Written Answers Nos. 1912-1929
1912. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the reason for delays in tonsillectomy for a child (details supplied) whose health is severely compromised due to the wait for this routine procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35796/24]
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.
1913. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the progress in extending the LIU hours in each CHO, in particular CHO3, as they are the most pressured CHO in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35797/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
1914. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the means by which a pregnant person (details supplied) is supposed to avail of sufficient maternity care if no local GPs are willing to take her on as a patient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35798/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraGPs are private practitioners, most of whom hold a GMS contract with the HSE for the provision of GP services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders.
Where a person who holds a medical card or GP visit card, experiences difficulty in finding a GP to accept them as a patient, that person having unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in the area (or fewer if there are fewer GPs in the area) can apply to the HSE National Medical Card Unit which has the power to assign a GMS patient to a GP's GMS patient list in accordance with the GMS contract.
People who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis and can make enquiries directly to any GP practice they wish to register with. As private practitioners, it is a matter for each individual GP to decide whether to accept additional private patients. Where a GP practice has a full list of patients and cannot take on new patients, patients should contact other GP practices in the surrounding areas.
It is worth noting that eligibility for a GP visit card was extended last year to all those who earn up to the median household income, which has greatly increased the number of persons eligible for a GP visit card. The qualifying threshold calculation takes into consideration the applicant’s particular expenses and the number of dependents as well as their income, allowing for those who have a higher income but also experience high expenses to potentially qualify for a card.
Medical services during pregnancy are provided under the Maternity and Infant Scheme. The Maternity and Infant Care Scheme provides an agreed programme of care to expectant mothers ordinarily resident in Ireland. This combined medical service is provided by the family GP and a maternity unit/hospital and includes a schedule of alternating examinations at the GP’s practice and a maternity unit/hospital, as well as two post-natal visits. Where a person does not have a GP, they may contact their local maternity unit directly for an appointment.
1915. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the income thresholds which now apply for the medical card and for the GP-only card; the current level of population eligible for each scheme; and the way the level of take-up has changed over the past twelve months due to the relaxed eligibility conditions. [35842/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraEligibility for a medical card is primarily based on a financial assessment which is conducted by the HSE in accordance with the Health Act 1970. The HSE assesses each medical card application on a qualifying financial threshold. This is the amount of money that an individual can earn a week and still qualify for a card. It is specific to the individual’s own financial circumstances.
Persons under 70 are assessed under the general means tested medical card thresholds which are based on an applicant’s household income after tax and the deduction of PRSI and the Universal Social Charge. Certain expenses are also taken into account. Examples of allowable expenses include rent, mortgage, certain insurance costs, childcare, maintenance, nursing home net costs which help to increase the amount a person can earn and still qualify for a medical card. Detailed guidelines are available from the HSE website.
Persons aged 70 or older are assessed under medical card income thresholds which are based on gross income. The weekly gross medical card income thresholds for people aged 70 and over are currently €550 per week for a single person and €1050 for a couple.
The current medical card thresholds for those under 70 are outlined below by cohort:
• Single person living alone under 66 - € 184.00
• Single person living alone 66-69 - € 201.50
• Single person living with family under 66 - € 164.00
• Single person living with family 66-69 - € 173.50
• Couple, married/cohabiting/civil partners, one parent family under 66 - € 266.50
• Couple, married/cohabiting/civil partners, one parent family 66-69 - € 298.00
Under the GP Agreement 2023, GP visit card was extended from all children under 6 years to all children under 8 years of age from August last year, and to those who earn up to the median household income fully from November last year. These expansions were estimated to provide eligibility to approximately an additional 500,000 people.
All children under 8 years of age and persons aged 70 years and over are eligible for a GP visit card on the basis of their age.
Following the median household income expansion, the current basic rates which are used in determining an individual's qualifying weekly financial threshold for eligibility for a GP visit card are:
• Single person living alone aged up to 69: €418
• Single person living with family: €373
• Married or co-habiting couple with or without dependents: €607
• Lone parent: €607
An individual’s qualifying financial threshold is calculated by adding together three factors, the appropriate basic rate, an amount allocated for each dependent, and an amount allocated for allowable expenses (for example, rent, mortgage payments, and childcare costs).
To be eligible for a means-tested GP visit card the applicant’s weekly net income must be below their qualifying financial threshold. The qualifying threshold calculation takes into consideration the applicant’s particular expenses as well as their income, allowing for those who have a higher income but also experience high expenses to potentially qualify. This method helps to ensure that those with the least means to pay for GP services are eligible for GP care without charges.
