Written Answers Nos. 1454-1477
1454. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health to review further correspondence from a doctor (details supplied) on an issue; if he will address the points outlined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14640/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe intern year in Ireland is a pre-registration year required by medical graduates to be eligible for full registration with the Medical Council.
The governance and organisation of intern posts is delivered through the six Medical Schools, who are accredited by the Medical Council to deliver Intern training and are supported by the associated Intern Training Network. Doctors undertaking their internship rotate through clinical sites deemed educationally suitable for the purposes of Intern training through the training site inspection process. The purpose of a training site inspection is to determine and monitor the ability of a site to deliver Intern training in accordance with the current accreditation standards developed by the Medical Council along with the relevant curriculum of training.
The HSE has been informed by the relevant Intern Network that following a recent site inspection (March 2024) Cavan hospital has been approved as a training site for interns. The HSE welcome this development as it aligns with the Model 3 report which recommends that Hospitals that do not have interns assigned or trainees in a number of specialties should work with the relevant training bodies or regulator to meet the requirements to have these posts recognised for training and assigned to their hospital. The 145 additional Intern posts noted in the correspondence were permanently established in 2021, prior to Cavan receiving approval as an intern training site.
I have reviewed further the correspondence received on the matter. The number of intern posts nationally currently stands at 879 and all intern training posts have been assigned for the July 2024 intake. It would unfairly disadvantage existing Intern training sites to redistribute posts at this point in the training year. From a workforce planning perspective further increases in the number of intern posts will continue to keep pace with future expansion of training programmes to ensure a sufficient pipeline of trainees for increases in Consultant and GP posts. This has been noted in the External Review of the National Number of Medical Intern Posts (Crowe Report, 2022) and more recently the Final Report of the National Taskforce on the Non-Consultant Hospital Doctor Workforce (2024).
To expand the number of intern training places in future years additional funding will be required by the HSE. I will work with the HSE through future annual estimates processes to support increases in Intern training numbers in line with workforce planning requirements.
1455. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if extra home help hours will be provided to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14648/24]
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.
1456. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if one parent or guardian objects to therapy for a child, if this means that the child is not permitted to see a therapist; if so, if the Minister will consider issuing a guideline similar to the UK's National Health Service, NHS, that is where the consent of only one parent is necessary (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14658/24]
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.
1457. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health if, with regard to the regulation and registration of counsellor and psychotherapy professionals, he will outline the latest position and development, which has been ongoing for many years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14670/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the Health and Social Care Professionals Council and Registration Boards, collectively known as CORU, are responsible for protecting the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct, education, training, and competence amongst the professions designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act (2005).
Each profession designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act has its own independent registration board with statutory responsibility for:
- Establishing and maintaining the register of members for that profession;
- Recognising qualifications gained outside the State;
- Approving and monitoring education and training programmes for entry to the register; and
- Setting the code of professional conduct and ethics giving guidance to professionals on Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
The Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board (CPRB) was established in February 2019. Its membership comprises practitioners, representatives from education and training, and lay members, which ensures there is a broad range of voices and perspectives shaping the design of standards and criteria. The work of the CPRB includes consideration of the titles to be protected and the minimum qualifications to be required of existing practitioners and the qualifications that will be required for future graduates. The work of the CPRB is significantly more challenging than it is for registration boards for some of the more established professions owing to the different and complex pathways into these professions, the variety of titles used, and the variety and number of courses and course providers.
The CPRB undertook an extensive research process to inform the drafting of standards and criteria. This included a review of contemporary evidence-informed academic literature, an examination of comparator international professional standards, and understanding the contemporary practice of the profession in Ireland. Key stakeholders, including the public (through a public consultation process), are also part of the drafting process.
Throughout the course of 2022 and 2023, the CPRB drafted threshold level standards of knowledge, skills and professional behaviour – its Standards of Proficiency – and the systems and processes that education providers must have in place to ensure consistent and effective delivery of graduates who have achieved the Standards of Proficiency - its Criteria for Education and Training Programmes. Two sets of these requirements were drafted: one for counsellors and one for psychotherapists representing the first attempt to establish distinct standards for each profession in Ireland and the first effort to standardise threshold level education and training requirements for entry to each profession.
The public consultation on the draft Standards of Proficiency and Criteria for Education and Training Programmes ran for 12 weeks from 4 September until 1st December 2023. As part of this consultation, the CPRB encouraged feedback from all stakeholders, including members of the professions, education providers, employers, professional and representative bodies, as well as members of the public. The public consultation is the mechanism through which professional bodies, as well as other stakeholders, are given an opportunity to provide their views on the draft standards.
