Written Answers Nos. 1903-1923
1903. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the funding that was provided in Budget 2022 to charities including section 38 and section 39 organisations providing mental health services; the way in which small mental health charities can apply for funding allocated in Budget 2022; if additional funding programmes are available to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2364/22]
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.
1904. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the efforts underway to ensure the provision of adequate psychology services for children in the area of Celbridge, County Kildare; when full-time psychologists will be assigned to this area; the reason for the delay in implementing these services to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2366/22]
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.
1905. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if a local general practitioner will be assigned to a child (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2370/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the GMS scheme, the HSE contracts GPs to provide medical services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders. Certain groups, including all those under 6 years of age and those over 70 years of age, are automatically entitled to a GP visit card.
Where a GMS patient experiences difficulty in finding a GP to accept him/her as a patient, the person concerned having unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in the area (or fewer if there are fewer GPs in the area) can apply to the HSE National Medical Card Unit which has the power to assign a GMS patient to a GP's GMS patient list. Likewise, a parent on behalf of a child GMS patient who experiences difficulty in finding a GP that will accept their child as a patient can apply to the HSE National Medical Card Unit also.
1907. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health if he will address concerns raised since 2016 by HSE staff at a health centre (details supplied) in relation to the provision of an ambulance bay, disabled parking bay, patient parking spaces and hand-rail to support entry into centre and adequate seating for the waiting room. [2405/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
1908. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in County Meath who are waiting for a homecarer to be allocated to them despite having been approved for same. [2406/22]
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.
1909. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in County Meath who have requested additional homecare hours; and the average waiting times for receiving additional care. [2407/22]
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.
1910. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health the number of applicants waiting for a primary medical certificate in County Clare; the current application processing time for a primary medical certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2419/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy's question relates to a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
1911. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting on hip and or knee surgery and cataract surgery in counties Clare, Limerick and Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2420/22]
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 Delta and Omicron variants.
At present the acute hospital system is prioritising unscheduled Covid-19 care and urgent time-sensitive work. 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.
In addition, the Department of Health, the HSE and the NTPF are also working on a Multi Annual Waiting List Plan to bring waiting lists in line with Sláintecare targets over the coming years. This process will be overseen by a Ministerial Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Health and includes representatives from the HSE and National Treatment Purchase Fund.
For 2022 an additional allocation of €250 million, comprised of €200 million to the HSE and €50 million to the National Treatment Purchase Fund has been provided in respect of work to reduce hospital and community waiting lists. The €250 million will be used to fund additional activity in both the public and private sectors. The €50 million additional funding provided to the NTPF brings its total allocation for 2022 to €150 million, and as a consequence there will be a budget of €350 million available to support vital initiatives to improve access to acute hospitals and community health services.
The information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the attached document. This information shows the number of patients on the Inpatient & Daycase (IPDC) waiting list for hip, knee and cataract surgery by area of residence in counties Clare, Limerick and Tipperary.
|
In patient day-case (IPDC) Hip/Knee/Cataract Waiters as of 23/12/2021 in counties Clare, Limerick and Tipperary |
|
Time bands (Months) |
0-3 Months |
3-6 Months |
6-9 Months |
9-12 Months |
12-15 Months |
15-18 Months |
18+ Months |
Grand Total |
|
Clare |
83 |
48 |
38 |
17 |
10 |
196 |
||
|
Cataracts |
59 |
29 |
11 |
17 |
10 |
126 |
||
|
Hip |
17 |
10 |
16 |
43 |
||||
|
Knee |
7 |
9 |
11 |
27 |
||||
|
Limerick |
167 |
83 |
50 |
25 |
19 |
5 |
13 |
362 |
|
Cataracts |
104 |
46 |
19 |
25 |
19 |
5 |
13 |
231 |
|
Hip |
36 |
21 |
17 |
74 |
||||
|
Knee |
27 |
16 |
14 |
57 |
||||
|
Small Volume Areas |
6 |
7 |
11 |
13 |
37 |
|||
|
Hip |
5 |
6 |
11 |
|||||
|
Knee |
5 |
5 |
||||||
|
Small Volume Procedures |
6 |
2 |
6 |
7 |
21 |
|||
|
Tipperary |
140 |
59 |
27 |
12 |
16 |
25 |
279 |
|
|
Cataracts |
93 |
36 |
14 |
12 |
16 |
25 |
196 |
|
|
Hip |
30 |
8 |
8 |
46 |
||||
|
Knee |
17 |
15 |
5 |
37 |
||||
|
Grand Total |
390 |
190 |
115 |
60 |
52 |
16 |
51 |
874 |
Statistical Disclosure Control (SDC) techniques have been applied to the data to preserve confidentiality and mitigate against identification or self-identification of individuals. In cases where there are less than 5 people in any particular cell, we have replaced that value with the average (mean) of all values that are less than 5 across that category. Any decimal values which arise have then been rounded. This may cause some rounding to occur when calculating sub-totals. Where there are <20 patients waiting in a particular specialty/hospital, we have aggregated the numbers under a ‘Small Volume’ heading.
