Written Answers Nos. 1593-1607
1593. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 493 of 9 April 2024, if the processing of the T1 form submitted to the HSE will be expedited in order to facilitate pension entitlement transfer for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33895/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE has been asked to respond directly to the Deputy.
1594. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has been waiting a long time for their full care package; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33897/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1595. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has been waiting a long time for their full care package; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33898/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1596. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when a chair will be provided for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33905/24]
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.
1597. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health the progress that has been made by the HSE in assessing ravulizumab for treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria and atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33912/24]
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.
1598. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health the accelerated processes the HSE operates for the pricing and reimbursement of medicines that can deliver immediate savings to the health service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33913/24]
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.
1599. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the proposed development timelines to the provision of a new surgical hub at University Hospital Waterford (details supplied); his Department’s target end date for the award of a construction tender for this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33917/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE, as Sponsoring Agency with day-to-day responsibility for the provision of a new surgical hub at University Hospital Waterford to respond to you directly in relation to the matters raised.
1600. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the status of the appointment of two consultant emergency positions recommended by the HIQA report of acute hospital activity at UHW in 2022; the reason for the ongoing delay to progress these positions; the reason note of these two positions approval cannot be found in the terms of the Consultant Applications Advisory Committee; if he is aware of the continuing lack of WTE emergency consultants at UHW being presently six WTEs as opposed to the staffing levels at all other model 4 hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33918/24]
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.
1601. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if the Taoiseach has been in communication with him on an issue (details supplied); if he has conferred with the lead person in relation to same; if he is aware that service expansion which was recommended by the national lead at this hospital for stroke services has been refused budget approval for the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33919/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government committed to the delivery of a second Cath Lab in University Hospital Waterford. The second Cath Lab opened in September 2023 and operates 5 days per week, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. 24 WTEs were provided to open the second Cath Lab. The hospital uses a combination of day beds and recovery spaces for the operation of the second Cath Lab. The medium to long term options for recovery beds being discussed with HSE Estates involve the relocation of the on-call residence and refurbishment of this area. The opening hours for the first Cath Lab were extended to 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) in Sept 2022.
22 WTE have been approved for inclusion in the HSE’s Pay and Numbers Strategy as part of 1,850 New Development posts for 2024 agreed by the Minister with the HSE. Instructions to recruit the 1,850 new posts have issued to the HSE and the recruitment process is currently underway. This is now an administrative matter for the HSE. The HSE have advised that UHW is currently working through a previously submitted Business Case with Acute Operations with a view to progressing same to facilitate an expansion of cardiac services to a 7-day emergency service at UHW Cardiac Cath Lab.
In relation to Stroke Services at UHW which you raised with the Taoiseach during Questions for Promised Legislation in June this year, there have been significant improvements in stroke care since the establishment of the HSE National Clinical Programme (NCP) for Stroke in 2010, including:
• a reduction in annual number of strokes by about 25% from 10,000 to 7,500
• the number of acute stroke units increasing from 1 to 22 units
• thrombolysis therapy rates increasing from 1 to 11%
• thrombectomy rates increasing from 0 to 9% making Ireland one of the European leaders in that area.
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.
The HSE’s Stroke Strategy (2022-2027) was developed to build upon the significant achievements already made in stroke care and to address the burden of stroke at a patient, organisational and system level with a clear direction for stroke care in Ireland in line with international standards. The strategy will assist in addressing the challenges faced in Ireland and Europe including the predicted increase in the total number of strokes over the coming decade, an ageing demography, and the rapidly changing milieu of acute stroke treatment.
The overall aim of the Strategy is to modernise and reform stroke services in line with Sláintecare policy, to help sustain and improve upon the significant achievements already made to date. The Strategy provides a blueprint for the required investment over a 5-year timeline (2022-2027) to deliver on key priorities under the pillars of Stroke Prevention, Acute Care and Cure, Rehabilitation and Restoration to Life, and Education and Research.
The successful implementation of the strategy will lead to improved outcomes including reduced death and disability, reduced hospital length of stay, more patients living independently at home with better quality of life after stroke with reduced need for institutional care.
Acute Specialist Stroke Units (ASU), staffed with a stroke specialist multi-disciplinary team, are the single most effective intervention in delivering improved outcomes for patients presenting with a potential stroke.
All patients presenting with a potential stroke should be managed in an ASU in accordance with the National Stroke Strategy, International stroke guidance, and evidence-based practice.
Admission to an ASU result in the best outcomes for patients as well as value for money to institutions when implemented fully. Currently University Hospital Waterford has 5 dedicated ASU beds with 2 single side rooms.
