Written Answers Nos. 206-214
206. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter regarding overruns of the health service executive budget (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43977/12]
View answerThe HSE is overspent by €373m to the end of September and is projected to have a deficit of approximately €550m at the end of the year if expenditure continues at the current run rates. There is intensive engagement between my Department and the Health Service Executive to address the overrun in health expenditure. In the short term, to address the 2012 position, I have instructed the Executive to impose cash limits on agency and overtime. Furthermore, there will be more intensive management of absenteeism, travel and subsistence will be limited, and there will be more intensive management of stocks in order to better manage cash. Other measures are also being undertaken in order to achieve a balanced budget, including the use of capital to fund revenue and the transfer of Department funds to the HSE on a once-off basis.
I have instructed the Executive to provide fortnightly reports on the cash situation, and the Regional Directors are being required to more intensively manage the cash so as to achieve a balanced vote. On a strategic level my Department has undertaken a number of initiatives to address concerns around financial control in the HSE. These included engaging an expert from the UK NHS to examine the financial management of the HSE and make recommendations regarding strengthening and improving the management of its finances. PA Consultancy has been engaged to prepare an Action Plan for implementation of these recommendations, and this report is due in my Department shortly. In addition, a new Director General Designate has taken up position in the HSE and has been given a clear mandate in respect of controlling expenditure this year and putting forward proposals that deal with the challenge in 2013 and beyond.
My Department is working intensively with the HSE on proposals for submission to Government to address structural expenditure issues in the context of the 2013 Estimates. This includes reconfiguration of services, maximising the potential for flexibility under the Croke Park Agreement and curtailing expenditure in the Primary Care Reimbursement Service.
This is entirely appropriate and in keeping with the focus in the Programme for Government on reforming the way health services are funded and delivered to achieve greater productivity and more cost effective services.
207. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on home help (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43979/12]
View answerThe HSE has announced a reduction in the provision of home help hours as one of a number of measures required to address the current budget deficit, subject to home help services continuing to be available to those assessed as requiring them.
Contracts for home helps employed by external (non-HSE) providers are a matter for the individual provider. However, where external providers have service level agreements in place with the HSE it is a requirement of those agreements that the service provider would have appropriate contractual arrangements in place with their employees. A national contract of indefinite duration for Home Helps employed by the Health Service Executive (HSE) was agreed in 2006 with the relevant trade union as part of the work of the High Level Group established to review Home Help Services. The contracts of home help workers employed by the HSE have been the subject of further deliberation, including Labour Court consideration in the interim years.
On 29 June 2012 following a related hearing, the Labour Court recommended that the HSE and SIPTU should engage in relation to matters concerning home help contracts. The HSE has engaged with SIPTU concerning the recommendation and its deliberations are on-going. As part of this process it is currently undertaking an information gathering exercise to ascertain the up to date position regarding the nature of the contracts held by home helps and the hours worked under such contracts.
208. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health if he will arrange an early appointment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43989/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
209. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health if he will request the Health Service Executive to make physiotherapy services available to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44018/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
210. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health when a medical card will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44041/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
211. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate in the context of discussions and submissions of influence relating to the location of the new Children's Hospital, if he will have particular regard to the need to locate the hospital to facilitate the easiest possible accessibility form the point of view of children needing treatment and their parents; if he will undertake to ensure that the primary consideration for the location of the hospital will be patient driven; his views on whether easy and speedy access is of critical importance in the location of the hospital, that adequate parking and that ancillary facilities are available; the number and location of sites now being considered; if the planning consultancy costs to date can be offset against future proposals in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44042/12]
View answerAs you will be aware, I established an independent Review Group to consider the implications of the decision of An Bórd Pleanála, received on 23 February 2012, to reject the planning application for the proposed construction of a national paediatric hospital on the site of the Mater Misericordiae Hospital.
The aim of the Review was to consider all the possible options for the earliest possible delivery of a new children's hospital. The Review considered all the possible options having regard to –
- Government policy on the delivery of health services, including accessibility and paediatric services in particular and best clinical practice considerations,
- the cost and value for money considerations of the different options,
- the likely timelines associated with the different options,
- the implementation risks associated with the different options.
The group presented its report to me in June.
I can assure the Deputy that at the heart of any decision that is made in relation to the national paediatric hospital, the needs of the patient will be central to this process. In this regard I have been carefully considering the issues and will bring the report to Government shortly with my recommendation. Together in consultation with my colleagues in the cabinet we will then make a decision on the location of the national paediatric hospital.
212. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if and when a medical card will issue in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44043/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
213. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if he will review the application for primary medical certificate in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44044/12]
View answerApplications for Primary Medical Certificates are processed by the Health Service Executive through the local health offices. As the Deputy's question relates to service matters I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
214. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if any provision will be made whereby Bioxtra not currently on the GMS can be made available to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44046/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
