James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 229: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason it was decided to stop referrals to the hospital in the home scheme when the Health Service Executive evaluation of the contract recommended that this model of service should be extended; the future plans for the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21506/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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One of the key challenges facing the health service is the need to ensure that services are planned and provided in line with the clinical need of the patient.

A number of experimental initiatives have been put in place by the Health Service Executive with a view to providing care in community based rather than hospital based settings where clinically appropriate. The Hospital in the Home Service is one such initiative, along with the introduction of Primary Care Teams, Community Intervention Teams, a Rapid Access Service for the Elderly and the GP Out of Hours service.

The Hospital in the Home Service was delivered by a private service provider on the basis of a service level agreement with the HSE and was for a period of one year. This agreement came to an end on the 16th March and was extended by agreement until 11th May 2008. During the year, the service treated in the region of 2,000 patients at an annual cost of €6.83m.

A review of the service was carried out between January and March of this year under an independent Chairperson. The review made a number of recommendations. The main recommendation, which has been adopted by the HSE, is that the concept of the "Hospital in the Home" be retained and that the service should be repatriated within existing HSE post-acute care and community services.

The HSE is considering the manner in which it can best mainstream the service previously offered by the service provider into the Executive. In this context the scope and capacity of the Community Intervention Teams in the Greater Dublin Area is being examined by the HSE with a view to absorbing the service.

The HSE has emphasised that no patient will be disadvantaged by this decision.