Written answers

Wednesday, 23 September 2020

Photo of Fergus O'DowdFergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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211. To ask the Minister for Health if a pop up Covid-19 test centre will be provided in Drogheda, County Louth in view of the significant increased demand on testing that has been evident since July 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25867/20]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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213. To ask the Minister for Health the provisions being made to provide PPE to dental surgeries, general practice, pharmacies and other non-HSE aspects of the healthcare system; if provision will be made to allow them to procure PPE VAT-free; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25874/20]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As Minister for Health I do not have responsibility for issues relating to VAT which are the responsibility of the Minister for Finance.

As the other issues raised are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Photo of Cian O'CallaghanCian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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214. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to reports of the requirement of Covid-19 screening of patients for scheduled procedures amounting to hundreds of Euro that is not being covered by health insurance; his views on such reports; if he has raised Covid-19 screening costs with insurance companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25877/20]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In relation to the COVID-19 screening tests; the HSE has developed guidance for the management of planned hospital admissions for non-COVID care which sets out advisory testing strategies for hospital patients. This guidance seeks to provide an advisory framework for mitigating risks associated with the delivery of non-COVID care while COVID-19 continues to be prevalent, and testing provides one of a number of measures that can be taken to reduce risk.

As with any procedure or test, there will be a cost. As Minister for Health, I do not have any responsibility for private hospitals, including in relation to charges that they apply to their patients. Additionally, I cannot direct health insurers in how they provide their products and services, or indeed how they choose to reimburse their customers for costs relating to healthcare procedures. Private health insurers operate in a highly competitive market and I cannot interfere in the operation of that market.

However, it is my understanding that the three main health insurers have reached agreement with the majority of private hospital facilities regarding charges for pre-admission COVID-19 testing, while continuing to work with those providers who they have not yet finalised agreements with. The aim is to ensure agreements are in place so that health insurance customers will not be charged at point of entry for pre-admission COVID tests.

Photo of Jennifer Carroll MacNeillJennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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215. To ask the Minister for Health the guidance and information being given or that will be given to general practitioner practices regarding patients experiencing long Covid-19 symptoms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25907/20]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this question relates to a service matter, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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217. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 239 of 22 July 2020, if a copy of the strategic plan for the longer term requirement for testing and tracing which he indicated would be submitted by the HSE in August 2020 will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25932/20]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021 Plan for Living with COVID-19 launched by the Government on 15 September 2020, commits the HSE to introducing a more accessible and sustainable testing service that will meet the demands coming into the Autumn/Winter months.

The HSE is now finalising the detailed future service model for testing and tracing. This service model will aim to deliver a patient-centred, accessible, consistent and flexible service. This plan includes the recruitment of a permanent workforce which has already commenced, and a range of other service improvements which will be rolled out quickly.

This is with an aim of delivering a more consistent service. The improvements which will be implemented will see the building of a dedicated workforce for Covid-19 Testing. The testing service will employ a 3,000 strong workforce. The HSE is currently recruiting over 700 people to take swabs and over 500 contact tracing staff all around the country. Both campaigns have been launched and the HSE is actively screening and interviewing candidates for immediate positions.

The HSE is also committed to the recruitment of up 150 permanent staff and other temporary staff to ensure there is capacity to deal efficiently and effectively with public health emergencies with scale and speed, both now and in the future.

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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218. To ask the Minister for Health the ICU capacity by region versus expected capacity without Covid-19; and the expected effect of changing each restriction and forecast of the impact of outbreak types. [25936/20]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The identification of surge capacity, and in particular critical care surge capacity, was a key part of Ireland’s response to Covid-19. At the start of the year, permanent adult critical care capacity in Ireland stood at 255 beds, according to the National Office of Clinical Audit. This included 204 Level 3 ICU beds and 51 Level 2 HDU beds. Funding for a further 40 adult critical care beds and two paediatric critical care beds was provided as part of the response to Covid-19 in March 2020.

Surge capacity supports the provision of critical care as required, with the number open on any given day subject to fluctuation in respect of available staff. At the outset, substantial work was carried out to develop a critical care capacity plan, including identification of additional ICU and ventilation spaces. The development of the plan, including consideration of staffing, ventilators and oxygen capacity, involved considerable input from clinical, operational and estates perspective, all of which was essential to the intensive effort to deliver the necessary surge capacity.

Training was provided to over 1,500 nursing staff to allow them to provide support to critical care as required. The number of critical care beds open and staffed at any one time can flex with demand, and staffing challenges and clinical risk continue to increase as the number of surge beds increases.

The acute hospital system and critical care service coped with the initial surge in admissions during the early stages of the pandemic, and were not overwhelmed, as was seen elsewhere, largely due to the success of public health measures in flattening the curve and the fall-off in non-Covid care.

My Department and the HSE have been engaging in regard to critical care capacity requirements in the public hospital system and consideration is ongoing.

I understand that the Deputy is specifically interested in the expected ICU occupancy levels in a non-Covid environment and in the expected occupancy levels at each stage of the roadmap. I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on those issues as soon as possible.

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