Questions

2128. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has formally approved or endorsed the current key performance indicator framework used by the National Ambulance Service in relation to emergency response times; the date on which that framework was last reviewed by her Department; and whether consideration has been given to introducing a maximum response time threshold for life-threatening…

2129. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the absence of a defined maximum response time threshold for life-threatening emergency ambulance calls has been assessed by her Department as a governance or patient safety risk; and whether any such assessment has been recorded within the Department’s risk management framework. [20323/26]

2130. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has required the Health Service Executive to provide any analysis of emergency ambulance response times exceeding 60 minutes for clinical status 1 purple or red calls; whether such analysis has been reviewed at Departmental level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20324/26]

2131. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has considered whether delays exceeding 60 minutes in response to life-threatening emergency calls should automatically trigger review under the HSE Incident Management Framework; and if so, the outcome of that consideration. [20325/26]

2132. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department of Health receives any routine reporting from the Health Service Executive regarding extreme outlier emergency ambulance response times, including delays exceeding 60 minutes for life-threatening emergencies; the format in which such information is reported; and whether this information forms part of Departmental oversight of patient safety…

2133. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department of Health Enterprise Risk Management Framework currently identifies prolonged emergency ambulance response times as a strategic or operational risk; and if so, the risk rating assigned and the mitigation measures identified. [20327/26]

2134. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has undertaken or commissioned any review since 2020 examining the relationship between prolonged ambulance response times and patient outcomes in Ireland; and if so, the title and date of any such review. [20328/26]

2135. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has considered the introduction of national reporting requirements for extreme ambulance response delays for life-threatening emergencies in order to strengthen transparency and patient safety oversight. [20329/26]

2136. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the governance arrangements between her Department and the Health Service Executive require the HSE to notify the Department where systemic patterns of prolonged ambulance response delays emerge; and if so, the mechanism through which such notification occurs. [20330/26]

2137. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Health to clarify the position with respect to healthcare workers suffering from long-Covid and Critical Illness Protocols. [20331/26]

2138. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has approved, endorsed or accepted a policy position that emergency ambulance response delays exceeding 60 minutes in life-threatening clinical status 1 purple or red calls do not automatically constitute patient safety incidents requiring review under the HSE Incident Management Framework; and if such a policy position exists, to provide t…

2139. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the planned Douglas Health Centre; and when it is expected to proceed to construction. [20338/26]

2140. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the data available on the treatment abroad scheme; to provide a breakdowns per speciality or treatment available; and the reports made to her Department each year on the number of patients and type of treatment undertaken abroad by patients for treatment not available here. [20340/26]

2141. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if she considers there to be good data records maintained on the treatment abroad scheme; and if she is satisfied that there is sufficient oversight and transparency of the scheme. [20341/26]

2142. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the Health Service Executive has commissioned, received, or reviewed any internal audit, external audit, or independent validation report concerning the accuracy and reliability of patient experience time data used to record emergency department waiting times; the date of the most recent such review; and if she will make a statement on t…

2143. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Health Service Executive has quantified the error rate, margin of error, or data reliability level associated with patient experience time data used to measure emergency department waiting times; whether any formal statistical assessment of data accuracy has been undertaken; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20359/26]

2144. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the governance framework currently in place governing the collection, validation, correction, and publication of patient experience time data used to measure emergency department waiting times at national and hospital level; and whether formal national standards exist governing data accuracy and reporting in this regard. [20360/26]

2145. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any national policy, guidance document, or standard operating procedure exists governing the way hospitals record, amend, or retrospectively enter timestamps used to calculate patient experience time in emergency departments; and whether such procedures are subject to oversight or compliance review by the Department or the Health Service Executive. [20361…

2146. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department or the Health Service Executive publishes, or intends to publish, any data quality assurance reports, validation summaries, or audit findings relating to the accuracy of emergency department waiting time statistics; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20362/26]

2147. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a national standard definition is applied across the Health Service Executive for reporting counselling activity within the counselling in primary care service and the childhood abuse or neglect counselling service; specifically whether reporting distinguishes between new clients, returning clients and the number of sessions delivered; and if she will mak…

2148. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department or the Health Service Executive has issued national policy guidance governing how counselling activity statistics are compiled and reported by Health Regions, including definitions used for client numbers and activity totals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20371/26]

2149. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Health Service Executive conducts any national audit, verification or quality assurance process to ensure consistency and accuracy in counselling activity data submitted by Health Regions to the National Business Information Unit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20372/26]

2150. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether national counselling activity statistics published by the Health Service Executive are adjusted or reconciled to avoid double counting where an individual client receives multiple counselling sessions within a reporting period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20373/26]

2151. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has considered introducing a centralised national reporting framework for counselling activity within the Health Service Executive in order to ensure consistency of definitions and comparability of activity data across Health Regions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20374/26]

2152. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the Health Service Executive maintains a national data dictionary, reporting manual or technical guidance document defining the indicators and activity measures used in HSE national performance reporting; whether such documentation is provided to Health Regions when submitting activity data through Corporate Information Facility reportin…