Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Lowry for raising the issue the lack of insulin pumps and the recruitment of three additional dieticians, which was sanctioned nine months ago in UHL. I am advised that the University Limerick Hospitals Group recognises the need for additional resources within its adult diabetic service. This issue is a focus for the University Limerick Hospitals Group and it is committed to improving the service for its patients.

Developing services around insulin pump therapy and structured education requires them to fill further specialist posts, including nursing and dietician posts. While there is a specialist dietician working with the paediatric diabetes patients, there is currently no specialist dietician in post for adults with type 1 diabetes. Patients are seen by a ward dietician as inpatients, but currently, there is no specialist dietetic care or outpatient appoints available for adult diabetes patients in UHL.

In December 2020, the hospital group received confirmation of funding to recruit three additional dietetic posts for the treatment of adult diabetes. This funding has been made available through the national clinical programme for diabetes. These posts include two senior dieticians and one staff grade dietician. The recruitment process for the two senior dieticians is at an advanced stage. The recruitment process is also ongoing for the staff grade dietician post. UHL has advised that it will be able to provide a more precise timeline on when it expects the successful candidates to take up post in the the near future. A second consultant endocrinologist took up post on 1 October 2020. Two further consultant endocrinologist posts have now been approved. They are currently being progressed through the approved HR process. UHL will advise when the consultants are in place.

The adult diabetes service is also supported by a dedicated team of clinical nurse specialists and staff nurses. Four diabetic clinical nurse specialists, CNS, posts have also been approved for UHL. Of these, three have been successfully recruited and the successful candidates will commence post in the coming months, while the recruitment campaign is currently ongoing for the final CNS post. There are also two dietetic staff nurse positions within the diabetes unit at UHL, both of which have been filled.

UHL has advised that the provision of the dose adjustment for normal eating course for adults with type 1 diabetes will be dependent on the appointment of specialist dieticians and on the recruitment of additional CNSs. Currently, the adult service in UHL is unable to commence adult patients on insulin pumps due to service demands. However, it does accept patients established on pumps from elsewhere. These patients are managed under the care of a consultant endocrinologist. The largest group of these are patients who have transferred from the paediatric service in the region. All of the hospital group's insulin pump patients are seen in UHL. At present, there are 51 patients within its adult diabetes service who are using insulin pump therapy.

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