Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 May 2024
554. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health when the last national ophthalmology strategy was delivered; If the recommendations of the strategy were achieved; and when a new strategy will be produced. [22361/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE Primary Care Eye Services Review Group Report, published in 2017, set out the way forward for a significant amount of eye services to be delivered in a primary care setting. The Report estimated that 60% of existing outpatient activity could be moved to primary care thus enabling hospital services to focus on patients who require more specialist diagnostics or treatments.
The National Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology developed a model of care, also published in 2017, detailing how the realignment of eye services from the acute hospitals to the community will be undertaken.
Included in current priorities is transferring the care of children aged 8+ years to the care of local private optometrists. A project team with a wide-ranging membership was established in late 2019 / early 2020 to progress this initiative. The work of the team was paused due to the requirement to focus resources on the COVID 19 pandemic. However, the project team has been reconvened and is progressing matters in relation to this initiative. Recently I asked the HSE to prepare a detailed implementation plan in regard to this matter.
The HSE is currently in the process of implementing multidisciplinary Integrated Eye Care Teams, as recommended in both documents. These teams facilitate assessment, diagnoses, management and treatment and in some cases pre-op/post-op care enabling most patients to be seen in their own locality. Where necessary, patients can be referred onwards to acute Ophthalmology services to receive the necessary specialist input.
Integrated Eye Care Teams continue to be rolled out nationally. To date, teams have been established in 6 of the 9 CHOs, namely, CHO 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, and 9. Work is underway to establish teams in the remaining CHOs as well as further expanding the existing teams.
