Written Answers Nos.636-659
636. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health what constitutes day care services in relation to hospital procedures; the minimum standard of care to qualify as a day procedure; if there is a defined location as to where procedures should be carried out to qualify; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52339/12]
View answerA patient is described as a day case where they are admitted on an elective basis for care and/or treatment, do not require the use of a hospital bed over night, and have been admitted and discharged on the same day. The procedure or treatment must be codeable in the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry System (HIPE) as a daycase; this typically requires that the procedure or treatment take place in a dedicated daycase ward/area. Treatments or tests are performed for many different surgical or medical conditions and the decision on whether the patient should be treated as a daycase is a clinical one.
637. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the amount invested by the Health Service Executive and St. James's Hospital on nursing home facilities at Brú Caoimhghnín, Cork Street, Dublin, each year for the past 10 years. [52345/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
638. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the intended future use of each of the three existing paediatric hospitals once the new national children's hospitals has been completed and opened; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52346/12]
View answerThe new children’s hospital is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and the largest project within the current Capital Plan . I recently announced the Government’s decision to develop the new children’s hospital at the campus of St James’s Hospital in Dublin.
This decision has been made in the best interests of children, with clinical considerations being of paramount importance. Co-location, and ultimately tri-location with a maternity hospital, on the St James's campus will support the provision of excellence in clinical care that our children deserve.
The intended future use of the existing paediatric hospitals, once the new national children's hospital has been completed and opened remains to be considered.
639. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health his future plans for the maternity hospitals in Dublin city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52347/12]
View answerA comprehensive review of maternity and gynaecology services in the greater Dublin area was completed in 2008. The 2008 KPMG Independent Review of Maternity and Gynaecology Services in the Greater Dublin Area report noted ‘it is well recognised that for optimal clinical outcome, maternity services should be co-located with adult acute services, or in the case of neonatology and fetal medicine tri-located with adult and paediatric services’. The report noted that Dublin’s model of stand alone maternity hospitals is not the norm internationally and recommended that the Dublin maternity hospitals should be co-located with adult acute services and that one of the three new Dublin maternity facilities should be built on the site of the new national paediatric hospital. Maternity and paediatric service co-location has advantages for infants with congenital malformations, for fetal medicine or complications which require neonatal surgery. Maternity and adult service co-location has advantages for mothers in providing on-campus rapid and ready access to non-obstetric specialist expertise, and to specialist surgery and intensive care in the case of major obstetric emergency.
In this context the proposal in 2008 was that the National Maternity Hospital be relocated to St Vincent's, the Coombe to Tallaght and the Rotunda to the Mater, and the maternity hospitals have been working with the relevant adult sites to progress this.
There will be early discussions with the maternity hospitals regarding their maternity /adult co-location plans in the context of the recent Government decision to build the new children’s hospital on the St James’s campus. Notwithstanding this, I am committed to the intent of the report - that the Dublin maternity hospitals be located alongside adult acute services - while also bearing in mind the need to plan for the provision of tri-located paediatric , adult and maternity services, as is the intention in relation to the new children’s hospital. Management and delivery of health infrastructure programmes, including financing, is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive. However, maternity service capital projects cannot be dealt with in isolation – they must be considered in the context of the HSE's multi-annual programme. In prioritising capital projects within its overall capital allocation, the HSE must take into account existing capital commitments and costs to completion over the period.
Work on the draft Capital Plan for the next multi-annual period, 2013-2017, is in progress and will be submitted to my Department in due course. My Department will then review the proposals and follow up with the HSE where further details may be required. The draft Capital Plan 2013-2017 will require my approval, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
My concern, with maternity services as with all health issues, is with patient benefit and patient outcomes. There is a real opportunity for the Dublin maternity service providers to further strengthen their relationship with their partner adult hospital at the earliest opportunity to realise clinical and financial benefits and efficiencies well in advance of physical co-location. We must use, within the acute system, our extremely limited health resources for the maximum possible benefit and to deliver safe, modern services. Any decision on the future delivery of maternity services in Dublin, including the location of those services, will be made in this context.
640. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive a hip replacement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52366/12]
View answerThe management of daycase and inpatient waiting lists for patients awaiting public health care is based on the principle that after urgent and cancer patients are treated, then clinically assessed routine patients should be seen in chronological order (i.e. longest waiter first).
Should the patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he/she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved.
In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
641. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Health if the €5 million allocated in the Health Service Executive's 2012 National Service Plan for mental health in primary care and access to psychotherapy services will be spent for this purpose in 2012; the date on which the 10 posts for mental health in primary care and access to psychotherapy services will be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52374/12]
View answer706. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the promised investment of €35 million annually in community mental health (details supplied) [52952/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 641 and 706 together.
Funding from the €35 million special allocation for mental health will be used primarily to further strengthen Community Mental Health Teams in both Adult and Children’s mental health services. Some of the funding will also be used to advance activities in the area of suicide prevention and to initiate the provision of psychological and counselling services in primary care, specifically for people with mental health problems. Provision is also being made to facilitate the re-location of mental health service users from institutional care to more independent living arrangements in their communities, in line with A Vision for Change.
