David Cullinane
Question:351. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the cost of fully implementing the stroke strategy; the amount allocated to the strategy to date. [30361/24]
View answerWednesday, 10 July 2024
Questions (351)
Written answers
The HSE National Stroke Strategy 2022-2027 aims to modernise and reform stroke services in line with Sláintecare policy and address the challenges facing Ireland from population ageing and the predicted increase in the total number of strokes right across Europe, including Ireland. The strategy provides a blueprint for required investment in stroke services over the five-year period from 2022-2027 and is based on a required overall investment of approximately €36m.
The government is fully committed to supporting improvements and advances in stroke services and has allocated a total of €7.3m to fund the HSE National Stroke Strategy over the last two Budgets which comprises of:
• 2024 Existing Levels of Service (ELS) recurring funding of €3.7m which was allocated for the extension of the GP contract to include primary care-delivered case finding and treatment strategy for Hypertension in over 45-year-olds.
• This was in addition to the €3.6m recurring funding that was allocated in new service developments (NSD) in 2023.
• Separately, in 2023, funding was allocated from existing HSE pay budgets for the recruitment of 24.9 to further the implementation of the strategy. To date 12 WTEs have been recruited.
The funding allocated to the National Stroke Strategy to date has enabled significant new developments such as:
• the expansion of the GP contract to include opportunistic screening of hypertension (a significant risk factor for stroke). This contract is in place and GPs commenced the service in Q1 2024.
• the recruitment of 11.5 posts to support acute stroke units, endovascular thrombectomy centres and has enabled the expansion of ESD teams in the community from 6 to 11 teams (target is 21 ESD teams nationally).
• funding also contributed towards a public awareness campaign to highlight the signs of stroke which we know saves lives and I understand this is on target to launch in Q4 of 2024.
I remain fully committed to making further progress on implementing the stroke strategy and will continue to work with the HSE to ensure its successful implementation to further reduce mortality from stroke, as well as supporting survivors of stroke to live as independently as possible in their communities.