Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am raising a matter relating to dieticians employed by the Health Service Executive. I understand that in many parts of the country elderly patients who seek access to a dietician must attend a clinic in a hospital. This costs the health service because an ambulance or taxi must be provided to take the patient to the hospital. As a result, many nursing homes now rely on privately-employed dieticians, many of whom are employed by pharmaceutical companies. I do not doubt that these dieticians are above board and I do not question their decisions but they tend to prescribe drink supplements, some of which are extremely expensive, that are added to the health budget. I was surprised to learn there is no procedure whereby dieticians are employed to visit nursing homes on a monthly or bi-monthly basis to assess patients and advise as to their management. I am seeking to reduce costs to the health service regarding care of the elderly.

I accept that existing dietician contracts cannot be changed and that what I have proposed is not currently part of a dietician's work programme. I know that there is a recruitment embargo but in future when contracts are offered by the HSE to dieticians they should state that they may be required to visit nursing homes to give assistance. More than 22,000 people are in nursing homes under the fair deal scheme - that is in addition to those in public nursing homes - and that is why I have raised this Adjournment matter.