Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

362. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons in County Louth benefitting from the European Union’s INTERREG IVA programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39545/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The current EU programme, INTERREG V covering the period 2014-2020 has four priority areas, one of which is health. For the health priority, the funding available for the duration of the Programme is €62m, €53m of which is EU funding.

A number of the successful projects will be led by the Health Service Executive on behalf of the Co-Operation and Working Together (CAWT) Partnership. These projects are in the areas of Mental Health, Acute Services; Health and Wellbeing and Children's Services. In addition, CAWT is a partner in a project on Primary Care and Older People which is led by NHS 24 (Scotland).

The Acute Services project, which I believe the Deputy is referring to in his question, is called The Connecting Services, Citizens and Communities Project. It was approved for funding of around €8m by the Special EU Programmes Body Steering Committee. Around 13,000 patients in the border region, including County Louth, will benefit from the implementation of the project.

The project aims to enhance access to high priority medical and surgical interventions for people living far from regional hospital centres. The project aims to modernise acute services provision through the use of new and innovative technologies such as e-health solutions. Remote patient interaction will also be supported through the use of consultation by video conferencing technology. The project has both scheduled and unscheduled care work streams.

I am advised by the HSE that County Louth patients will benefit from a number of aspects of the project including the establishment of a Clinical Decision Unit in Daisyhill Hospital, Newry for unscheduled care; an Emergency Department Improvement Programme; the development of a Dermatology service and an investment in hospital equipment. It is estimated that approximately 500 patients will directly benefit from the Clinical Decision Unit and Dermatology service. In addition all patients attending Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital's Emergency Department should benefit from a stream-lined patient pathway.