Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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349. To ask the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that the health services can be co-ordinated in such a way as to ensure a modern response to patients' needs in all areas throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61613/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government and the Health Minister remain fully committed to delivering further progress on the Sláintecare reform. Work is focused on increasing capacity, developing better patient-centred primary and community care models, implementing innovation in new technology and better ways of working.

Significant progress was made this year to date in key areas of Sláintecare implementation, including but not limited to:

- Approval by Government of the the public-only Consultant Contract, to ensure that care will be provided to patients when they need it most;

- Approval by Government of the next phase of the Enhanced Provision of Elective Care Programme and progression of the development of new Elective Hospitals in Cork and Galway to change the way in which day case, scheduled procedures, surgeries, scans and outpatient services can be better arranged across the country, ensuring greater capacity in the future and help to address waiting lists;

- Approval by Government of a Business Plan for Regional Health Areas and ongoing work on the development of an implementation plan and development of a population-based approach to service planning and resource allocation;

- In the Enhanced Community Care (ECC) there has also been great progress. There are 152 Primary Care Centres (PCCs) in operation, with 19 more scheduled by year end. The GP Access to Diagnostics, the Chronic Disease Management and the Home Support Programmes are ongoing. Over 2,158 staff were recruited, and many specialist teams were established, such as 91 Community Healthcare Networks (CHNs) and 18 Community Specialist Teams (CSTs). 30 Integrated Care Programmes for Older Persons (ICPOPs) will be operational by year end.

- Publication of the Sláintecare Integration Fund End of Programme Report, which demonstrated wonderful examples of innovation and change and examples of how innovative thinking can bring about meaningful and long-lasting change to health and social care in Ireland.

 I look forward to reporting Sláintecare progress in detail in our end of year progress report.