Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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122. To ask the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to ensure children with disabilities are assessed and receive medical aids/equipment in a timely manner. [7411/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Health Service Executive (HSE) provides a wide range of medical and surgical aids and appliances, free of charge to eligible persons following assessment by a relevant health professional. These are provided through community services known as Community Funded Schemes and play a key role in assisting and supporting people to maintain everyday functioning, and to remain living in their homes and local community.

Each Community Health Organisation (CHO) operates processes for the allocation of funding for medical and surgical aids and appliances. Each application within a CHO is assessed by the local Resource Allocation Group and a determination is made regarding approval based on clinical priority and the funding availability within local budgets.

Historically, many of these aids and appliances were not provided on a standardised basis across the country and did not have formal contracts in place governing their supply or price. This resulted in an inequality of access for some aids and appliances in some areas. It also did not allow the HSE to deliver best value for money in the provision of these aids and appliances.

In addition, at times, due to the demand for resources exceeding the available capacity, waiting lists may apply for some categories of items provided through the medical and surgical aids and appliances budget in a particular CHO. Waiting times also vary depending on the priority rating which is made by healthcare professionals based on clinical risk. Priority is given to clients with the greatest level of clinical need.

The effects of Brexit, global supply chains issues, and the rise in energy costs have unfortunately further impacted the sourcing of some appropriate aids and appliances for some applicants. However, CHOs do undertake a range of initiatives to ensure optimum use of resources, for example, through the efficient recycling of stock items such as wheelchairs and walking aids.

Therefore, CHOs endeavour to provide medical and surgical aids and appliances in accordance with clinical priorities and subject to budgetary and supply constraints.

The HSE established a National Service Improvement Programme for the Community Funded Schemes. This Programme is working on the development of standard operating procedures and guidelines with the aim of ensuring value for money, equity of access, and a management system that ensures compliance with those guidelines. The scale of this Programme is enormous given that many thousands of items are provided from community-based services across the country.

In respect of the aids and appliances stream, the category lists are completed, category specific information for prescribers is complete and the contracts for items under aids and appliances are in place. The lists and associated prescribing information have been communicated to CHOs and local health care workers. This should improve the equity of access to appropriate aids and appliances, following assessment, for all eligible persons, but especially for children with disabilities who need them.