Seanad debates
Thursday, 13 October 2022
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Health Services
10:30 am
Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am speaking today on behalf of families in County Longford, and indeed, all the families that have been affected by cancer. I want to take this opportunity to compliment everyone involved in Longford Hospice Homecare and all the community nurses who are based in Longford. Longford Hospice Homecare has been operating in my county for all of my lifetime. A tremendous amount of work and fundraising has been done. I want to compliment the work the organisation does.
The issue I am raising today is one that I raised 12 months ago. It concerns the need for additional palliative care beds at St. Joseph's Care Centre. A massive redevelopment was announced by the former Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, a number of years ago, with over €5 million in funding and planning processes and discussions. We were told that there would be a minimum of two palliative beds, yet we still only have one. I wrote to the HSE and got a letter back basically saying that any decision to designate one or more beds would have to be made by the HSE at a national level, and any commitment to increasing the number of palliative care support beds at the expense of long-stay beds would have to be accompanied by an appropriate budget allocation to compensate for the fair deal income reduction in order to maintain services for current and future residents. I do not think that is acceptable.
I have submitted evidence and have written to the HSE regarding getting more updated figures for the last number of months. I was given a figure of 64% bed capacity in 2021, but it was actually higher. We have seen that in recent weeks €20 million has been allocated to a 20-bed unit in Tullamore to cover the midlands area, but the reality is that we still have just one palliative care bed in St. Joseph's. There are numerous families with loved ones who are spending their last days in acute hospital settings or in palliative care outside their county and not close to home. That is not fair on the families and it is not acceptable. There are areas within the campus in Longford where extra beds could be facilitated. A gentleman that I knew all my life passed away in the last 24 hours. God rest him. He was unable to access a palliative care bed in Longford because there were none available. This needs to be addressed. It is not acceptable. We want changes made.
Mark Wall (Labour)
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My condolences to the family of the individual the Senator mentioned. The Minister of State has four minutes to reply.
Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I, too, want to be associated with the condolences expressed.
I am taking this matter today on behalf of the Minister for Health. I would like to thank Senator Carrigy for raising this important issue. The Government is strongly committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based palliative care in Ireland. The Department of Health, in line with the national palliative care policy of 2001, is committed to furthering the development of palliative care across the country, ensuring a seamless pathway for patients who need palliative care across inpatient, home care, nursing home and day care services. St. Joseph's Care Centre, Longford, provides 24-hour nursing care for up to 68 residents in an invaluable service that is embedded in the community. There are planned refurbishment works for St. Joseph's Care Centre in Longford and the HSE is committed to providing a second palliative care support bed when works are complete. The HSE has held meetings with the Longford hospice committee and will continue to do so to review the plans to achieve the optimum location to facilitate the second palliative care support bed. Currently, the HSE in the region also has a consultant-led specialist palliative care team that supports individuals in their homes. It engages with community nursing staff and midland regional hospital to support patients and families.
In September 2022, the Taoiseach announced capital funding of €20 million to progress the development of a 20-bed specialist palliative care unit in the midlands. The announcement of this funding is a significant milestone for palliative care in the midlands and will deliver on the programme for Government commitment to progress plans for a specialist palliative unit in the midlands. The new hospice will be co-located at the midland regional hospital and will provide a hub for the provision of specialist palliative care services across the midlands, including day care, outpatient and inpatient community services.
In line with the programme for Government, the extensive refurbishment of St. Joseph's Care Centre in Longford aims to prioritise and protect the most vulnerable. The HSE has committed to providing a second palliative care support bed at the site when works are complete and is engaging with Longford hospice committee about the plans. This Government will continue to work with local organisations to ensure that people with life-limiting conditions across the country receive the level of palliative care they require.
In the time that I have left, I wish to state that while the response is a very comprehensive answer in respect of the midlands, it does not answer the Senator's specific question about beds in Longford. I propose to set up a meeting between the Senator, his colleagues, the Minister for Health and representatives of the HSE locally to discuss the timeline and the funding, and where we are with the delivery of a second palliative care bed for the Longford region.
Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for her response, which comprehensively states that we are going to have a second palliative bed. It is something that we have been looking for for many years. I thank the Minister of State for her proposal to set up a meeting. I will take her up on the offer to attend the meeting with my colleague, Councillor Peggy Nolan, who the Minister of State knows well, who has fought the fight for many years to ensure that we maintain and improve the services that we have in Longford, and in St. Joseph's Care Centre in particular, where there is an excellent staff. I know, from personal experience, of the work they do there.
The Minister of State mentioned evidence-based palliative care. I am delighted that the evidence that we submitted last year proved that the need was there, when we were told that it was not. The need is there. I ask that the situation is monitored continuously and that where there is additional need, it be met through the provision of additional beds. That must be guaranteed. I thank the Minister of State for her commitment and the offer to set up a meeting with the Minister for Health. I will take her up on that offer.
Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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To sum up, the Government is committed to support people in all regions, but particularly the hospice and palliative care community. We need to take an evidence-based approach. Where there is evidence, we must look at it, take it on board and prioritise it. I look forward to setting up the meeting with the Minister, the Senator and his colleagues.