Written Answers Nos. 551-565
551. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of a call by an organisation (details supplied) for the development and implementation of a national strategy to reduce epilepsy-related deaths; if he will action this strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46326/23]
View answerThe HSE has developed a National Clinical Programme on epilepsy led by Dr Ronan Kilbride and I have referred your query to them for direct response.
552. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he intends to make provision for a range of different models of general practice; if his attention has been drawn to the concerns of GPs in relation to the determination by the Tax Appeals Commission regarding GMS income (details supplied); if he intends to examine the GMS contract in view of this clarification of the legal and administrative position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46327/23]
View answerThe collection of taxes and issues relating to the interpretation of tax law are a matter for the Revenue Commissioners. However, I am aware of the concerns raised regarding new guidance to be issued shortly by the Revenue Commissioners regarding the tax treatment of GP's GMS income.
Officials from my Department and the HSE have engaged with the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Finance to understand the context of the new guidance and to identify the potential operational issues which may arise following its publication.
Importantly, the guidance does not reflect a change in tax law, but clarifies how GPs’ GMS income should be treated for the purposes of tax under current tax law. To assist GPs and GP practices in complying with their obligations under tax legislation, Revenue will publish detailed guidance shortly. This will supplement the guidance issued to tax practitioners, through the Tax Administration Liaison Committee, in July of this year clarifying the correct tax treatment of GMS income. To allow GPs and GP practices time to make any necessary adjustments to their arrangements to ensure compliance with applicable tax policy and legislation, Revenue have implemented transitional arrangements up to the end of 2023.
My Department and the HSE are also engaged with the IMO and will remain engaged with them to address the potential operational issues raised.
The Strategic Review of General Practice, which is now under way, will examine the current contractual arrangements for the GMS, as well as other issues, and will propose measures necessary to modernise the contract.
553. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will address a series of matters (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46351/23]
View answerSharing the Vision and Connecting for Life have a number of recommendations related to both digital technologies and accessibility, and the Department of Health continues to progress these through policy and strategy implementation processes to promote mental health at population level, as well as optimising the use of telehealth/telepsychiatry for service delivery.
The Mental Health Unit of the Department of Health continues to work closely with stakeholders in digital mental health including:
- Healthy Ireland in the development of the National Mental Health Promotion Plan which is due for publication in Q4 2023.
- The new HSE Youth Mental Health Office in relation to the role of digital technologies and online platforms for the purposes of mental health promotion to young people, as well as early intervention for children and young people.
- HSE counterparts in relation to the HSE Digital Mental Health Strategy that is in an advanced stage of development.
- The newly formed stakeholder group regarding online safety in the context of suicide prevention (NOSP/NSRF/Headline/Samaritans).
- International counterparts to support the work of the Expert Group on Digital Mental Health
- With DoH colleagues in relation to the use of digital mental health in the context of health information systems and data-driven decision making.
A Digital Mental Health Specialist Group was convened by HSE Mental Health Operations in May 2022, with representation from HSE Psychology, HSE National Counselling Service, HSE Community Operations, HSE Mental Health & Well-being, Mental Health Reform, the National Office for Suicide Prevention, Community Creations (Crisis Textline, 50808) and academia. The role of this group is to provide oversight and support the HSE to implement recommendations 2 and 31 of Sharing the Vision Implementation Plan 2022-2024, which advocate for the use of digital solutions to promote and support mental health. These are:
2 - Evidence-based digital and social media channels should be used to the maximum to promote mental health and to provide appropriate signposting to services and supports.
31 - The potential for digital health solutions to enhance service delivery and empower service users should be developed .
A key output of the Specialist Group is the development of a HSE Digital Mental Health Action Plan to cover a period of 18 months, to be followed by a longer term Strategic Action Plan up to 2030. The recent report by Mental Health Reform and HSE Mental Health Engagement and Recovery: Digital Inclusion and Access to Mental Health Services outlined key recommendations on digital inclusion. These were presented to the HSE Digital Mental Health Specialist Group and have been incorporated into the draft Digital Mental Health Action Plan, which includes actions related to services & supports, governance, resourcing and strategy.