I am informed that the CPRB will consider all submissions very carefully in formalising Standards of Proficiency and Criteria for Education and Training Programmes for the psychotherapy profession. CORU, on behalf of the CPRB, will brief my Department on the outcome of the public consultation in due course.
1458. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health what steps are being taken to expedite the appointment of six shift leaders at the intensive care unit of Mayo University Hospital, in line with the HSE's national clinical programme for adult critical care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14671/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra1459. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the reason Mayo University Hospital currently does not have approval to recruit ICU shift leads, despite the critical role they play in ensuring patient safety, quality of care and safe staffing levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14672/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra1460. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health what measures are being taken to ensure that Mayo University Hospital is not an outlier compared with hospitals in Sligo, Letterkenny, and Galway, which have shift lead staff in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14673/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra1461. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the timeline for resolving the issue relating to the appointment of six shift leaders at the intensive care unit of Mayo University Hospital and ensuring the safe running of its ICU department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14674/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1458 to 1461, inclusive, together.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1462. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health the reason the HSE will not provide specialised footwear to a person (details supplied), in view of the fact that they will be 70 years old in October and the provision of insoles is completely inadequate in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14690/24]
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.
1463. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the long waiting lists to access the HIV preventative drug PrEP for those who cannot afford to obtain it privately or via the drug payment scheme; if there are plans to improve public access; if so, if he will outline these plans and provide a timeframe for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14691/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland established a national HIV PrEP programme in November 2019, following a HIQA HTA, which concluded that the introduction of HIV PrEP would be safe, effective and cost saving. The HTA also found that significant investment in public STI services was required to implement PrEP and €5.4 million was set aside in Budget 2020 to roll out a national HIV PrEP programme, managed by the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme (SHCPP).
At present, there are 13 public PrEP clinics in Ireland, four of which are located in Dublin, and 16 private/GP providers who are approved to prescribe PrEP, 15 of which are located in Dublin. Dispensing PrEP is free of charge, as are appointments at the public clinics, however, attendance at the private providers is subject to consultation charges.
Since the PrEP programme commenced in November, 2019, significant progress has been made in PrEP roll-out across Ireland. However, this occurred at a time of unprecedented challenges for the health service - the pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic on access to clinical services, coupled with the effects of necessary Covid-19 restrictions on people's social interactions. This made it difficult to assess whether capacity would meet demand under normal circumstances, between 2020 and 2022.
Furthermore, in line with international trends, the eligibility criteria for PrEP have recently been revised to include anticipated risk of HIV infection. This has increased the overall numbers of individuals meeting the criteria for inclusion in the PrEP programme.
The relaxation of most Covid-19 restrictions, following the successful national vaccination campaign, has, in 2022-2023, permitted assessments that additional resources are required to meet additional demand, build capacity and invest in monitoring, evaluation and research to ensure that the PrEP programme in Ireland is reaching those in need, responsive to changing need and at the cutting edge of international PrEP programme delivery.
The HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme have put a number of additional measures in place to support the PrEP Programme, including updating the clinical PrEP Guidelines and approval processes and providing an e-learning module to enable greater access to the PrEP programme through GPs, allowing stable patients to undertake routine STI testing through the new home STI testing service, and working with other areas of the HSE to enable efficient data collection and identify resources to improve capacity.
Both my Department and the HSE SHCPP have identified monitoring and evaluation of the PrEP programme as a priority area of work, building on that which has been undertaken to date. Through Budget 2024, an additional €600,000 has been allocated to support the PrEP programme this year. A further €720,000 will support increased demand for home STI testing, which is being used in conjunction with the PrEP scheme as noted above.
Development of the new National Sexual Health Strategy 2023 – 2030 is currently underway; capacity for PrEP during this longer time period will be further examined as part of the policy development process leading to the new NSHS.
1464. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health to review a case (details supplied); if he will provide an update on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14698/24]
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.
1465. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will consider the appointment of a consultant neurologist in Bantry Hospital; and if so, the estimated timeline for this appointment. [14701/24]
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.
1466. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the issues faced by Bantry Hospital in regard to its neurological services (details supplied); and to outline the measures he and his Department are taking to ensure reliable neurological services are provided to West Cork. [14702/24]
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.
1467. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health when the HSE will publish its 2024 capital plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14704/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Capital Plan is an annual document that sets out the planned Health infrastructure investment within a given year.
Under the Health Act 2004, the HSE is required to prepare, and submit for approval, an annual Capital Plan. The annual Capital Plan must be submitted following receipt of the ‘Letter of Determination’, which details the maximum amount of funding made available to the HSE in that year for investment in health capital infrastructure.
