Written Answers Nos. 1381-1404
1381. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if and when appropriate knee surgery will be offered in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14435/24]
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.
1382. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health the status of the case of a person (details supplied); and when they can expect an appointment with the haematology department, Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14439/24]
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.
1383. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health to provide further details on the current status of the HSE recruitment freeze; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14442/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe most recent information on the Recruitment Pause is up to the end of February 2024. I can confirm as of February 2024 there are 28,155 more staff working in our health service than there were at the beginning of 2020. That’s a 23% increase, meaning that for every 5 people working in the health service in 2020, we now have 6.
The 28,155 increase includes 9,340 nurses and midwives; 4,194 health and social care professionals; and 2,935 doctors and dentists.
We have seen consistent growth in the workforce each year since 2020, with record growth. The workforce growth in 2023 was the highest it has even been since the foundation of the HSE.
In November 2023 the HSE CEO announced a pause on all recruitment with the exception of Consultants, Graduate Nurses and Doctors in formal training programmes.
This recruitment pause put in place was part of a suite of control measures, including an instruction to reduce expenditure on agency staff and management consultants across the HSE. The reality is that the HSE had already exceeded its 2023 funded workforce targets, which was neither affordable nor sustainable. As of the end of February 2024, there were 147,968 staff working in our health service.
The HSE was funded to recruit just over an additional 6,000 staff in 2023, but actually hired 8,239, meaning they were over by more than 2,000 staff than they were funded for.
While the increase in our workforce has been incredibly positive and has enabled significant improvements in service delivery and reductions in waiting times for patients, it is important that the HSE operate within budgeted levels and that prudent controls are in place to ensure the workforce growth is managed in an affordable and sustainable manner.
Funding for an additional 2,268 staff has been secured by the Minister for Health for 2024, which is outlined in the HSE National Service Plan, approved and published on the 14th February 2024. The HSE are currently finalising their Pay and Numbers Strategy for 2024. In additional the HSE has funding for approximately an additional 707 in the disability area.
We await the finalisation of the Pay and Numbers Strategy will enable the HSE to set out its recruitment targets in each area for 2024 and will inform decisions at local level on the filling of available posts, including those returning to work following a career break.
1384. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied), who has been diagnosed with cataracts, can expect to receive surgery to remove same in Cork University Hospital, as it is severely affecting their day-to-day living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14443/24]
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.
1385. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 556 of 13 February 2024, if he will address the issue in relation to the reason intellectual disability student nurses have still yet to receive the subsistence pay rise; if he will expedite the matter and provide a timeframe as to when this pay rise will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14445/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, following approval by Government on 13 December 2022, I was pleased to announce €9 million in additional supports for student nurses and midwives. €5.4m of this funding provides for an enhanced Travel and Subsistence Scheme for eligible students in publicly funded undergraduate nursing and midwifery courses while attending their supernumerary clinical practice placements. Supernumerary students in midwifery, general, combined children's and general, intellectual disability and psychiatric nursing all have the same entitlement.
The Department of Health Circular 4/2023 issued to the HSE on 27 February 2023, set out revised arrangements to apply. This scheme provides a targeted and more equitable approach to supporting these students.
Payment of allowances to eligible students is a priority for me. I would like these payments to students, particularly those in respect of the 2022/2023 academic year, to have been made long ago. While the HSE has advised that payments have commenced in a number of areas, I remain concerned at the slow pace of payments. My Department continues to engage with the HSE to ensure that outstanding payments are prioritized.
In relation to the question asked by the Deputy, payments to eligible students covered by Circular 4/2023 are a matter for the HSE and individual hospitals and I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this issue.
1386. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting as of 1 April 2024 or the nearest available date for an MRI scan in the Children's Hospital Group, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, the Ireland East Hospital Group, the RCSI Hospital Group, the Saolta University Health Care Group, the South/South West Hospital Group and the University of Limerick Hospital Group, for waiting periods of less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months, in tabular form. [14449/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra1387. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting as of 1 April 2024 or the nearest available date for a CT scan in the Children's Hospital Group, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, the Ireland East Hospital Group, the RCSI Hospital Group, the Saolta University Health Care Group, the South/South West Hospital Group and the University of Limerick Hospital Group, for waiting periods of less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months, in tabular form. [14450/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra1388. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting as of 1 April 2024 or the nearest available date for a bone scan in the Children's Hospital Group, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, the Ireland East Hospital Group, the RCSI Hospital Group, the Saolta University Health Care Group, the South/South West Hospital Group and the University of Limerick Hospital Group, for waiting periods of less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months, in tabular form. [14451/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra1389. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting as of 1 April 2024 or the nearest available date for an angiogram in the Children's Hospital Group, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, the Ireland East Hospital Group, the RCSI Hospital Group, the Saolta University Health Care Group, the South/South West Hospital Group and the University of Limerick Hospital Group, for waiting periods of less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months, in tabular form. [14452/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra1390. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting as of 1 April 2024 or the nearest available date for an Electroencephalogram in the Children's Hospital Group, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, the Ireland East Hospital Group, the RCSI Hospital Group, the Saolta University Health Care Group, the South/South West Hospital Group and the University of Limerick Hospital Group, for waiting periods of less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months, in tabular form. [14453/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra1391. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting as of 1 April 2024 or the nearest available date for cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in the Children's Hospital Group, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, the Ireland East Hospital Group, the RCSI Hospital Group, the Saolta University Health Care Group, the South/South West Hospital Group and the University of Limerick Hospital Group, for waiting periods of less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months, in tabular form. [14454/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra1392. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting as of 1 April 2024 or the nearest available date for an ultrasound scan in the Children's Hospital Group, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, the Ireland East Hospital Group, the RCSI Hospital Group, the Saolta University Health Care Group, the South/South West Hospital Group and the University of Limerick Hospital Group, for waiting periods of less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months, in tabular form. [14455/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra1393. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting as of 1 April 2024 or the nearest available date for an electrocardiogram in the Children's Hospital Group, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, the Ireland East Hospital Group, the RCSI Hospital Group, the Saolta University Health Care Group, the South/South West Hospital Group and the University of Limerick Hospital Group, for waiting periods of less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months, in tabular form. [14456/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1386 to 1393, inclusive, together.
