Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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25. To ask the Minister for Health the strategies in place to enhance palliative care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54084/13]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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National policy on Palliative Care is contained in the Report of the National Advisory Committee on Palliative Care(2001) and the HSE 5 year / Medium Term Framework for Palliative Care Services (2009 – 2013) and (in relation to children) Palliative Care for Children with Life-limiting Conditions in Ireland - A National Policy. Palliative Care is moving beyond the traditional life limiting area of cancer to address other non-malignant or chronic conditions.

Although there is regional variation, in 2012 approximately 35,738 people received specialist home care palliative services and 4,274 people received specialist in-patient care. There are currently 157 specialist in-patient palliative care beds in 9 locations across the country. In 2012, there were 2,808 admissions to this service, a 4.4% improvement on 2011 figures. The HSE Service Plan target of providing 92% of patients with a specialist inpatient bed within 7 days will be met in 2013.

There are 38 acute hospital specialist palliative care teams , though again there is some variability across locations.

The HSE National Service Plan 2013 provides funding of €72m for Palliative Care (circa 75-80% of this is provided to the main voluntary organisations). Palliative care is also funded through acute, disability and community services (in an exercise undertaken in 2012, the HSE identified that spending on home nursing care for children with life-limiting conditions amounted to an additional €8.58m ).

The HSE is engaging with voluntary groups where deficits in service provision have been identified, for example in Waterford, Kerry, the Midlands, Wicklow and Mayo / Roscommon.

With regard to children, Palliative Care for Children with Life-limiting Conditions in Ireland - A National Policy (2009), provides the framework for the development of services for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. A programme of care for children with life-limiting conditions is being jointly funded by the HSE and the Irish Hospice Foundation, including the appointment in 2011 of the first Paediatric Consultant with a Special Interest in Palliative Care based in Crumlin Children’s Hospital and eight Children’s Outreach Nurses to support children being cared for at home by their families.