Budget 2024 saw the total allocation for mental health services reach approximately €1.3 billion, which is the fourth year in a row in which the mental health budget has been increased. This significant investment will enable continued policy implementation and service improvement in line with our national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision. This year’s budget allocation builds on the investment this Government has made over the last number of years to deliver the policy priorities of Sharing the Vision through the provision of mental health supports across a broad continuum from mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention, to acute and specialist mental health service delivery, and enabling us to continue to deliver our vital services to as many people as possible, as we move into 2024.
Funding has been secured in Budget 2024 to develop a youth mental health app to ensure that mental health services remain modern and innovative and that service delivery channels are used to the greatest extent possible. Young people approach services differently and can be more likely to engage with digital or online supports and information. The app will incorporate interactive supports to help young people maintain and improve mental health and well-being and provide dynamic signposting for child and youth services in the community, providing a responsive platform to guide each individual young person to the support that they need. The app will act as a type of one stop shop for accessing child and youth mental health services in the community.
As occurs each year following the Budget, discussions will now take place with the HSE on details relating to specific service initiatives in the context of preparing the HSE Service Plan 2024, including that for Mental Health.
554. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health to look into a matter on behalf of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46358/23]
View answerThe Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for pricing and reimbursement decisions under the community schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. Therefore, this matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
555. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health whether she will consider reconvening the HSE Working Group on Residential Treatment and Rehabilitation (Substance Users) to identify bed capacity issues currently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46379/23]
View answerIn 2006, the HSE appointed an expert working group to provide a detailed analysis and overview of known current residential treatment services and to advise on the future residential requirements of those affected by drug and alcohol use.
A copy of the working group's report is available at www.drugs.ie/resourcesfiles/reports/3966-42381118.pdf
As this question is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
556. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if a service will be retained (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46405/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
557. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if he will intervene in a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46418/23]
View answerThis is clinical matter between clinician and patient and neither the Minister for Health nor the Department of Health may intervene.
The Medical Cannabis Access Programme is operated by the Primary Care Reimbursement Service of the HSE and all applications must be made directly to them.
A Consultant Neurologist / Oncologist must make an application to the PCRS to register the patient on the Cannabis for Medical Use Register. The HSE Cannabis for Medical Use Register Application form must be completed by the prescribing medical consultant and the patient/parent/guardian. Persons added to the register will be issued with a Cannabis for Medical Use Registration (CMUR) number from the HSE PCRS and this CMUR number will be provided to the prescribing consultant on the Cannabis for Medical Use Prescription Form which must be used for prescribing these products. These products cannot legally be prescribed on any other prescription form.
Any queries in relation to applications should be addressed to the HSE at the following email address: pharmacy.response@hse.ie
558. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health his views on the success or otherwise of an agreement (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46419/23]
View answerGeneral Practitioners that hold GMS contracts for the provision of services to medical card and GP visit card holders, are required under their contract to make suitable arrangements for emergencies outside normal practice hours.
Over 2,500 GPs currently hold a GMS contract, and while they are not obliged to, most GPs participate in GP Out of Hours co-operatives to meet their outside of practice hours service requirements. A robust GP Out of Hours services ensures that, as much as possible, urgent care needs are met in the community and not in a hospital setting.
The ShannonDoc co-operative provides GP out of hours services for Limerick, North Tipperary and Clare. As with the other GP out of hours co-operatives, Shannondoc is a private organisation. However, the HSE provides significant funding to support out of hours co-operative services through service level agreements, with ShannonDoc having received almost exactly €5 million in HSE funding in 2022.
