Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Stanley for raising this matter. He will be aware that I have a particular interest in palliative care and end-of-life treatment.

It is the intention of the Government that all people will be provided with the type of palliative care services they need regardless of their diagnosis, how old they are or whether they die in a hospice, an acute hospital, a nursing home or, as is the preference for most, at home. Specialist palliative care services in the midlands are provided through the community-based specialist palliative care team led by a consultant in palliative medicine and including a clinical nurse manager, specialist palliative care nurses, a senior social worker, senior physiotherapist and administrative support. The team provides input across the range of care settings and operates an open referral system, with referrals prioritised on the basis of need - there is no waiting list.

In 2013, funding to develop a model for the planning and delivery of specialist palliative care services in the midlands was provided by the Irish Hospice Foundation. A comprehensive plan was developed, integrating specialist home, acute and hospice care with generalist services, all working in collaboration to deliver a quality palliative care service. The most significant gaps identified were the need for a second consultant in palliative medicine, the absence of a specialist inpatient unit and associated day care services, the need for palliative care clinical nurse specialists in each acute hospital and the need for specialist occupational therapy services in the home care teams.

In 2015, the HSE will provide funding for a second consultant in palliative medicine for the midlands. The consultant will be based at the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, covering the Longford-Westmeath area, and will work closely with the existing palliative care consultant. In addition, clinical nurse specialists for Portlaoise and Tullamore regional hospitals are currently being recruited.

Within the midlands, five local hospice groups currently provide funding on an annual basis for agreed core services and service development initiatives. The provision of a specialist palliative care inpatient unit remains a priority for the region. Recent research suggests that a 16-bed unit, with an option for an additional four to six beds, would meet the needs of the population in Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath. The midlands palliative care consultative committee, chaired by the director of public health, has developed draft plans for the building of a hospice for the midlands. They are drawing on the experience of the Mayo and Waterford hospice movements regarding the overall size of unit, architectural design and location. The site for the unit will be identified when the design brief has been completed. The Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, met a delegation from the Irish Hospice Foundation on 26 February and among the issues discussed was the need for a comprehensive service plan for palliative care in the midlands.

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