1912. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in counties Clare, Tipperary and Limerick awaiting scoliosis procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2421/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1913. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Health his plans to recruit a replacement consultant paediatric neurologist at the University Hospital Limerick; when it is anticipated that this appointment will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2426/22]
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.
1914. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health the number of administrative and management staff have been recruited by the Saolta group and at Galway University Hospital, respectively since March 2020; the number of nurses, doctors, consultants and other medical staff that have been recruited in the same time period by the Saolta group and at Galway University Hospital, respectively; the number of staff in each category currently employed by the Saolta group and at Galway University Hospital, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2428/22]
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.
1920. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on a waiting list for homecare packages; the number of persons experiencing delayed discharge from hospital due to a delay accessing homecare; and the waiting lists for homecare packages by CHO and LHO in tabular form. [2463/22]
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.
1921. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he plans to change the HSE model for commissioning homecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2464/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to Deputy Róisín Shorthall directly.
1922. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status of plans to introduce a statutory right to homecare as committed to in the Programme for Government; the timescale he is working towards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2465/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn accordance with the Programme for Government agreed in 2020, the Department of Health is committed to introducing a statutory scheme to support people to live in their own homes, with 'equitable access to high-quality, regulated home care'.
Consequently, work is on-going within the Department to progress the development of the new statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support services. Taking place within the broader context of the Sláintecare reforms, this work encompasses the development of the regulatory framework for the new scheme; the examination of the options for the financing model for the scheme; and the development of a reformed model of service-delivery.
The aim is to ensure that all service-users are provided with a standard, high-quality level of care which is safe, effective, and person-centred. The regulatory framework will comprise: (i) primary legislation for the licensing of public and private home-support providers; (ii) minimum requirements (i.e., regulations); and (iii) HIQA National Standards for Home Support Services.
Last year, Government gave approval to draft a General Scheme and Heads of a Bill to establish a licensing framework for home-support providers. This is being progressed by the Department with a view to bringing it through the Houses of the Oireachtas at the earliest opportunity. It is expected that the primary legislation will give the Minister for Health the power to make regulations in respect of minimum requirements which will form the criteria against which a provider’s eligibility to hold a licence will be determined. The Department recently commenced a targeted stakeholder consultation on these draft minimum requirements. A public consultation will take place in 2022. In addition, HIQA recently ran a public scoping consultation to inform the development of their National Standards for Home Support Services. A regulatory impact analysis will be undertaken by the Department in 2022 to ensure effectiveness and mitigate risks.
In parallel to this, the Department is working with the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) to investigate the projected demand for and cost of home-support service-provision across a range of models for the financing of the new scheme. The first report from this research, published in March 2021, focused on the potential demand for such a scheme. The findings contained in the report indicate that there will be a significant increase in the demand for home-support in the coming years and that, relative to a baseline provision of 24.7 million hours in 2019, between 3.5 and 8 million additional hours will be required across a range of policy scenarios. Building on this work, the ESRI is currently undertaking research on the potential cost of introducing such a scheme across a range of funding scenarios. This report is scheduled for publication in Q1 2022. The Department will seek Government approval in due course on any proposed legislation to provide for a funding model for the new home-support scheme, taking into consideration the cost associated with the various options.
In parallel, work is ongoing in relation to the development of a reformed model of service delivery for the new scheme. In 2021, funding was secured for the Health Service Executive (HSE) to: (i) progress the roll-out of interRAI as the standard assessment tool for care-needs in the community; (ii) pilot a reformed model of service-delivery for home-support; and (iii) establish a National Office for Home Support Services.
The testing of the reformed model of service delivery for home-support commenced in November 2021 in the first of the four pilot sites, which is in CHO 8. It is envisaged that the three other sites, in CHOs 2, 4 and 7, will be fully operational by the end of January. Funding has been approved for 128 interRAI Care Needs Facilitators to progress the national rollout of interRAI as the standard assessment tool for care-needs. A National Home Support Office is in the process of being established. A comprehensive and robust operational model for the roll-out of the interRAI has been developed which will facilitate effective, efficient, fair and transparent care needs assessments and planning and appropriate service delivery. The interRAI outputs and pilot site evaluation will be critical to the development of the new home-support scheme.
