Nursing Homes Ireland

Lobbying Organisation Nursing Homes Ireland

Date published 18 Jan, 2017

Relevant Matter Legislation

Public Policy Area Health

Period 1 Sep, 2016 to 31 Dec, 2016

Specific Details Necessity for long-withheld fees payable to HSE nursing homes to be publicly published; introduction of a funding model within nursing home sector that recognises costs of providing high dependency, specialist care; long-term planning for healthcare services, with specific focus upon escalating requirement for nursing home care; necessity to ensure nursing homes - specialist healthcare facilties within communities - are utilised to provide care in the community, removed from acute settings

Intended results To advance the specific issues outlined on behalf of private and voluntary nursing homes

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Tadhg Daly, CEO, Nursing Homes Ireland

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Letter (1)

Letter to Deputy Seán Fleming, Chair of the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee, stating necessity for Committee to examine the huge chasm in fees payable by the State for provision of nursing home care between HSE nursing homes and their private / voluntary counterparts.

Meeting (1)

Meeting with Minister of State for Older People Helen McEntee and older person stakeholders at Department of Health consultation

Meeting (1)

NHI Meeting with Senator Padraig Ó Céidigh to discuss the challenges and threats to the sustainability of nursing home care, and advance role of nursing home sector in supporting wider healthcare delivery.

Submission (1)

Briefing to Minister with Responsibility for Older Persons Helen McEntee TD to provide overview of nursing home care, inform of the role it fulfils in care provision and sustaining jobs, threats to the sustainability of nursing home care, measures required to place nursing home providers on a sustainable footing.

Submission (1)

NHI submission to Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Healthcare. The submission advanced a number of recommendations, including requirement for evidence-based funding model for Fair Deal; utilisation of the expertise, purpose built facilities, specialist equipment and staff within nursing homes to extend provision of care services such as Day Care, Independent and Supported living; development and resourcing of a continuum of care that ensures our older population can avail of the specialist care they require at each appropriate stage with ‘ring-fenced’ budgets; workforce planning to meet our population’s healthcare needs; a clear and cohesive policy and national strategy for the long-term care of our older population, with certainty, transparency and equality of funding arrangements. Submission forwarded to Chair Deputy Roisin Shortall and Oireachtas Health Committee Chair Deputy Michael Harty.

Meeting (1)

Meeting with Senator Colm Burke to brief and inform regarding the challenges facing the nursing home sector & role of nursing home sector in supporting healthcare delivery and alleviating overcrowding in Irish hospitals

Meeting (1)

Presentation before the Department of Health led Interdepartmental Working Group to advance recommendations advanced within Review of the Nursing Home Support Scheme. Presentation advanced it is imperative the Nursing Home Support Scheme (Fair Deal) funding model recognises costs incurred to provide high dependency, 24/7 care nursing homes specialise in providing.

Letter (1)

Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Healthcare informing of role of private and voluntary nursing home sector in meeting our long-stay residential care requirements and seeking opportunity to present before committee.

Letter (1)

Letters to Minister for Health Simon Harris TD re: GP services to nursing home residents, GMS Contract and obligations of GPs in the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 (as amended) Seeking opportunity to meet to advance pressures upon provision of nursing home care and role of sector in supporting wider healthcare delivery

Meeting (1)

Meeting with Department of Health and other stakeholders to advance the nurse registration process and requirement for workforce planning to plan for growing demand for nursing care.

Phone call (1)

With Deputy Billy Kelleher TD to discuss Winter Planning and measures to alleviate pressures upon A & E departments

Phone call (2-5)

With Senator Colm Burke to inform publication by HSE of cost of care in its nursing homes has highlighted huge gulf in fees payable to HSE nursing homes by comparison with private / voluntary counterparts.

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Helen McEntee Minister of State (Department of Health)

Colm Burke Senator (Seanad)

Pádraig Ó Céidigh Senator (Seanad)

Seán Fleming TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Róisín Shortall TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Simon Harris Minister (Department of Health)

Michael Harty TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Billy Kelleher TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)