Written Answers Nos. 238-247
238. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the waiting time for patients for a posterior instrumented correction procedure to be carried at Crumlin Hospital, Dublin, and when a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be given a confirmed date to have the procedure carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50229/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health service Executive for direct reply.
239. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health the number of medical card applications that have been successfully reviewed and awarded after failing a means test; the number of these that are patients who are in need of continuous mental health treatment; if he will provide a list of conditions that have been considered eligible by the Chief Medical Officer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50258/12]
View answerI am advised by the HSE that in total, 11,800 discretionary medical cards and GP visit cards were issued or renewed from January to September 2012.
Medical cards are not awarded to any particular group of patients on the basis of a specific medical condition. Under the provisions of the Health Act 1970, eligibility for health services in Ireland is based primarily on residency and means. Unsuccessful medical card applicants who indicate that they suffer from a particular medical condition are referred to the Medical Officer for consideration on a medical discretionary basis. The Medical Officer considers the medical condition and financial circumstances of the applicant on a case by case basis before making a decision. There is no breakdown of medical conditions currently available in relation to discretionary medical card / GP visit cards issued.
240. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health his views regarding the office of the Ombudsman Report entitled Too Old to be Equal; the recommendations therein; and if he has begun the process of changing the mobility allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50259/12]
View answerThis matter requires further consideration by Government in order to meet the requirements of the Equal Status Acts and to ensure no hardship for those currently in receipt of the Mobility Allowance. The Department of Health is seeking further legal advice as to the options available to the Government.
The Department is not in a position to amend the circular relating to the Mobility Allowance as recommended in the report. The recommendations, if implemented, would ignore the very serious financial constraints on the Department, the HSE and the State generally. Implementation of the recommendations would create liabilities that the State could not afford.
241. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Health the total cost of the ambulance service in West Cork for each of the past five years. [50260/12]
View answer242. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Health the estimated increase in the cost of providing improved ambulance service in west Cork under the new proposed system to be rolled out next year. [50261/12]
View answer243. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of patients that were admitted to hospital for each of the following time scales, for each of the past 24 months: one night, two nights or five nights plus after being transported there by emergency ambulance from West Cork [50262/12]
View answer244. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of patients that were discharged from care of the Health Service Executive after being transported to hospital by emergency ambulance from west Cork less than 24 hours after arriving to the hospital. [50263/12]
View answer245. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Health the average time paramedics will spend at Cork University Hospital after arriving with a patient to admit to the hospital before they are free to depart back to west Cork to provide ambulance cover in that area. [50264/12]
View answer246. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of routine non emergency patient transport requests that have been carried out by emergency ambulance for each of the past 24 months by emergency ambulances; the average time each of these services will last and the number of staff that will be with the patient on such a transfer including hospital staff and paramedics [50265/12]
View answer247. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of nights between 8p.m. and 8a.m. in tabular form for each of the past 24 months that the Health Service Executive received 999 emergency ambulance calls by quantity from one to fifteen for example one night two calls, six nights four calls and so on for each month [50266/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 241 to 247, inclusive, together.
As these are service matters, they have been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
