Dáil debates

Thursday, 25 October 2007

4:00 pm

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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This matter relates to a constituent of mine who had not been able to secure a nursing home place at Hamilton Park Nursing Home, Balrothery, because of the cutbacks which the Government introduced a few months ago with regard to this year's HSE budget. This constituent was very badly affected by the arbitrary cutbacks in health funding. The individual in question suffered a severe stroke and had been recuperating at the Dún Laoghaire National Rehabilitation Hospital, following six months in Beaumont Hospital. After several months of effort by his family to ensure his transfer to a more appropriate treatment centre, they were told that an application to move to Hamilton Park, Balrothery, would have to be submitted again.

I was informed of the matter on 3 October and immediately tried to raise it in this House, on the Order of Business, with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health and Children and also with Professor Drumm of the HSE. I pay tribute to the family concerned who unfortunately had to use every available media opportunity to highlight the issue. I pay tribute, in particular, to Mr. Joe Duffy who, on his "Liveline" programme, pursued this matter very vigorously and, in this case, successfully.

The family was informed on 17 September that the patient would be transferred to Hamilton Park Nursing Home in Balrothery. However, that date came and went without a decision on the transfer and the patient's rehabilitation treatment was reduced to below three hours per week. Early in October the HSE informed the family that funding for all nursing homes had been withdrawn. The family are grateful to Deputy Cyprian Brady, who took an interest in the matter.

Yesterday the family informed me that my constituent will be moving to Hamilton Park today. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to raise the issue because many other families have had similar problems regarding Hamilton Park, other nursing homes and the National Rehabilitation Hospital. Another constituent in north county Dublin suffered a cerebral abscess and was admitted to Beaumont Hospital last February. This patient was also due to move to Hamilton Park last week but her partner contacted me a few days ago and outlined the great difficulties he and his family are enduring, attempting to care for this young mother who urgently needs a therapeutic programme at the Balrothery facility.

The failure to ensure that the HSE had adequate funding to develop Hamilton Park for the two patients to whom I refer has led to other blockages in the health system. As the Minister will be aware from media reports, at least six patients urgently waiting to be admitted to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire could not be facilitated because home care and nursing home packages were not being made available at locations like Hamilton Park.

My party has studied the pre-budget statement on health and believes that a 3% to 7% increase in expenditure next year may not be sufficient to allow home care and nursing home packages to be provided for patients such as those to whom I have referred. There are many other problems in the health system. I know of HSE staff due to return from career breaks who cannot resume work because of the current crisis. I am anxious to know if the Minister for Finance will introduce a package in December. He must use whatever budgetary system is necessary to ensure that the kinds of facilities required are provided to our constituents.

Photo of Séamus BrennanSéamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I am pleased to deal with this issue on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney.

The Health Service Executive has informed the Department of Health and Children that the person referred to by the Deputy has transferred today, as the Deputy said, from the National Rehabilitation Hospital to the Hamilton Park Care Facility at Balrothery, Balbriggan.

In the context of its work to provide services within the budget voted by Dáil Éireann for 2007, the Health Service Executive is working closely with the National Rehabilitation Hospital to identify options to allow further discharges to take place as required. The executive is aware of 31 patients who are due for discharge from the hospital before the year ends. The HSE and the hospital are finalising solutions to discharge 13 patients from the hospital to the community. These patients will be moved as soon as arrangements can be made. The HSE and the hospital will continue to work closely together to resolve the cases of the remaining patients whose discharge dates fall between now and the end of the year.

Funding for health services has increased over the past decade, resulting in an associated expansion of a wide range of frontline services and increased activity. This year €15 billion of public money will be spent on health and personal social services. The Minister for Health and Children recently announced in the pre-budget Estimates that €1 billion extra revenue funding will be provided next year for the HSE to deliver public health services, an increase of 7%. This increase for 2008 is a substantial increase by international or any other standards to maintain existing service levels. The Minister for Finance will announce on budget day any service development funding to be provided by the Government.

Most activities this year have exceeded the target levels in the HSE's service plan. Higher activity within budget means higher productivity, which is recognised. However, in some cases staffing and activity levels have been higher than profile and have incurred additional costs over the anticipated level for the time of year. For that reason, the HSE is implementing a plan to come in on budget. I must emphasise the temporary nature of the measures which the HSE has put in place to remain within its budget. It is also important to emphasise that the HSE has a legal responsibility to manage its funding as voted by Dáil Éireann.

The National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire is a 120-bed hospital which provides treatment and rehabilitation for patients with spinal cord injuries, head injuries, amputation, traumatic and non-traumatic brain injury, strokes, neurological disorders, children's disabilities and spina bifida. It also provides wheelchair and mobility aids assessment, pre-vocational and vocational training programmes involving a wide range of social, personal and work related skills with a view to enhancing opportunities for each individual for further training, employment and educational options. There is also a 12-bed hostel to enable clients from outside the greater Dublin area to access day services in the hospital and vocational training unit. A new hospital is in the planning stage for the National Rehabilitation Hospital and once built will have an additional 100 beds.