Written Answers Nos. 306-315
306. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) who is a quadriplegic living at home and needs to attend hospital regularly via ambulance, cannot source an ambulance, and as a result they have already missed crucial medical appointments because they cannot get the necessary ambulance transfer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2146/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
309. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on plans to address and cease unfair additional charges being applied to medical card holders in nursing homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2174/24]
View answerThe NHSS covers the cost of the standard components of long-term residential care which are:
• Nursing and personal care appropriate to the level of care needs of the person
• Bed and board
• Basic aids and appliances necessary to assist a person with the activities of daily living
• Laundry service
It excludes other costs such as therapies, more specialised aids and appliances, social activities, transport and individual items and services such as specialised laundry, newspapers and hairdressing. Many of these items were excluded from the definition of long-term residential care because they relate to services covered under the medical card or other eligibility schemes.
In mid-October, the HSE issued a directive to Chief Officers to provide all nursing homes, both public and private, with details on access to aids and appliances within their Community Healthcare Organisation. The memo also underlines that basic aids and appliances necessary to assist a person with the activities of daily living are included in the National Treatment Purchase Fund deed of agreement for private nursing homes. It is hoped that this communication will emphasize that eligibility for these services is the same, whether older people reside at home or in a public or private nursing home.
In addition, from 30th October 2023, it is expected all patients transferring from acute hospitals to nursing homes will be assessed by, and necessary care interventions delivered by, ICPOP and the wider primary care team, as appropriate. It is anticipated these interventions will have an impact on unnecessary transfers from nursing homes to acute hospitals.
The Department intends to work proactively with the HSE to improve equity of access to primary care services for private nursing home residents. The flexing of the ECC model and memo in relation to aids and appliances is a first step in this process.
Finally, a focused piece of work to examine various policy options in relation to additional charges in nursing homes is now underway. There are a number of separate factors driving this issue and potential actions to address each of these are being actively considered.
The Department has no baseline data on additional charges in private nursing homes in Ireland. To address this gap and to inform the above analysis, Department officials devised an anonymous provider survey, in collaboration with HIQA and representatives of private nursing home providers, to obtain a data sample. The survey closed on 20 December 2023 and the data submitted is currently being reviewed.
310. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) will receive an appointment for a procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2189/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
311. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) will receive an appointment for a procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2190/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
312. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will take action to assist in an urgent case of a person requiring access to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2236/24]
View answerThe National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) works with public hospitals, as opposed to with patients directly, to offer and provide the funding for treatment to clinically suitable long waiting patients who are on an Inpatient/Daycase or Outpatient waiting list.
The key criteria of the NTPF is the prioritisation of the longest waiting patients first. While the NTPF identifies patients eligible for NTPF funded treatment, it is solely on the basis of their time spent on a waiting list. The clinical suitability of the patient to avail of NTPF funded treatment is determined by the public hospital.
Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
313. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the total number of minors who have come to the attention of his Department or the HSE as having questioned their gender or expressed a desire to change their gender in each year from 2010 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2249/24]
View answerAs this a service issue I have referred the matter to the HSE for direct reply to the deputy.
314. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health the actions that are being taken to ensure public awareness and accessibility of vitamin D supplements in accordance with new recommendations issued by the Department of Health, regarding the extended use of vitamin D supplements by children and adults throughout the winter season up to St. Patrick’s Day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2264/24]
View answerIn the most recent scientific recommendations for food based dietary guidelines produced by the Food Standards Authority of Ireland (FSAI) it is recommended to take a Vitamin D supplement in addition to consuming a healthy well-balanced diet, to support bone health.
Since 2010, the HSE has recommended a 5 microgram (5g) daily vitamin D supplement in liquid or drop form for babies from birth to 12 months. This guidance was updated in 2020, limiting this recommendation to babies that are breastfed or taking less than 300mls of infant formula a day, reflecting the European Food Safety Authority’s approval of increased vitamin D levels in fortified infant formula and subsequent Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) advice.
In 2020, the Department of Health issued guidance recommending a 5 microgram (5g) vitamin D only supplement to be taken daily from Halloween (31st October) to St Patrick’s Day (17th March) in children from one to four years (inclusive). Guidance was also issued advising adults aged 65 and older to take a daily vitamin D supplement of 15 micrograms (15g), either as a multivitamin, a vitamin D-calcium combination or as a vitamin D only supplement, to support bone and muscle health throughout the year. The guidance also recommends a diet with regular intakes of natural sources of vitamin D, such as oily fish, eggs, and vitamin D-fortified foods.
In response to a request by the Department of Health, the FSAI prepared and published a report in February 2023 on vitamin D recommendations for the rest of the population, as an adjunct to healthy eating guidelines previously published in 2016. The report outlines how people aged 5–65 years can achieve optimal Vitamin D intakes for long term bone and muscle health.
In addition to food sources, vitamin D supplements are recommended for everyone for at least part of the year. Children aged 5 to 12 are recommended to take a vitamin D supplement of 10 micrograms (10 g) daily through the winter months- from Halloween (October 31st) to St Patrick’s Day (17th March) while those aged 13 up to 65 are recommended to take 15 micrograms (15 g). Pregnant women and people of dark-skinned ethnicity should take a Vitamin D supplement all year round.
Resources have been produced by the Department of Health to indicate the recommended amount of Vitamin D based on your age and situation and they are available on HSE and gov.ie websites. The resources are being distributed to health centres and pharmacies around the country, so healthcare professionals can advise the public on appropriate supplement intakes. Vitamin D supplements can be taken as a tablet, liquid drops or spray and are included in many multi vitamin preparations. They are widely available from supermarkets, health food shops and pharmacies with a range of prices.
315. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if a consultant radiologist suspended from UHK before Christmas has been reinstated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2269/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