The number and cost of projects competing for inclusion in the annual Capital Plan invariably exceeds the funding available. It is necessary for the HSE to conduct a prioritisation exercise to determine which projects can be funded in any given year.
The HSE have developed detailed and robust systems and procedures to appraise, manage and deliver infrastructure projects required for the provision of health services. These are aligned to the Infrastructure Guidelines which superseded the Public Spending Code.
The Capital Plan 2024 has been submitted to me for review and approval in my capacity as Minister for Health. Once approved, Capital Plan 2024 will be published over the coming weeks in line with established procedures.
1468. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if the NTPF has set out an activity plan for 2024 setting out the outpatient appointments, inpatient procedures and diagnostic evaluations and scopes that will be carried out in the course of the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14708/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) has been allocated a total budget of €179 million for 2024.
With this budget the NTPF aims to deliver 110,000 Outpatient appointments, 35,000 Inpatient/Daycase procedures, 18,500 GI Scopes and will authorise 70,000 diagnostic evaluations (EDANS).
1469. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the reason a person who was previously diagnosed with type 2 diabetes but is now diagnosed with type 1 diabetes cannot receive a continuous glucose monitor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14710/24]
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.
1470. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the additional development funding allocated to each of the national clinical programmes in mental health in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14743/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have secured additional funding of €10m for mental health services in the revised Estimates process, with details of additional allocations to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
1471. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health if the mother-and-baby inpatient perinatal mental health unit will be in place in quarter 4 of 2024, as outlined in Sharing the Vision Implementation Plan; when it is expected to open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14744/24]
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.
1472. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health if he will outline an itemised list of funding allocated to mental health services in the voluntary and community sector, both section 38 and section 39 organisations, in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14745/24]
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.
1473. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the status of the Sharing the Vision Implementation Plan; which of the 100 recommendations are delayed and the reasons for those delays, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14746/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraSharing the Vision – A Mental Health Policy for Everyone, Ireland’s national mental health policy, aims to enhance the provision of mental health services and supports across a broad continuum, from mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention to acute and specialist mental health service delivery, during the period 2020-2030.
The implementation of Sharing the Vision is overseen by the National Implementation and Monitoring Committee (NIMC), independently chaired by Ms Catherine Brogan, which is collectively responsible for driving and overseeing the long-term implementation of the policy.
The current Implementation Plan for Sharing the Vision was developed under the oversight of the NIMC to guide the implementation of the policy's 100 recommendations during the period of 2022-2024, and will be completed by the end of 2024. A key task for the NIMC in 2024 is the development of its successor plan (2025- 2027).
The development of the next Implementation Plan will be informed by learnings from the first implementation cycle, as well as incorporating implementation science expertise and taking into account on-going and future developments relevant to the delivery of mental health services, including the regional restructuring of the Health Service Executive (HSE), whole-of-government, whole-of-system cooperation, recruitment and budget considerations, and the wider policy landscape and interdependencies across other government Departments in respect of Sharing the Vision.
Another priority for the NIMC in 2024 is the delivery of short-term recommendations according to the current Implementation Plan. The development of the next Implementation Plan (2025-2027) will be informed by the progression of all recommendations over the coming year. Regular Implementation Status Reports for Sharing the Vision, along with the NIMC's Analysis documents, are published on the NIMC webpage on the Department of Health's website.
As of the latest published Implementation Status report, relating to end-Q4 2023, 79 of Sharing the Vision's 100 recommendations are marked as "on track" or with "minor delivery issue". 18 are marked "paused", "not started yet" or with "major delivery issue". 3 recommendations are marked as "completed". Details on the status of each of these recommendations, including mitigations of risks, delays and delivery issues, etc. are published in the Sharing the Vision Policy Implementation Status Reports and associated NIMC Analysis documents on the Department of Health website, here:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/8f821-national-implementation-and-monitoring-committee-steering-committee/#sharing-the-vision-reports.
1474. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health the status of the case of a child (details supplied) who, having been referred by his or her GP in February 2023 to the paediatric clinic at University Hospital Limerick, is yet to receive an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14747/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In 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.
1475. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if the HSE collects data on the incidence rate at national or CHO area level of women who obtained a medical abortion and who were subsequently found to have had an ectopic pregnancy; if so, will he seek to provide that data for the years 2019 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14749/24]
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.
1476. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health to review correspondence (details supplied); the status of this appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14755/24]
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.
1477. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if the case of a person (detail supplied) will be reviewed; if advice will be provided regarding the person's condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14756/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
