Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach as ucht na fáilte, mar is gnách, agus gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir freisin for raising this important issue.

The HSE provides a wide range of medical and surgical aids and appliances such as wheelchairs and walking aids free of charge for medical card holders and those participating in the long-term illness scheme. Assessment by a relevant health professional is required. The community funded schemes is the collective name for the many products, supports, supplies, appliances and aids provided through community services. There is a variety of products and services provided under the schemes. The products and services play a key role in assisting and supporting service users to maintain everyday functioning and remain in their homes and local community. Their provision also avoids the need for a hospital presentation or admission, while facilitating early discharge from hospital back into the community.

Each community healthcare organisation, CHO, operates standard processes for the allocation of funding for medical and surgical aids and appliances. At times, because the demand for resources exceeds available capacity, there may be waiting lists for some categories of items provided from the medical and surgical aids and appliances budget in a particular CHO.CHOs undertake a range of initiatives to ensure optimum use of resources. I refer, for example, to the efficient recycling of stock items such as walking aids.

In the CHO 3 area in the mid-west, there is a waiting list in place for the purchase of 25 powered chairs. It should be noted that waiting time varies depending on the priority rating, a rating which is made by healthcare professionals based on clinical risk. Priority is given to clients with the greatest level of clinical need. In addition, work is progressing in CHO 3 on the establishment of a stock database to maximise recycling of stock items across the mid west. Under the aids and appliances project, data will be transferred onto an online system allowing clinicians to review all stock online, validate waiting lists and use recycled stock more efficiently.

At national level within the HSE, a service improvement programme has been established to improve the standard and quality of the many products and services provided as part of community funded schemes and to implement standardised national contracts for the supply and pricing of these products to ensure best value for money across all CHOs. These measures will help to ensure that there is equitable access to products and services irrespective of where the service user lives.