The HSE advises that a pilot project commenced in 2016 by the HSE Acute Hospitals Division to progress the collection of national radiology waiting list data. The project has been supported by the Radiology Clinical Care Programme and has involved key stakeholders across the system including the National Integrated Medical Imaging System (NIMIS) Team, Hospital Groups, and the support of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) for data collection and data management expertise.
The information that is currently being collected is presently being tested and validated at hospital, hospital group and national level and as such should not be used/reported without the context of the caveats set out below:
• Data is subject to inclusions and exclusions which are documented in the Data Profile Document. This document is available from Acute Operations and has been circulated to all Hospital Groups.
• Data contains urgent, routine and surveillance/planned activity which is currently not broken down in detail, as such this includes surveillance/planned activity which may not be exceeding planned date.
• Data is still undergoing validation at Hospital and Hospital Group level. Data does not take into account local nuances at site level (Site profile developed to support understanding of same).
• The purpose of this aggregate data is to provide a National Level overview of the number of patients waiting for modalities of CT, MRI and Ultrasound.
• This report is not intended to be used for the active management of hospital diagnostics waiting list, local reports and mechanisms should continue to be used for the management of diagnostics waiting lists at hospital level.
The NTPF provides my Department with Quarterly reports which set out waiting list data for CT, MRI and Ultrasound. The HSE advises that, at present, further diagnostic scans (including cholangiopancreatography, electroencephalogram, angiogram, electrocardiogram and bone scan), are not yet captured as part of this project.
The attached report sets out that at the end of Quarter 4 2023, there was a total of 260,009 patients reported on the waiting list from all sites, this represents all outpatients waiting, urgent, semi urgent, routine and planned/surveillance (where diagnostic access is planned at particular time intervals).
To ensure that Deputies have access to these quarterly diagnostic reports as soon as they are available, my Department will put an arrangement in place whereby the reports can be provided to Deputies once they have been received from the NTPF, and will contact the Deputy directly in this regard.
1394. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people with disabilities in receipt of home support hours in each LHO area as of 1 April 2024 or latest date available; the number of people currently on the waiting list for same in each LHO area; and the number waiting less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and the number waiting more than 18 months, in tabular form. [14457/24]
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.
1395. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people with disabilities in receipt of personal assistance Hours in each LHO area as of 1 April 2024 or latest date available; the number of people currently on the waiting list for same in each LHO area; and the number waiting less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and the number waiting more than 18 months, in tabular form. [14458/24]
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.
1396. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of new emergency places provided to people with a disability as of 1 April 2024; and if he would provide a breakdown by each LHO area of same, in tabular form. [14459/24]
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.
1397. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of children as of 1 April 2024 or latest date available that were awaiting a first assessment from the HSE for each LHO area under the Disability Act 2005, in tabular form. [14460/24]
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.
1398. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people on the physiotherapy waiting list for each LHO area as of 1 April 2024 or latest date available; the number waiting less than 6 6-12 12-18 and more than 18 months; and if he would indicate also for each category the number waiting aged 0-4, 5-17, 18-64 and aged 65 plus, in tabular form. [14461/24]
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.
1399. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people on the speech and language therapy assessment waiting list for each LHO area as of 1 April 2024 or latest date available; the number waiting less than 6 6-12 months; 12-18 months; more than 18 months; the number waiting less than 6 6-12 12-18 and more than 18 months; and if he would indicate for each category the number waiting aged 0-4, 5-17, 18-64 and aged 65 plus, in tabular form. [14462/24]
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.
1400. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people on the speech and language therapy initial treatment waiting list; the number waiting less than 6 6-12 12-18 and more than 18 months; and if he would indicate for each category the number waiting aged 0-4, 5-17, 18-64 and aged 65 plus, in tabular form. [14463/24]
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.
1401. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people on the speech and language therapy further treatment waiting list for each LHO area as of 1 April 2024 or latest date available; the number waiting less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months; and if he will indicate for each category the number waiting aged 0-17 years and those aged 18 and above, in tabular form. [14464/24]
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.
1402. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people on the occupational therapy first time assessment waiting list for each LHO area as of 1 April 2024 or latest date available; the number waiting less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months; and if he would indicate also for each category the numbers waiting aged 0-4, 5-17, , 18-64 aged 65 plus, in tabular form. [14465/24]
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.
1403. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people in each LHO area waiting for a podiatry appointment in primary care as of 1 April 2024 or the latest date available; and the number waiting less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months. [14466/24]
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.
1404. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people in each LHO area waiting for an ophthalmology appointment in primary care as of 1 April 2024 or the latest date available; and the number waiting less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months. [14467/24]
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.
