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

I thank the Senator for raising this issue. He is correct that palliative care is an issue on which there is no disagreement among individual public representatives or political parties. Cork has always been well served by both the hospice movement and palliative care teams and we consider ourselves fortunate in this regard.

However, the financial constraints, which have unavoidably applied to all sectors of government, including the health sector, over the last five years have meant that the development of palliative care has advanced at a slower pace than we wished. Notwithstanding current budgetary difficulties, a great deal of good work has been done over the past number of years to improve what we can provide and this will continue. There is good co-operation and engagement between the HSE and voluntary organisations and there is ongoing engagement with voluntary hospice organisations in counties Waterford, Kerry, Wicklow, Galway, Roscommon, Mayo, the midlands and Blanchardstown to address gaps in service provision.

The HSE's clinical care programme for palliative care is working with acute services, services for older people, mental health services, community services and paediatric services on a range of initiatives to give patients access to palliative care no matter what part of the health services they engage with. The HSE performance report for 2013 indicates that up to June 2013, 94% of those seeking specialist palliative inpatient beds received this service within seven days and 99% received the service within one month. In 2010, the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Ireland as having the fourth best developed palliative care service out of the 40 countries surveyed. The objective always is to respond to the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of patients and to achieve the best quality of life for the patient and family. The ultimate aim is to make sure that patients get the right care, at the right time, by the right team, regardless of where they are being cared for. It is my objective that this philosophy will be applied across all care settings in order that all people will get the palliative care that they need regardless of their age and of whether they die in a hospice, an acute hospital or at home.

The HSE is progressing the development of the specialist palliative care inpatient unit on the grounds of Waterford Regional Hospital in partnership with Waterford Hospice Movement. The unit is one element of the overall capital project for the site which will comprise 20 specialist palliative care inpatient beds, palliative day care, therapy and associated accommodation. There will be three wards of 24 single rooms. Arrangements are being put in place to fund this project in order that all capital costs are covered, including construction cost, design fees, equipping, etc. The Waterford Hospice Movement is also endeavouring to make a significant contribution towards the palliative care element of this project. At this stage, it would not be appropriate to release specific figures as contracts are not yet signed and this is, therefore, commercially sensitive. The enabling works for this development are being progressed. It is expected that the design team will be appointed in early 2014 and it is anticipated that construction will commence in early 2015. It is hoped that the new Waterford hospice will be operational by 2018. This is good news but we need to keep an eye on progress to make sure the project remains on track.