In respect of UHW the following was data recorded in the reporting table of latest Irish National Audit of Stroke (INAS) Report 2022 . The report analysed 4,999 cases of Stroke in Ireland in 2022.
• 176 patients were admitted to UHW with a stroke representing 3.5% of the total cases analysed
• 60% of admissions were admitted to a stroke unit
• 66% of patient time was spent in a stroke unit compared with 68% nationally
It is important to note that the above metrics are National Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which are used by the both the HSE and Department of Health to measure the performance of stroke services nationally.
A gap analysis of stroke unit beds has been undertaken and is reported within the HSE’s National Stroke Strategy 2022-2027. This gap analysis looked at the existing number of designated stroke unit beds (210 beds) and what would be needed over the next five years using a calculation based on the proportional growth in the over 65-year-old population.
Based on this calculation, a further 117 acute stroke unit bed designations were reported to be required to meet the KQIs of 90% of patients with a stroke admitted to a stroke unit and for those patients with a stroke who were admitted to a stroke unit that 90% of their total hospital stay is spent in a stroke unit.
The HSE will endeavour to bring all services up to recommended capacity over the lifetime of the strategy by a graduated incremental scale up process, as outlined in Appendix 3 of the strategy.
1602. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the total number of additional positions that University Hospital Waterford will be awarded authority to recruit or replace as part of the proposed service expansion allowed, outside of staffing (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33920/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
1603. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health the status of a medical card application by a person (details supplied). [33923/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
1604. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health if he has considered extending the CNM2 salary scale by one further scale point and the introduction of a long-service increment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33926/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFirstly, I would like to acknowledge the very important part that Clinical Nurse and Midwife Managers play in our health sector. They have a key role in the effective coordination of care for patients in our Health Service.
Recent increases applied to the Clinical Nurse/ Midwife Manager 2 (CNM2/CMM2) scale were the result of the implementation of recommendation 45 of the Expert Review Body (ERB) on Nursing and Midwifery.
Recommendation 45 set out that the Clinical Nurse Manager 2 and Clinical Midwife Manager 2 pay scale would be extended by an additional scale point, making point 10 the new maximum of the scale. The scale would also gain a Long Service Increment at point 11.
As part of the new Public Service Agreement 2024-2026, it was agreed that ERB recommendation 45, as set out in Labour Court Recommendation, LCR22828, would be implemented with effect from 1 January 2024.
Circular 2/2024 has been issued by the Department of Health, sanctioning the implementation of this pay change from 1 January 2024.
1605. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if a response will issue to concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33928/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraRegistered providers of nursing home care are obliged to provide an accessible and effective complaints procedure. Concerns about additional charges should in the first instance be taken up with the nursing home provider. Where an individual is not satisfied with the response they receive, they may wish to take their complaint further by seeking a review from the Office of the Ombudsman. The Office of the Ombudsman can examine complaints about the actions of a range of public bodies and, from 24 August 2015, complaints relating to the administrative actions of private nursing homes. The Office of the Ombudsman normally only deals with a complaint once the individual has already gone through the complaint’s procedure of the private nursing home concerned.
The Ombudsman can be contacted as follows:
Office of the Ombudsman
6 Earlsfort Terrace
Dublin 2
D02 W773
Tel. (01) 639 5600 / Lo-call (1890) 22 30 30
e-mail at ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie
An individual can also use the following website to make a complaint to office of the Ombudsman at the ‘Make A Complaint’ portal on www.ombudsman.ie.
Part 7 of the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 stipulates that the registered provider of the nursing home must agree a contract in writing with each resident on their admission to the nursing home. This contract must include details of the services to be provided to that resident and the fees to be charged. Residents should never be charged fees which are not set out in the contract. The Department of Health and the HSE are not a party to such contracts which are concluded between each resident and their nursing home.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is an independent statutory body with a dual mandate to enforce competition and consumer protection law in Ireland. CCPC’s mission is to promote competition and enhance consumer welfare. The CCPC has published consumer protection guidelines for contracts of care in long-term residential care services for older people. The guidelines set out the obligations and responsibilities that providers must adhere to under consumer protection law and are aimed at providing greater transparency, clarity and certainty for consumers. The guidelines can be found on the website: www.ccpc.ie/business/help-for-business/guidelines-for-business/nursing-home-guidelines/
The issue of additional charges is multifaceted; there are a number of separate factors driving this issue. The Department of Health is currently reviewing the available evidence and potential actions to address the different factors are being considered.
1606. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 620 of 23 January 2024, when a person (details supplied) will have a date for cataract surgery assigned. [33931/24]
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.
1607. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of job vacancies present in CAMHS in November 2023, if all of these vacancies are to be filled; the CAMHS staffing levels of today versus November; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33933/24]
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.