As of the 1st of August, 1,580,666 persons hold a medical card and 690,863 persons hold a GP visit card, which means that 43% of the population have access to GP services without charge. It is not possible to calculate the current number of persons eligible for either card. However, as all persons under 8 years of age, all those aged 70 and over, and all those earning up to the median household income are eligible for a GP visit card, over half the population are eligible for GP care without charges.
Uptake of eligibility for children aged 6 and 7 has been very strong, although uptake under the median income expansion has been lower than expected. A new public information campaign to encourage to encourage GP visit card uptake is being prepared and is to commence shortly. In total, there are approximately 138,000 more GP visit card holders as of August this year than in August 2023 prior to the commencement of both expansions.
1916. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he has plans to extend the age range of children eligible for free GP services; if so, when the next age tranche might become eligible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35844/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health (General Practitioner Service and Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Act 2020 provides a legal basis for the extension of GP visit card eligibility for those up to the age of 12 years inclusive in three phases; 6 and 7; 8 and 9, and 10 to 12 years of age.
The GP Agreement 2023 extended GP visit card eligibility from all children under 6 years to all children under 8 years of age from August last year. The Agreement also extended GP visit card eligibility to those who earn up to the median household income fully from November last year. These expansions were estimated to provide eligibility to approximately an additional 500,000 people, including a significant number of children aged from 8 to 17 years.
The GP Agreement 2023 includes a commitment that no further eligibility extensions will be introduced by the current Government, other than by agreement with the IMO and in the context of a new agreed contractual framework, or other than specific expansions that may be considered necessary for the delivery of health care to certain small groups of persons.
1917. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the categories of procedure for which the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) have intervened to deal with those waiting an excessively long time; the number of such procedures organised in each category over the past twelve months; and if patients can initiate a request for intervention with the NTPF or whether it is only arranged at the initiative of the hospital or of the NTPF itself. [35845/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) procures capacity across a range of high-volume procedures in order to positively impact waiting times for patients. Such procedures may be procured in both private hospitals (outsourcing), or public hospitals (insourcing).
The table below shows details of treatments arranged through the NTPF for Outpatients, Inpatient & Daycase (IPDC), and GI Scopes in 2023 and to the end of August in 2024.
|
Treatments Arranged |
2023 |
2024 (End August) |
|
Outpatients |
101,938 |
71,854 |
|
IPDC |
34,538 |
25,704 |
|
GI Scopes |
19,564 |
16,691 |
The NTPF works with public hospitals, as opposed to with patients directly, to offer and provide the funding for treatment to clinically suitable long waiting patients who are on an Inpatient/Daycase or Outpatient waiting list. There is good clinical governance and oversight under the current NTPF model of arranging treatment, with the NTPF having oversight of the patient stage of the patient pathway and able to intervene if a patient experiences undue delays.
The key criteria of the NTPF is the prioritisation of the longest waiting patients first. While the NTPF identifies patients eligible for NTPF treatment, it is solely on the basis of their time spent on the Inpatient/Daycase Waiting List. The clinical suitability of the patient to avail of NTPF funded treatment is determined by the public hospital. The availability of capacity for the specific procedure required by the patient is a factor in the selection of treatment provider, as well as the ability and willingness of the patient to travel to another hospital to avail of treatment. The public hospital will also advise if a patient has complex clinical needs and appropriate arrangements can be made to fit the patient profile to the appropriately skilled provider.
1918. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health how the level of reimbursement is set for persons who are referred by medical practitioners for care outside Ireland for different procedures; and whether a schedule of permitted refunds is published. [35846/24]
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.
1919. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the charges that remain in place for public patients attending public hospitals; and the situations in which an exemption for such charges is permitted. [35847/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health (Amendment) Act 2023, signed into law by the President on 4 April 2023, removes the acute public in-patient charge of €80 per day for people accessing care as a public patient in public hospitals. This measure came into effect from 17 April 2023.
The Health (Out-Patient Charges) Regulations 2019 provides that, subject to certain exemptions, a charge shall be made for out-patient services provided at designated centres including an emergency department (€100) and a minor injury unit (€75). These exemptions include a person with a medical card, a person who has a letter of referral from a registered medical practitioner and a person whose attendance results in admission as an in-patient.
