Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Can I just raise one other issue? It is in relation to someone in a private nursing home or even a public nursing home who has gone downhill and where there is huge pressure being applied for that person to be admitted to hospital. I understand that a number of areas around the country now have teams that go out to visit the nursing home, do an assessment and give guidance on how to care for the patient, rather than transferring the patient. Is that now in place in all our health areas across the country? I know it is in place in the Cork-Kerry region. I know it is in St. Vincent’s, Dublin, which initially did it during Covid-19. Can we have it in place everywhere that a team will be available from the hospital, which will then cover the nursing home? If they are under pressure, then they can say they did consult with the hospital. They can outline the advice the hospital gave about the management of a certain patient and they can say that he or she does not need to be transferred to a hospital.