Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this very important issue, which, I appreciate, is very distressing for the families concerned. The Minister for Health is aware that the recruitment and retention of staff across CHO 4 has been very challenging in recent months as considerable organisational and operational changes have been implemented. Indeed, as part of the enhanced community care programme, there are several vacancies across Cork and Kerry, including in west Cork. Cork Kerry Community Healthcare continues to run recruitment campaigns at local, national and international level to fill these vacancies and has assured the Minister that a robust communication campaign is being utilised to attract eligible candidates.

As an interim measure, a senior podiatrist from the Clonakilty primary care centre is providing podiatry care for those at greatest risk in west Cork, or network 10. Eligible patients continue to be seen and are being provided with ongoing care from this location. Those who are most urgent on the waiting list are being seen first. When all of the active, in remission and high-risk patients are seen and when space in the schedule becomes available, moderate-risk patients will be offered scheduled appointments. Currently, a total of 46 people are on the waiting list in west Cork. Cork Kerry Community Healthcare reports that there is only one child aged between 5 and 17 on the waiting list and although this patient has been waiting over 12 weeks to be seen, he or she is in a lower-risk category than other patients. Of those patients aged between 18 and 64, four have been waiting less than 12 weeks, two have been waiting less than 26 weeks and three have been waiting over a year. For those patients aged over 65 years, six have been waiting less than 12 weeks, nine have been waiting less than 26 weeks, four have been waiting less than 39 weeks and three have been waiting less than 52 weeks. However, there are 14 patients aged over 65 who have been waiting for longer than a year to be seen. Cork Kerry Community Healthcare has assured the Minister that priority is being given to those patients most at risk and that the majority of patients waiting to be seen are in the lower-risk categories. The Minister has, however, asked Cork Kerry Community Healthcare to accelerate the process whereby those waiting for more than a year can be seen.

The senior podiatrist from the Clonakilty primary care centre who is providing interim cover is also proactively providing training to other members of the multidisciplinary teams within the network, including two GPs, public health nurses and practice nurses. The senior podiatrist will also continue to provide services to west Cork in the short term. She has also agreed to travel to Bantry primary care centre to start a podiatry service there. Cork Kerry Community Healthcare has advised that it is forging strong links to ensure that this service will be well established when the new staff members are in post.