Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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156. To ask the Minister for Health the actions his Department is taking to assist with the slow transition of patients from paediatric to adult diabetes services in Cork which currently has a minimum two-year waiting list for adult services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60729/21]

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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159. To ask the Minister for Health the actions he is taking to help with the staffing shortage with large patient numbers in diabetes services in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60733/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 159 together.

It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted in the last nineteen months as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently as a result of the ransomware attack.

On the 7th October I published the Acute Waiting List Action Plan. This plan, to run until December 2021, has a series of targeted measures that are designed to address the growth in waiting lists caused by Covid-19 and the cyber-attack.

In addition, my Department, the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) are also working on a Multi Annual Waiting List Plan to bring waiting lists in line with Sláintecare targets over the coming years. This process will be overseen by a Ministerial Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary General of my Department and includes representatives from the HSE and NTPF. The plan will be informed by the lessons learned from the successful Vaccine Taskforce.

The 2021 National Service Plan recognised the need for an unprecedented expansion of the permanent health workforce through permanent appointments. Funding has been provided for an increase to approximately 135,655 WTE across the health service by December 2021, which is an increase of 15,838 WTE over funded 2020 levels. There is significant workforce recruitment underway. The HSE Pay and Numbers Strategy identifies the specific roles and grades to be hired.

In relation to diabetes services in Cork Hospital and the transition from the paediatric to adult diabetes services, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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157. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider establishing a national ICT infrastructure that enables electronic health record availability to assist with the shared care of diabetic children between hospitals and regional services across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60730/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The eHealth Strategy for Ireland and Sláintecare both recommend the establishment of electronic health records for everyone using health services in Ireland. This is a long-term programme of work that requires a sustained commitment in terms of funding and resources for eHealth in Ireland.

It is not envisioned that specialty specific or indeed patient cohort specific electronic health records will be separately developed, as to do so would result in multiple different electronic health record systems which would then not cater well for people with multiple health conditions.

There are also plans to develop shared care records which will be of particular benefit to people who need to avail of health services across multiple health locations and these may well be suited for those children highlighted by the Deputy. Children's Hospital Ireland are especially focussed on how best to share information on children that receive care from them but also rely on services offered throughout the rest of the country.