merrion street

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly TD today met with the COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel by videoconference. 

Speaking at the Department of Health, Minister Donnelly said

I met today with the Nursing Homes Expert Panel, and would like to thank them for the considerable body of work they have undertaken in a very short space of time.  The Expert Panel has submitted their interim report to me, and I will publish it in the coming days, once other stakeholders have received their copies.

The interim report demonstrates the Panel’s robust approach to their work, and the substantial stakeholder engagement process they have undertaken, especially the inclusion of the voice and the experience of residents and staff of nursing homes.

I look forward to receiving the Expert Panel’s final report by mid-July, and I wish the Panel the best in the completion of its important work in the coming weeks.

Notes to the Editor

The Nursing Homes Expert Panel was established on the recommendation of the National Public Health Emergency Team.  The purpose of the Panel is to examine the national and international responses to the COVID-19 crisis, and to examine the emerging best practice. COVID-19 is a new disease, which can present atypically in the frail elderly, and new evidence and best practice in its management are constantly emerging.

Further information, including Terms of Reference, Membership and Minutes are available on the Department of Health website