Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and for the opportunity to update the Dáil on it.

Public health nurses play an extremely valuable role within the community healthcare system and provide an extensive range of services, including the provision of child health screening and supports for parents. It is vital that the local community in Crumlin, and all communities across the country, have access to public health nurses when they need them.

Their valuable role was highlighted when public health nurses, along with other front-line staff, were redeployed to assist and lead the Covid-19 response. This redeployment, in turn, had an impact on the capacity of the public health nurse service to deliver day-to-day services, including child development checks. During this period of redeployment, a prioritisation framework for child development checks was put in place by the HSE to enable public health nursing staff to identify and support those at greatest need in the community. Public health nursing staff have since returned to core duties. However, in some local health areas, the public health nursing service continues to be challenged by staff shortages, mainly due to reductions in the availability of staff due to retirement, internal movement, leave and challenges in replacing staff. Where these shortfalls are occurring, the prioritisation framework continues to be utilised to ensure those with the greatest need in the community continue to be prioritised and supported. It is important to note that this framework also ensures the safe delivery of services.

Data to August 2022, the latest published data, shows that, nationally, 83.8% of children reaching 12 months within the reporting period had their child health development assessment on time or before reaching 12 months. This represents a significant improvement from the 59.8% of 12-month checks that had taken place on time at year-end 2021, when many staff were redeployed to assist in the response to Covid-19. We sometimes forget that at this time 12 months ago, we were in the throes of the Covid pandemic. Thankfully, that is no longer the case.

Specifically with regard to child development checks at Old County Road primary care centre, the HSE has advised there has been a delay in completing checks due to staffing shortages. However, it has advised that a plan has now been put in place by the services in Crumlin to address the backlog. This plan commenced last week and children have been invited to attend developmental appointments. I know the Deputy will welcome that. The HSE has advised that it is exploring every avenue to fill outstanding staff vacancies and recruitment is ongoing.

Of course, the Department recognises the stress and frustration caused by the delay in the delivery of development checks. The Department and HSE would encourage any parents with a concern about their child's development to contact their GP or local public health nursing service directly. Any of us who had the support of a public health nurse when we had a very young baby recognise the importance of ensuring parents, especially first-time mothers, can get those supports.

In addition, in response to the broader challenges of recruitment and retention of public health nurses, the HSE recently established a community nursing national oversight group. The group is tasked with developing proposals and recommendations that will aim to address issues in the recruitment and retention of public health nurses and community registered general nurses. The Department of Health recognises the need to improve access to the wide range of services provided by public health nurses and it will continue to engage with and support the HSE to address these existing challenges.

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