Friday 16 March 2001
Written Answers to Questions (Continued)

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) the remit of the Acute Hospitals Review Group (b) the total cost expended to date (c) the issues examined to date and (d) whether the Group is considering the number and location of Acute Hospitals.

(AQW 2094/00)

(a) The remit of the Acute Hospitals Review Group is "to review the current provision of acute hospital services and, taking account of the issues of local accessibility, safety, clinical standards and quality of services, to make recommendations to the Minister on the future profile of hospital services. In taking forward its work, the Review Group will be expected to take into account the views of individuals, organisations and groups with an interest or involvement in the provision of hospital services and assess the scope for co-operation in the provision of local services with hospitals in other parts of the island."

(b) The total cost expended to date is £156,000.

(c) The Review Group is an independent body and detailed information about the issues it has examined to date is not available.

(d) I expect that the Group is considering all issues relating to the future of acute hospital services.

(a) Is iad na téarmaí tagartha den Ghrúpa Athbhreithnithe Géarospidéal ná "athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar sholáthar seirbhísí géarospidéil faoi láthair agus ag cur san áireamh ceisteanna rochtana áitiúla, sábháilteachta, caighdéan cliniciúil agus cáilíocht seirbhísí, agus moltaí a dhéanamh leis an Aire ar phroifíl seirbhísí ospidéil amach anseo. Leis an obair s’aige a thabhairt chun tosaigh, beifear ag súil go cuirfidh An Grúpa Athbhreithnithe san áireamh: barúlacha daoine aonaracha, eagraíochtaí agus grúpaí a bhfuil spéis nó baint acu le seirbhísí ospidéil a sholáthar agus go ndéanfaidh sé measúnú ar an fhéidearthacht le comhoibriú i soláthar seirbhísí áitiúla le hospidéil in áiteanna eile ar an oileán."

(b) An méid iomlán airgid a caitheadh go nuige seo £156,000.

(c) Is comhlacht neamhspleách an Grúpa Athbhreithnithe agus níl an mioneolas ar fáil faoi na ceisteanna a scrúdaigh sé go nuige seo.

(d) Tá mé ag súil go mbeidh an Grúpa ag breathnú ar na ceisteanna uile a bhaineann le todhchaí seirbhísí géarospidéil.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) the number of children who are designated autistic (b) the number of health professionals who specialise in the treatment of autism (c) her policy on the care of autistic children and (d) what funding is targeted to improve both staff training and level of care towards this group.

(AQW 2095/00)

Ms de Brún: Information on numbers of children diagnosed with autism and health professionals specialising in its treatment is not collected centrally. Care of autistic children is provided under the Learning Disability Programme of Care and policy is set out in the Review of Policy for People with a Learning Disability, published by the then Department of Health and Social Services in 1995. My Department does not identify separate allocations for staff training or the care of children with autism. Resources are allocated to Health and Social Services Boards which, in partnership with Trusts, allocate those resources to best meet the needs of local populations, including the needs of children with autism.

Ní chruinnítear go lárnach eolas ar líonta na bpáistí fáthmheasta le huathachas agus na ngairmithe sláinte ag déanamh speisialtóireachta ar a chóireáil. Soláthraítear cúram do pháistí le huathachas faoin Chlár Cúraim Míchumais Fhoghlamtha agus leagtar an polasaí amach san Athbhreithniú ar Pholasaí do Dhaoine le Míchumas Foghlamtha, foilsithe ag an iar-Roinn Sláinte agus Seirbhísí Sóisialta i 1995. Ní aithníonn an Roinn s’agam dáiltí ar leith d’oiliúint foirne nó do chúram páistí le huathachas. Dáiltear acmhainní ar Bhoird Sláinte agus Seirbhísí Sóisialta a dháileann, i gcomhar le hIontaobhais, na hacmhainní sin sa dóigh is fearr le riachtanais dhaonraí áitiúla a chomhlíonadh, riachtanais pháistí le huathachas san áireamh.

Mr Berry asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the steps she is taking to increase the medical workforce across Northern Ireland.

(AQW 2114/00)

Ms de Brún: My Department constantly monitors workforce levels and demands and produces a workforce plan to meet these demands. Recently approval was given to an increase in the undergraduate student intake to the School of Medicine at The Queen’s University of Belfast.

Current numbers in higher specialist training are sufficient to increase consultant numbers by more than 10% over the next 4 years. In addition, the number of specialist trainees was increased by 7% in the past year in anticipation of further growth in consultant requirements. This reflects the commitment in the Programme for Government to developing a modern acute hospital service here. This commitment will also be reflected in the recruitment of additional medical and other front-line staff to reduce waiting lists and meet winter pressures, and the recruitment of additional medical staff to consolidate progress on the implementation of the cancer strategy.

Déanann an Roinn s’agam monatóireacht i gcónaí ar leibhéil agus ar éilimh na meithle oibre agus cuireann sí plean meithle oibre amach leis na héilimh seo a chomhlíonadh. Ar na mallaibh, tugadh cead do mhéadú i nglacadh isteach fochéimithe sa Scoil Leighis ag Ollscoil na Banríona, Béal Feirste.

Is leor na líonta atá i sainoiliúint níos airde faoi láthair le líonta na lianna a mhéadú níos mó ná 10% thar na 4 bliana seo chugainn. Ina theannta sin, tháinig méadú 7% i líon na sainphrintíseach sa bhliain seo a chuaigh thart in oirchill an tuillidh fháis i riachtanais lianna. Léiríonn sé seo an gealltanas sa Chlár Rialtais le seirbhís ghéarotharlainne nua-aimseartha a fhorbairt anseo. Léireofar an gealltanas seo in earcaíocht foirne leighis agus tosaigh eile breise le liostaí feithimh a laghdú, agus le dul i gceann brúnna Geimhridh, agus in earcaíocht foirne leighis breise leis an dul chun cinn i gcur i bhfeidhm na straitéise ailse a neartú.

Mr Berry asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the number of consultants per 100,000 of population in Northern Ireland.

(AQW 2115/00)

Ms de Brún: In the Health and Personal Social Services, at 30 September 2000 there were 49.3 whole time equivalent consultants per 100,000 population.

Ag an 30ú Meán Fómhair 2000, bhí 49.3 lia coibhéise ama iomláin ann de réir daonra 100,000 sna Seirbhísí Sláinte agus Sóisialta Pearsanta.

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what plans she has to reduce the current waiting time of eleven months for those children assessed in need of speech therapy in the parliamentary constituency of East Antrim.

(AQW 2119/00)

Ms de Brún: I refer the Member to my answer to AQW 2055/00.

Luaim don Bhall an freagra a thug mé ar AQW 2055/00.

Mr Armstrong asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the number currently on specialty waiting lists, for each Board Area, and comparative figures for each of the previous three years.

(AQW 2123/00)

Ms de Brún: Information on persons waiting for inpatient treatment and first outpatient appointment is available for the quarters ending September 2000, September 1999, September 1998 and September 1997 and is detailed in Tables 1 to 8 below.