Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 February 2023
312. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health his plans to support public health nurses to separate and specialise workload, such as working with infants and children, or caring for elderly persons, in all LHOs within CHO 4. [6414/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraA Registered Public Health Nurse ( PHN) is licensed under regulation to provide care in the community setting, supporting patient groups ranging from new-born to those who require end of life care. The PHN role in Ireland encompasses health promotion, disease prevention, screening and nursing care. There are very few child-specific PHN roles identified.
The current workload model of care provision by PHNs is based on providing care within a district or geographical area and there have been increasing demands on the role of PHNs over the last decade, including an emphasis on supporting older people with health care needs to remain in their homes and the need to provide more complex healthcare interventions to people, including children, within the community.
My Department is currently implementing the recommendations from the Expert Review Body Report on Nursing and Midwifery published last year which recognizes the workforce challenges facing public health nurses. One of the priority recommendations is the development of an integrated workforce strategy for nursing and midwifery based on population health needs and supported by new and enhanced career pathways for acute and community settings.
Also in line with the principles set out in Sláintecare, and the First 5 Whole of Government Strategy for: Babies, Young Children and Their Families 2019- 2028, my Department is tasked with progressing Strategic Action 3A - to develop a dedicated child health workforce model with a population-based approach and focused on areas of high population density and disadvantage. This work will require the scoping out of the most appropriate approach to developing a model, informed by international best practice and outcomes and the implications for the Irish context.
Separately, my Department is identifying an appropriate model for community nursing and midwifery in Ireland and aligning this model with the framework for Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix in Community Care settings. This work will be helpful in developing a dedicated child health workforce model.
Meanwhile, the issue of assigning workloads in specific Local Health Organisations is a Human Resources /staff deployment matter inextricably linked to organising and managing the particular health service in question. Therefore, any such proposal would require careful consideration, including consideration of the potential impacts on both the service being provided currently and overall staffing deployment in the wider context.
As the specific issue raised by the Deputy refers to the operational responsibilities of the HSE, I have referred the matter to the HSE for its attention and direct response to him.