1920. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the number of persons reached and care hours provided per person by the pilot home care support scheme, in tabular form; whether he has estimated the likely additional cost and additional man-hour capacity that would be needed to extend the scheme beyond the present pilot areas; and if he will outline the Department’s plans to gradually move to make this a universal statutory scheme. [35848/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government commits to a statutory scheme based on high-quality, regulated home care. It is clear, therefore, that the first step towards any scheme is to ensure that home care is regulated and that there are quality standards in place that services can be inspected against. It is essential that no matter where or how care is provided, everyone can be assured that their provider meets minimum standards of quality, safeguarding and governance.
My Department is progressing the development of a regulatory framework for home support providers. This will consist of primary legislation for the licensing of providers, secondary legislation in the form of regulation, which set out minimum requirements, and HIQA national quality standards.
The Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024 General Scheme was approved by Government in May and has been published on the Department of Health website along with the Regulatory Impact Analysis. The Joint Committee for Health began pre-legislative scrutiny (PLS) of the general scheme in June 2024 and my officials attended. The Department looks forward to reviewing any recommendations included in the Committee’s PLS report. The General Scheme has now been referred to the Office of Parliamentary Counsel for final drafting.
In the meantime, the Department has developed draft Regulations in anticipation of the enactment of this legislation. There has been extensive consultation on these Regulations, including public consultation. HIQA has also begun work on drafting standards for home support providers, which will go out for public consultation in 2024.
The point has been made that the delivery of regulated home care is not the same as the delivery of a statutory scheme. I agree with this, however we cannot have a statutory scheme without a regulated system of care. Fair Deal took many years to develop, and this was in the context of improving the fairness of existing systems that related to a sector that was well-known at the time. The home support sector is very different; it has never been subject to any kind of scheme or to the kind of oversight and regulation we are looking at now.
Strategic Workforce Advisory Group
Addressing the shortage of care workers in Ireland is an urgent priority. There can be no significant reform of the home support if we do not have the carers to deliver it. In March 2022, I established a cross-departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group. It set out to examine the challenges in frontline carer roles in the home support and long-term residential care sectors and its report contained 16 recommendations to address the challenges.
A cross departmental group is charged with implementation of the 16 recommendations, chaired by the Department of Health. Significant reform has been delivered. A new HSE home support tender has been in place since August ‘23. This delivers on commitments for sectoral reform such as payment for travel time for home support providers, paying carers the National Living Wage at a minimum, and bringing legacy rates in line with the new revised rates of funding. Recommendation number 9 is fully implemented. The statutory instrument authorising the issuance of 1,000 employment permits for homecare workers was signed on 16 December 2022. 917 permits have been issued to June 2024.
The implementation group meets quarterly and publishes progress reports thereafter. The implementation group met for the fifth time in July 2024 and a progress update will be published shortly.
The examination of future funding options for home support services
How home support will be funded in the future will be an essential factor of the new Statutory Scheme. Currently, home support services are fully exchequer funded. The Department is researching different funding models which will form an important part of the evidence base for the development of a sustainable funding model for home care services and has commissioned several reports from the ESRI and the European Observatory on Health Systems. This research is being examined, as it forms an important part of the evidence base for the development of a sustainable funding model for home support services in the context of our ageing population. It is important to note that no decision on future funding options has been made and further research is underway. I am on record as saying that I am not minded to charge for home support and that remains my position.
I have asked my officials to examine and report to me on options in relation to a statutory scheme, including consideration of how any such scheme might be financed, which might include equity release among other approaches.
I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy regarding the number of persons reached and care hours provided per person by the pilot homecare support scheme, in tabular form; and the likely additional cost and additional man hour capacity which would be needed to extend the scheme beyond the present pilot areas.
1921. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the reason for the lack of a dedicated/funded physiotherapy or occupational therapy post to acute stroke in University Hospital Waterford (UHW) (details supplied); the additional resourcing that is available to the UHW stroke unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35885/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe government and I as Minister for Health are fully committed to supporting improvements and advances in stroke services and have allocated a total of €7.3m to fund the HSE National Stroke Strategy over the last two Budgets.
The Strategy 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 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.
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. University Hospital Waterford has 5 dedicated ASU beds with 2 single side rooms. Current stroke dedicated staffing includes 1 WTE Stroke Clinical Specialist and an unfilled 1 WTE Speech and Language therapist. The medical, nursing, health and social care professional input is via the UHW complement which has been in place since before 2011.
