist services into Designated Cancer Centres aims to optimise patient outcomes, through case volume, multidisciplinary working and infrastructural supports.
Saolta Hospital Group has made a Capital Submission to the National Capital & Property Steering Committee for a Galway Cancer Care Centre. The proposed submission would be in excess of €100m and therefore will follow the full requirements under the Public Spending Code and the HSE Capital Projects Manual & Approvals Protocol.
Approval and support from Services must be obtained before the NC&PSC can review this project. If approved, it will progress to Gate 0 of the public spending code. At Gate 0 it will be submitted to my Department for review.
All projects being progressed must be compliant with the Public Spending Code (PSC). I am unable to provide an estimated timeline before the project scope has been approved. The final decision to proceed with the construction of a given project cannot be made until each stage of the PSC is approved; this includes the tender process which has to be completed and the costings reviewed to ensure that the proposal remains affordable and delivers value for money.
315. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule of financial supports available to health care workers who suffer from long-Covid following being infected with the virus in the course of their duties. [58603/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have provided for Special Leave with Pay (SLWP) for the recommended isolation period, for civil and public servants, including public health sector employees, nationally who contract Covid. SLWP provides for paid leave, including full pay, any fixed allowances payable as well as premium payments.
For certain employees who remain unfit to attend the workplace and are suffering from long-Covid, a temporary scheme, specific to the public health service has been introduced to provide for Paid Leave for Public Health Service Employees unfit for work post Covid infection.The HSE have issued the full details of the Scheme to all public health service employers by circular, and employees who meet the criteria for eligibility for the Scheme will have transferred to the new Scheme retrospectively from 1st July 2022.
For those who do not meet the criteria of the temporary Scheme, or who have been in receipt of SLWP but who remain unwell longer than the current recommended isolation period, the provisions of the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme may be utilised.
316. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health when saxenda will be approved for medical card holders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58612/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
HSE decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds, on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE). There are formal processes which govern applications for the pricing and reimbursement of medicines, and new uses of existing medicines, to be funded and/or reimbursed.
The HSE Drugs Group considers the NCPE assessment, the outputs from commercial engagements, patient interest group submissions, and any other pertinent information in advance of providing its recommendation to the HSE Executive Management Team (EMT).
The application for reimbursement was for the following indication: as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for weight management in adult patients with an initial Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 kg/m² (obesity), or 27 kg/m² to <30 kg/m² (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbidity such as dysglycaemia (prediabetes or type 2 diabetes mellitus), hypertension, dyslipidaemia or obstructive sleep apnoea.
The Drugs Group has recommended Liraglutide (Saxenda) be reimbursed, subject to the development of a Managed Access Programme (MAP) by the HSE’s Medicines Management Programme (MMP).
MAPs are used to identify patients or subgroups of patients who would most benefit from the specific treatment approved for reimbursement and for whom the clinical evidence of therapeutic benefit is strongest. The MAP for Liraglutide (Saxenda) is currently under development. The Primary Care Reimbursement Service and the MMP are working with internal stakeholders with the view to having the finalised managed access programme (and supporting IT systems for same) in place by the end of Q4 2022.
317. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the measures that are being taken to improve healthcare for trans persons, in view of the ranking by an organisation (details supplied) of Ireland as the worst EU member state for trans healthcare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58619/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to the development by the HSE of a well-governed and patient-centred health care service for adults and children in the transgender community, in line with the Programme for Government. A model of care for transgender children, adolescents and adults was developed by the HSE Quality Improvement Division. The HSE model of care is underpinned by a local response model including general practice, psychology and CAMHS, working with specialist mental health and endocrinology services. Complex cases would be referred onto tertiary specialist care. The model of care is partly implemented within community services. The model of care deals with services for children and adults. Children can be referred to paediatric up until the age of 18 years. An adult service is provided by the national gender service in St Colmcille’s Hospital. A steering committee which was established to examine the development of the HSE transgender identity services produced a report in 2020. This committee included representatives of all stakeholders, including advocacy representatives, and was chaired by Dr Siobhan Ni Bhriain on behalf of the chief clinical officer. The report acknowledged the additional funding made available to develop services in recent years. It also advised on the development of seamless interfaces between agencies providing gender services. The committee agreed a job description for a consultant psychiatrist in child and adolescent psychiatry in CHO 7 and CHI to develop the service for those aged under 18 (and to replace the current system of psychological support provided by the Tavistock Clinic). This consultant psychiatrist would develop and lead a MDT to support the delivery of gender identity services for those under 18. This position has been advertised twice but is not yet filled. I believe the development of a service in Ireland for children and young people is essential. It is the priority of the Dept of Health and the HSE to provide a transgender healthcare service that meets the needs of children and young people.
318. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 831 of 18 October 2022, the number of times that his Department has met with the Health Products Regulatory Authority, Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland and the HSE to discuss the guidelines and regulations for the sale of codeine containing medicinal products since January 2022; if he has any plans to update the guidelines and regulation in view of widespread misuse of these products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58623/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that my Department officials have met with and will continue to meet officials in the Health Products Regulatory Authority, Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland and HSE to monitor the evolving evidence in relation to codeine-containing medicines, including the merits of any potential further steps to support the safe and effective use of these medicines. This includes full consideration of any policy changes that may be required regarding the regulation of codeine-containing medicinal products.
319. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status of the health technology assessment for evusheld, commissioned by the HSE in April 2022; the expected timeline for a decision on this treatment which has already been authorised by the European Medicines Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58624/22]
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.
