Minister’s Media Tour
Minister Varadkar was on somewhat of a media tour this week with an appearance on the Vincent Brown Show on TV3 on Wednesday evening and he gave a lengthy radio interview to Pat Kenny on Newstalk the next day.
On Newstalk the Minister answered a range of questions from the new Government plans to reform the civil service to water charges and the challenges facing the health service. Asked about the thorny issue of the location for the new Children’s Hospital, which after a lengthy debate has been fixed for St James’s Hospital in Dublin, Minister Varadkar said:
“if we stick to the plan this new hospital will be under construction next year”.
“I want kids who are sick now, kids who are 5 and 6 years old who are sick now I want them to see the new hospital before they become adults,” he added.
He also said that he was considering lodging planning permission for a new maternity hospital at St James’s at the same time or around the same time as the planning application is lodged for the new children’s hospital. Minister Varadkar also told Pat Kenny that he was the second youngest person in the Department of Health…bet you feel old now? I do.
Fair Deal Scheme funding crisis
The funding crisis facing the Nursing Home reared its head again this week with the revelation that the number of people on the waiting list to access the scheme, which allows them to gain a place in a nursing home, has tripled since the start of the year. It was reported on Tuesday that there are currently more than 2,100 older people on the waiting list – compared with 654 in February and waiting times have increased from four weeks to more than 15.
This is sadly not the first time that the Fair Deal Scheme also known as the Nursing Home Subvention Scheme (NHSS) has hit crisis point. It had to be suspended in 2011 due to financial constraints.A review of the Scheme is currently underway and it is hoped that it will be completed by the end of this year. Apart from the real human cost associated with increased waiting times for nursing home places; it also has a knock on effect on the capacity of acute hospitals.
The most recent data from the HSE shows that there were 704 patients medically fit for discharge at the end of August. These patients are occupying acute hospital beds while awaiting transfer to appropriate long term
or step down care. According to the HSE:
“the number of delayed discharges in hospitals has increased by 15 per cent this year by comparison with 2013. As a result, hospitals have opened additional beds to manage these patients.”
The HSE also pointed out that the main reasons for delayed discharges for those patients who are moving to long-term care, are Nursing Home Support Scheme (NHSS) applications not yet submitted (149 clients / 21.2 per cent) and NHSS financial determination in progress (125 clients, 17.9 per cent).
Good news for Medical Research
There was some good news for medical research in Ireland this week with the announcement of €13.5 million in funding for new health research projects. Cancer, asthma, kidney injuries and antibiotics are just some of the areas likely to benefit from the new funding announced on Thursday by Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar.
A total of 36 projects will be supported by the Health Research Board (HRB) over the next three – five years. Announcing the investment, Minister Varadkar said:
“These 36 projects cover a huge range of areas, including research into stem cell research to fight pneumonia, developing diet and exercise plans following cancer surgery and combating osteoporosis in older HIV patients. Others will look at how to help asthma sufferers who cannot control their condition, new treatments for resistant types of breast cancer, and the impact of salt on kidney function. Many of these projects receiving funding today will go on to make a real difference to people’s lives, not just in Ireland but around the world.”
The research teams are spread across Ireland, with researchers linked to TCD, UCD, NUI Galway, UCC, RCSI, Athlone Institute of Technology, Maynooth University and University of Limerick.
Launch of new Children and Young People Palliative care website
On Wednesday the All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) launched a new website for the parents, guardians and carers of children and young people with life limiting conditions.
The Children and Young People Palliative Care website cypph.com was developed with a number of collaborators. It is aimed at assisting parents, guardians, carers and the wider public to understand what children’s palliative care is and to help them filter the wide range of information available on the internet.
At the launch Brian and Sharon Thompson spoke bravely about the tragic loss of their daughter Victoria at just nine months old. Living in Donegal, Brian and Sharon found it difficult to access information and services locally. For them the palliative care approach provided at the Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice was a very positive experience for Victoria and for them.
“Every professional had time to talk to you, to sit with you. We were allowed to be Victoria’s parents. We could relax a little knowing her needs were being met. Children’s palliative care needs strong voices. Parents should be able to give children the best, especially children at the end of life,” Sharon said.