Considerable investment has been provided to the UHW. Staffing at the hospital has grown by 865 since the end of December 2019 – from 1,949 to 2,814 at the end of July 2024. That represents an increase in staffing of 44.4% - 49 more consultants, 107 more non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs), 381 more nurses and midwives, as well as 120 more health and social care professionals.
In 2019, University Hospital Waterford had a budget of €201 million. In 2024, the budget is more than €290 million, meaning its budget has grown by €89 million – that’s a 44% increase - in just 5 years.
1922. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the cost of the new women’s health building in front of Austin Stack Park, Tralee; if it is correct that further works need to be carried out to ensure that the building is fire compliant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35886/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of the public healthcare property estate, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to you in relation to this matter.
1923. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in providing the agreed funding to an organisation (detail supplied); the rationale for waiting until services had to be suspended before providing the agreed funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35887/24]
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.
1924. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been brought to a report into the experiences and needs of caregivers of people living with FASD in Ireland (details supplied); his views on the findings regarding supports; the steps he is taking to address the inadequacies identified in the provision of supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35888/24]
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.
1925. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health how the director of psychology role fits into the overall governance structure of the regional health areas; to outline how the development of the post was decided upon and by whom within the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35889/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraHealth Regions, each led by a Regional Executive Officer (REO), are new HSE structures which now have responsibility for the planning and coordinated delivery of health and social care services for their respective populations.
Each Health Region will have an Executive Management Team (EMT) led by the REO. The EMTs are critical structures for each Region. They will provide the governance and organisational arrangements to enable the planning, management, and delivery of integrated care for people and for communities across their region. Their structure must facilitate clear lines of governance, represent an appropriate span of control for the REO, and ensure that services and staff can benefit from swift and accountable decision making. The structure for these teams has now been agreed and phased recruitment is underway.
Officials from my Department and the HSE considered several combinations for the clinical functions on the EMTs. The approved model was for a single discipline neutral clinical leadership role to sit on the Executive Management Team on the basis that this would provide for clarity of governance and support the delivery of integrated care. However, it was recognised that this might take time to achieve. The HSE CEO therefore decided to have a Regional Clinical Director and an Executive Nurse/Midwife on the Executive as an interim measure and to prepare to transfer to a single, discipline neutral, Clinical Officer over a three year period.
The clinical roles which sit on the Health Region EMT do not exist to represent their professions. Rather, they hold executive accountability for a portfolio of work, which includes collaboration and coordination across professions. This is the best way of delivering integrated care in the interests of patients and service users and breaking down professional silos.
Beyond these EMT positions, the HSE are finalising a regional clinical governance model. Each region will have a regional Clinical Executive consisting of a lead from: Population & Public Health; Medical, Executive Nurse/Midwife, Health & Social Care Professionals, General Practice, Chief Academic Officer, and Quality & Patient Safety. Regions will also develop networks of care, which provide a single governance apex and common design to ensure consistency across the system in standards of practice and service models for defined specialties. It has also been agreed that each REO will also have a regional HSCP advisor who reports directly to them.
The agreed structure does not include a role of Director of Psychology on Regional EMTs. The grade of Director of Psychology has existed in the public health service for more than three decades. It is categorised as a Health and Social Professionals grade. The HSE has delegated sanction to fill posts in any pre-existing grade without needing to seek specific sanction from the Department of Health, once the appointment of a person to any pre-existing grade is within the parameters of the HSE’s Pay & Numbers Strategy. Recruitment for Clinical roles are a matter for the HSE and the Department of Health would not normally be consulted for roles of this nature.
I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputies in relation to the additional queries raised concerning the Director of Psychology post in the HSE South West Health Region.
1928. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if the recently advertised director of psychology post is being developed in the south-west regional health area in response to the waiting-list crisis in primary care psychology services locally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35892/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraHealth Regions, each led by a Regional Executive Officer (REO), are new HSE structures which now have responsibility for the planning and coordinated delivery of health and social care services for their respective populations.
Each Health Region will have an Executive Management Team (EMT) led by the REO. The EMTs are critical structures for each Region. They will provide the governance and organisational arrangements to enable the planning, management, and delivery of integrated care for people and for communities across their region. Their structure must facilitate clear lines of governance, represent an appropriate span of control for the REO, and ensure that services and staff can benefit from swift and accountable decision making. The structure for these teams has now been agreed and phased recruitment is underway.
