Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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678. To ask the Minister for Health the policy on the minimum number of specialist palliative care inpatient units by smallest geographic unit or CHO area; if any such area does not currently meet this threshold; the timelines to resolve such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4499/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Current palliative care policy is contained in the 2001 report of the National Advisory Committee on Palliative Care. This report recommends that there should be at least one specialist palliative care inpatient unit in each health board area. Since the publication of the 2001 report, there have been reorganisational changes resulting in healthcare provision now being provided by nine community healthcare organisations in place of health board areas.

With recent openings of specialist inpatient palliative care units in Wicklow, Mayo and Waterford in 2020/2021, CHO8 is now the only community healthcare organisation without at least one specialist palliative care inpatient unit. The HSE in CHO8 has been working on plans for two inpatient units, one in Tullamore, co. Offaly and one in Drogheda, co. Louth. The estimated opening of the IPU in Drogheda is Q4 2023. The HSE is working on developing a costed time lined plan for the Midlands IPU.

The Department of Health is currently developing a new palliative care policy for adults to replace the 2001 report. The new policy will reflect the changes in end-of-life care including increased demand for adult palliative care, the shift towards care in the community, the emphasis in Sláintecare on addressing geographic variations in the provision of both community and hospital palliative care services, and developments in international best practice.