The Model of Care (MOC) for Paediatric Health Care Services was approved and published by the HSE in 2016; it strongly advocates for an integrated networked structure of healthcare services for children and young people supporting the delivery of care as close to a child’s home as is safely possible, aligned with Sláintecare. The new National Children’s Hospital Ireland (NCHI) is a key enabler of this Model of Care, acting as the hub of the national network of paediatric services, with robust links to regional and local paediatric acute units to deliver acute paediatric care close to home for children where clinically appropriate. In addition to the NCHI, regional paediatric care is available from three centres at Galway, Limerick, and Cork, and local paediatric care is available from 14 units around the country. As the Deputy will be aware and as set out in the Programme for Government 2025, this Government is committed to ensuring a transgender healthcare service that is based on clinical evidence, respect, inclusiveness and compassion. It is in this context that my Department has provided funding to the HSE in 2024, 2025 and this year for the establishment and development of the National Clinical Programme for Gender Healthcare. This programme is developing an updated clinical Model of Care with the aim of designing clinical pathways to deliver safe and effective health and social care for those seeking gender affirming healthcare services. This work will also inform an implementation plan for its delivery. The HSE National Clinical Programme for Gender Healthcare will include a clinical framework for the clinical support and management of children and young people in primary, secondary and specialist care settings, and matters such as the collection of clinical data will be considered in the development of this model of care. Additionally, the updated model of care will inform the design and use of datasets and best outcome measures. Developing a model of care for Gender Healthcare Services is a complex process and the HSE and my department are working closely together to support the process, ensure transparency and keep the patient at the centre of the process. It is important that the HSE is given time to develop a model of care that is based on the best clinical evidence and that will deliver the best outcomes for persons with gender incongruence or dysphoria. It is the Model of Care that will ultimately make recommendations on the delivery of gender healthcare services in the HSE, for both adults and young people. It is not possible to pre-empt the outcome of this process by determining at this stage what this model of care will look like once developed.