Officials from my Department and the HSE considered several combinations for the clinical functions on the EMTs. The approved model was for a single discipline neutral clinical leadership role to sit on the Executive Management Team on the basis that this would provide for clarity of governance and support the delivery of integrated care. However, it was recognised that this might take time to achieve. The HSE CEO therefore decided to have a Regional Clinical Director and an Executive Nurse/Midwife on the Executive as an interim measure and to prepare to transfer to a single, discipline neutral, Clinical Officer over a three year period.
The clinical roles which sit on the Health Region EMT do not exist to represent their professions. Rather, they hold executive accountability for a portfolio of work, which includes collaboration and coordination across professions. This is the best way of delivering integrated care in the interests of patients and service users and breaking down professional silos.
Beyond these EMT positions, the HSE are finalising a regional clinical governance model. Each region will have a regional Clinical Executive consisting of a lead from: Population & Public Health; Medical, Executive Nurse/Midwife, Health & Social Care Professionals, General Practice, Chief Academic Officer, and Quality & Patient Safety. Regions will also develop networks of care, which provide a single governance apex and common design to ensure consistency across the system in standards of practice and service models for defined specialties. It has also been agreed that each REO will also have a regional HSCP advisor who reports directly to them.
The agreed structure does not include a role of Director of Psychology on Regional EMTs. The grade of Director of Psychology has existed in the public health service for more than three decades. It is categorised as a Health and Social Professionals grade. The HSE has delegated sanction to fill posts in any pre-existing grade without needing to seek specific sanction from the Department of Health, once the appointment of a person to any pre-existing grade is within the parameters of the HSE’s Pay & Numbers Strategy. Recruitment for Clinical roles are a matter for the HSE and the Department of Health would not normally be consulted for roles of this nature.
I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputies in relation to the additional queries raised concerning the Director of Psychology post in the HSE South West Health Region.
1929. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if his Department or national HSE management were aware of the role of director of psychology being created in the south-west regional health area prior to that post being advertised in July 2024. [35893/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraHealth Regions, each led by a Regional Executive Officer (REO), are new HSE structures which now have responsibility for the planning and coordinated delivery of health and social care services for their respective populations.
Each Health Region will have an Executive Management Team (EMT) led by the REO. The EMTs are critical structures for each Region. They will provide the governance and organisational arrangements to enable the planning, management, and delivery of integrated care for people and for communities across their region. Their structure must facilitate clear lines of governance, represent an appropriate span of control for the REO, and ensure that services and staff can benefit from swift and accountable decision making. The structure for these teams has now been agreed and phased recruitment is underway.
Officials from my Department and the HSE considered several combinations for the clinical functions on the EMTs. The approved model was for a single discipline neutral clinical leadership role to sit on the Executive Management Team on the basis that this would provide for clarity of governance and support the delivery of integrated care. However, it was recognised that this might take time to achieve. The HSE CEO therefore decided to have a Regional Clinical Director and an Executive Nurse/Midwife on the Executive as an interim measure and to prepare to transfer to a single, discipline neutral, Clinical Officer over a three year period.
The clinical roles which sit on the Health Region EMT do not exist to represent their professions. Rather, they hold executive accountability for a portfolio of work, which includes collaboration and coordination across professions. This is the best way of delivering integrated care in the interests of patients and service users and breaking down professional silos.
Beyond these EMT positions, the HSE are finalising a regional clinical governance model. Each region will have a regional Clinical Executive consisting of a lead from: Population & Public Health; Medical, Executive Nurse/Midwife, Health & Social Care Professionals, General Practice, Chief Academic Officer, and Quality & Patient Safety. Regions will also develop networks of care, which provide a single governance apex and common design to ensure consistency across the system in standards of practice and service models for defined specialties. It has also been agreed that each REO will also have a regional HSCP advisor who reports directly to them.
The agreed structure does not include a role of Director of Psychology on Regional EMTs. The grade of Director of Psychology has existed in the public health service for more than three decades. It is categorised as a Health and Social Professionals grade. The HSE has delegated sanction to fill posts in any pre-existing grade without needing to seek specific sanction from the Department of Health, once the appointment of a person to any pre-existing grade is within the parameters of the HSE’s Pay & Numbers Strategy. Recruitment for Clinical roles are a matter for the HSE and the Department of Health would not normally be consulted for roles of this nature.
I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputies in relation to the additional queries raised concerning the Director of Psychology post in the HSE South West Health Region.
