Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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1072. To ask the Minister for Health the steps that will be taken to alleviate waiting lists in access to primary care appointments and pressure on primary care staff who are overwhelmed (details supplied). [54794/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge that there are significant waiting times to access some primary care therapy services, which is of course frustrating for those waiting to access services, and their families. The pressure on staff due to this situation is also acknowledged, and I wish to thank the staff working in these areas for their significant contribution in delivering these important services to those who need them.

Significant funding has been allocated in recent years to enable the continued implementation of the Enhanced Community Care Programme, with full-year funding of €195 million provided in 2022. This level of investment in primary care development and reform is unprecedented and supports a significant reorientation of the healthcare system to deliver the right care in the right place at the right time. 

The expansion of primary care capacity is key to delivering the Enhanced Community Care (ECC) Programme, with approximately 1,500 additional health and social care professionals to be recruited, including Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists, out of a total of 3,500 new staff.   

To date over 2,000 staff recruited to the ECC Programme have commenced their roles, with a further 350 staff at an advanced stage of recruitment expected to commence their roles before the end of this year.

As part of the ECC Programme, community-based care is undergoing substantial reform in line with Sláintecare. This involves a significant re-structuring in how services are delivered and will ensure that care is provided in an equitable, efficient, and integrated way through newly established Community Healthcare Networks (CHNs). As these networks are developed, it will build the capacity of the primary care sector and enable the waiting lists to be addressed.  

The networks also empower Health and Social Care Professionals to deliver care to address local need, with each CHN providing services to local populations of approximately 50,000. To date, 91 of the 96 CHNs have been delivered, in line with the significant progress in recruitment across the ECC Programme.

As occurs each year following the Budget, discussions are currently taking place between my Department and the HSE on details relating to specific service initiatives in the context of preparing the HSE Service Plan 2023, with a continued focus on reducing primary care waiting lists.