In relation to the specifics of the Service Level Agreement with Shannondoc, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
559. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm whether or not hospital consultants or treating physicians received a payment in any of the past ten years for switching patients from brand name medicines to generic medicines; if he will list the amounts paid to individual consultants if any such payments were made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46448/23]
View answerThe prescribing of Best Value Biologic (BvB) medicines is leading to significant savings for the health service, which is assisting us in facilitating access to new, innovative biological medicines for patients.
The HSE is actively engaged in implementing measures across a number of domains and under several initiatives, including the Acute Hospitals Drugs Management Programme, the HSE Medicines Management Programme (MMP), and within the Primary Care Reimbursement Service.
The HSE-MMP published recommendations in May 2019 in relation to the first two high tech biosimilar drugs, adalimumab and etanercept. The BVB programme has expanded to five switching programmes. As of the end of September 2023, over 25,000 patients are receiving more affordable biosimilar medicines. From the introduction of these initiatives to the end of 2022, savings have amounted to €234.45m.
In 2019, at the outset of the BVB programme, the HSE also introduced the Gainshare Initiative, which is no longer operating, which provided a financial incentive to public hospitals and clinics to pursue biosimilar treatment switching programmes. Any incentives provided under the Initiative were awarded to the prescribing department of the relevant hospital to be reinvested in services for the benefit of patients. No individual prescribers were given payment for choosing to engage with the safe, effective, and cost-effective prescribing practices promoted by BvB initiatives.
560. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Health if the option is available for suitable patients in County Donegal in need of intravenous therapy to be facilitated in their own community setting (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46450/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
561. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if a medical card application by a person (details supplied) can be reopened to allow for up-to-date supporting documents to be submitted in support of this application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46454/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
562. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health his views on whether additional incentives or pay increases are necessary for staff nurses working in bodies, such as St. Michael’s House, that receive direct funding from the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46455/23]
View answerAll public health sector employees in the HSE and Section 38 bodies such as St Michael House, including Staff Nurses, are paid in line with public pay policy, and the Department of Health Consolidated Salary Scales.
Changes to rates of pay occur periodically and are generally negotiated in partnership with the public sector unions as part of public sector pay talks. In advance of each Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA), a series of pay talks takes place between the trade unions and their representative bodies and the civil and public sector employer representatives. It is during the engagement at these pay talks that agreement is reached between the parties in relation to any revisions to public sector pay (including for Staff Nurses), in return for a set of agreed productivity and efficiency measures.
However, it is important to note that the current public service agreement ‘Building Momentum’ has provided several increases in respect of pay for staff of the public health sector since it was agreed in 2021.
Building Momentum was extended last year to run until the end of 2023, and additional increases were agreed as part of the extension in acknowledgement of the higher than anticipated rates of inflation that have emerged since 2021 and in particular the impact of the cost-of-living pressures.
Three additional pay adjustments totalling 6.5% are provided for under the extension over 2022 and 2023. These are increases to annualised basic rates of remuneration of 3% for 2 February 2022 (applied retrospectively), 2% for 1 March 2023, and a further increase of 1.5% or €750, whichever is greater, for 1 October 2023.
The original Building Momentum agreement provides benefits of 3%. In total, including the original Agreement and the extension, benefits over the lifetime of the agreement amount to increases of 9.5%, and in respect of lower paid public health sector employees, amounts to increases of 12.5% over its lifetime.
It is not possible to negotiate any changes to public servant pay rates outside of the PSSA process.
563. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce regional rehabilitation services for amputees. [46473/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
564. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE vacancies, by job title in the HSE National Antimicrobial Resistant Team; the estimated full-year cost of filling each of the vacancies; when will these vacancies be filled, in tabular form. [46474/23]
View answerAs this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently not in a position to answer PQs due to industrial action. It is hoped that normal services will resume soon. In the meantime, this Department will continue to refer PQs to HSE for their direct reply as soon as possible.
565. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE gastroenterologists registrars based in Naas General Hospital in 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [46475/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
