Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am unsure who these areas might relate to. They are possibly for HIQA or the HSE. Maybe a written answer for one or two of them might suffice.

My first question relates to nursing homes and personal protective equipment availability. I understand gowns are still a particular issue for several nursing homes. There also appears to be confusion regarding the use of PPE in certain sections and nursing homes, especially over where and when it should be used. This is informally coming back from some nursing homes managers. Have the authorities issued any guidance aside from what came out earlier on in the engagement?

I have a question on staffing, especially in respect of healthcare staff who are deemed vulnerable or at risk. Again, there appears to be confusion in terms of those who are vulnerable. They are basically told to isolate at home. Others who have been exposed to Covid-19 patients are at risk. Maybe this needs to be clarified nationally to nursing home managers.

I brought up another issue in the Dáil some weeks ago. It still has not been addressed by the HSE. Why are senior nurse managers in nursing homes not allowed to take swab tests and present them to the local care setting? I know in Waterford at present we have been successfully using the University Hospital Waterford south east regional pathology laboratory. We are turning around swab tests in less than 24 hours. It seems we have to send out National Ambulance Service personnel to take swabs. Why are we doing that when we have qualified people in-house to do it? Maybe someone could answer that.

The HSE has supplied accommodation relief for healthcare workers who are living together. This was not extended to nursing home personnel. They have to meet these challenges themselves. Does either the HSE or HIQA have thoughts on that?

I want to ask HIQA about nursing home inspections. My understanding is that the authority has been engaged in desktop reviews for quite a period and that authority staff have visited the facilities. I believe any further reviews should be done by way of desktop review. We should not have inspectors coming in or transiting in and out of nursing homes unless the authority has a specific concern backed up by a complaint.

In one of the opening statements, a HIQA inspector stated that significant facilities are the point of failure, in other words, the infrastructure on-site. Has HIQA any plans to support policy to allow some mandating of capital by Government to allow these systems to be rectified? I presume we are talking about private homes that are not in a fit state and that were never meant for the number of patients they are now carrying.

Is there an opportunity to look at the early de-isolation of patients? I am referring to those who have proven antibodies. Surely, we can find a way to recognise these patients and allow them to have access and go back to their family members.

Has HIQA any specific opinion on the failure of the Minister for Health to appoint someone from the nursing home sector to the expert review panel?