Results 3,821-3,840 of 26,396 for speaker:David Cullinane

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: I have the acute figures. They are published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF. I am talking about all the others.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: I just want a total figure.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: It is not too much to ask for, and I am including home care in that. Every time I get a response I find there is some category missing. I am asking a very simple question. What is the total number of people on all health waiting lists? I want the witnesses to come back to me with a figure. It cannot be beyond them to provide that. To come back to the issue of capacity, I talked about...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: I am asking specifically about that. I got this response only last week. This goes to the heart of efficiency within the HSE, and getting things done. In last year's national service plan, 72 beds were included. It states here that none of those 72 beds has been delivered to date, and the number of remaining beds to be delivered is 72. Not one of those 72 beds that was announced in last...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: With respect to Mr. Mulvany, I am asking about the ones that have not been delivered.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: No. That is the national service plan for this year, exactly. In the 2022 service plan 72 beds were funded. We are now into November, not one of those beds has been delivered. It is here in black and white.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: My problem, if I can make this point, Chair, is that we have the Minister making these big announcements, which are great, that we are going to have all of this additional capacity. We have hospitals which tell us they are waiting for capacity. We have 1,200 beds that are funded. We have hundreds of beds not delivered, and we are being told it is because we cannot get the staff and there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: I was not talking about the winter plan. I am talking about last year's national service plan, and budget 2021.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: Let me be clear about what I was asking about, which was beds that are funded. I am not asking about additional beds because they are not there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: What about the 51 consultant posts?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: Are they locum?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: I know, but are they filled on a permanent basis?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: They are locum at the moment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: The document does not state that. The actual plan states 51 consultant posts. This is part of the problem. We announce that we are going to have 51 additional emergency department consultants and then we are told that more than half of these will not be appointed until next year. This is the problem every year. These winter plans come, promises are made and big numbers are put out. In...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: I come back to the issue of emergency medicine consultants. Mr. Mulvany said earlier when I put questions to him on that issue that the 51 consultants was never designed to be for this year. That is not what it states in the plan. On page 17 of the plan for winter 2022-2023 it states that analysis by site has been completed and the number of additional emergency department consultants...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: Where does it state that? I do not see it anywhere. It states "for this year". The Minister said that this year we will recruit 51 additional consultants for emergency departments and what it states here, if I can put it to Mr. Mulvany again, is that this was done as part of an analysis to ensure we have a safe and timely service. We will not have those 51 posts on site for this winter....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: I could not agree more with Mr. Mulvany because I said last year, in last year's budget, that the time to plan for this winter was in last year's budget as it takes time to put beds in place and to recruit staff. That begs the following question. Why were those 51 consultant posts not funded last year to enable us to get to a point where this winter those posts would be in place? I ask...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: I agree but these winter plans are a rehashing of previous commitments and give the impression that a lot of things will be done when, in fact, they cannot be done. I know that some of the plan can be done and lots of it will be done. I agree that it takes time to hire consultants and put beds in place, which is why when I see big figures and promises for both in a winter plan my confidence...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE (16 Nov 2022)

David Cullinane: The winter plan is the Minister's plan.