Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

804. To ask the Minister for Health the measures he is taking to ensure that the new national maternity hospital to be built at St. Vincent's Hospital, Elm Park will comply with the Sláintecare objectives of removing private medical care from public hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24182/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The current Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, contains specific commitments in relation to finalising the new Sláintecare consultant contract and legislating for public-only work in public hospitals. In that regard, Government has agreed to the introduction of a public only Sláintecare Consultant contract moving towards removing private care from public hospitals.

In line with these commitments, I can assure the Deputy that the vast majority of services in the new National Maternity Hospital will be public services. I can also confirm that there will be no designated private in-patient bedrooms included as part of the new hospital development.

However, as part of the National Consultants' Contract, negotiated in 2008, some consultants holding specific contracts are entitled to engage in private outpatient practice outside of their public commitment; this commitment must be conducted on site, in the hospital where the consultant holds his/her contract.

As a result, private outpatient clinics may be undertaken on a public hospital campus, however, these clinics must be held outside contracted hours. The new hospital will have 31 rooms for Out-Patient Services. In order to support the commitment in the Consultants’ contracts, five of the 31 consulting rooms will be for private use.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

805. To ask the Minister for Health if the full range of IVF services will be available in the new national maternity hospital to be built at St Vincent's Hospital as part of the public healthcare system; if surgical sterilisation procedures will be available to women in the new hospital as part of the public healthcare system; if funding will be provided by his Department or the HSE to the new hospital for IVF services; if funding will be provided by his Department or the HSE to the new hospital for surgical sterilisation services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24184/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Firstly, as the Deputy will be aware, the relocation of the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) to the St Vincent’s University Hospital campus will be underpinned by a legal framework. The overall objective of this legal framework is to ensure that the new hospital will remain in State ownership, and that health services at the new hospital will be provided without religious, ethnic or other distinction or ethos. As such, I am satisfied that there will be no question that any services in the new NMH, including IVF (once available in the public health service) or surgical sterilisation, would be prohibited based on religious beliefs or the ethical code of the hospitals concerned.

On the specific issue of the provision of IVF in the public health system, the Programme for Government includes a commitment to introduce the model of care for infertility. This model of care will ensure that infertility issues will be addressed through the public health system at the lowest level of clinical intervention necessary. It will comprise three stages, starting in primary care (i.e., GPs) and extending into secondary care (i.e., Regional Fertility Hubs) and then, where necessary, tertiary care (i.e., IVF and other advanced assisted human reproduction (AHR) treatments).

Phase One of the roll-out of the model of care has commenced and involves the establishment, at secondary care level, of Regional Fertility Hubs in maternity networks. Four such Regional Fertility Hubs were established last year at Cork Maternity University Hospital, the Rotunda Hospital, the NMH, and the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital. Additional funding has been allocated this year to establish the final two Regional Fertility Hubs.

Phase Two of the roll-out of the model of care for infertility will see the introduction of tertiary infertility services, including IVF, in the public health system. However, Phase 2 will not commence until such time as infertility services at secondary level have been developed and the Assisted Human Reproduction legislation is commenced.

Finally, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible, with an update in relation to the provision of surgical sterilisation procedures in the public health system.