414 posts were approved to implement the €35 million package of special measures for mental health. To date 17 posts have been filled and over 270 offers of employment have already been accepted and the appointments are proceeding. Interviews for the 10 posts for the psychological and counselling services in primary care were completed last week and the results will be issued shortly. The start dates for these 10 posts are expected to be in early 2013 to allow for the process of checking references etc. while most of the other start dates are expected to commence in December 2012. The Government remains committed to engaging these professionals as soon as is feasible and the work of completing the process remains a priority.
With regard to the level of funding for mental health next year, this is being considered as part of the Estimates and budgetary process for 2013 which is currently underway.
642. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 will receive orthodontic treatment from the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52381/12]
View answerThe HSE provides orthodontic treatment to patients based on their level of clinical need. An individual's access to orthodontic treatment is determined against a set of clinical guidelines and priority is given to patients with greatest needs. The HSE has been asked to examine the specific query raised by the Deputy and to reply to her as soon as possible.
643. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Health the amount of funding available in 2012 for the various drug task forces; the criteria used in the allocation of these funds by individual task forces; if the task forces are regularly audited; if he is satisfied that the distribution of funding by the various task forces reflects the work and effort by the individual members of each task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52401/12]
View answerEach Drugs Task Force has an annual funding allocation from my Department for community-based drugs initiatives. The 2012 Allocation in respect of each Task Force is detailed in the table below.
The Drugs Task Forces are expected to have regard to the following criteria in determining allocations to individual projects:-
a) Needs identified locally;
b) Outcome of evaluation process of individual projects;
c) Need to secure approval of Department for any material change to the purpose of a funded project;
d) The need to safeguard public funding;
e) The need to protect front line service provision in line with Government policy.
The funding of projects is channelled through Government Departments and State Agencies, including the HSE, the Department of Social Protection, the VECs and Local Authorities. Organisations responsible for the delivery of projects are required to maintain proper governance arrangements, to have systems and practices for the proper management and administration of finances and to comply with tax and accounting requirements. In addition, Drugs Task Forces are required to submit an annual report to my Department in relation to their activities and annual audited accounts in relation to public funds expended directly by them.
|
Local Drugs Task Force |
2012 Allocation |
|
Ballyfermot |
1,569,489 |
|
Ballymun |
1,180,695 |
|
Blanchardstown |
1,124,343 |
|
Bray |
1,573,101 |
|
Canal Communities |
1,562,243 |
|
Clondalkin |
1,421,577 |
|
Cork |
1,578,581 |
|
Dublin 12 |
1,120,360 |
|
Dublin North East |
1,228,782 |
|
Dun Laoghaire |
926,67 |
|
Finglas Cabra |
936,590 |
|
Dublin North Inner City |
2,369,624 |
|
Dublin South Inner City |
2,161,821 |
|
Tallaght |
1,250,347 |
|
Total |
20,003,720 |
|
Regional Drugs Task Force |
2012 Allocation |
|
East Coast Area |
851,596 |
|
Midlands |
849,513 |
|
Mid West |
1,496,428 |
|
North East |
986,091 |
|
North West |
765,610 |
|
North Dublin City & County |
826,087 |
|
South East |
1,132,703 |
|
South West |
849,524 |
|
Southern |
1,034,305 |
|
Western |
702,677 |
|
Total |
9,494,534 |
|
Overall Total |
29,498,254 |
644. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health his plans to tackle the waiting lists that exist for routine surgeries for public patients between now and 2016; when he plans to roll out the universal health insurance, in view of the fact that at present a simple surgery such as fitting for grommets is taking up to two and a half years in the public health system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52431/12]
View answerA priority action for the HSE has been the development and implementation of standardised reporting for outpatient access through the HSE Outpatient Data Quality Programme. This has enabled reporting of Outpatient Waiting Lists from January 2012. Subsequently, waiting times have been published on www.hse.ie each month as part of the HSE Performance Reports. The latest HSE Performance Report for September 2012 shows that the total number of patients waiting for a first time outpatient appointment, as of 18th October is 385,462, 71.1% of whom are waiting less than 12 months.
Building on the work done by the HSE, the National Treatment Purchase Fund has now taken over the collection of outpatient waiting time data. Its methodology replicates the approach taken with the collection of inpatient and day case waiting times. The collation and analysis of outpatient waiting time data in a standardised format, revealing the distribution of long waiters across all hospitals, allows the SDU and the NTPF, in the first instance, to target their resources towards those patients who are waiting longest and ensure that they are seen and assessed. Over the course of 2013-2015 the HSE together with the SDU and the HSE Clinical Programmes intends to radically reform the structure, organisation and delivery of outpatient services to ensure that the right patient is seen and assessed by the right health professional at the right time. Key elements of this large programme of reform will include on-going validation of waiting lists, the systematic and standardised management of referrals from primary care, a reduction in unacceptably high ‘do not attend’ rates and appropriate discharging from outpatient services when clinically appropriate to do so.
A maximum waiting time target of 12 months for a first time outpatient appointment by 30 November 2013, 26 weeks by 30 November 2014 and 13 weeks by Nov 2015 are the goals for the HSE and the SDU.
645. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the date on which a comprehensive set of supports will be in place for those affected by narcolepsy associated with the vaccine pandemrix; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52433/12]
View answer646. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if he will detail his contact with the SOUND group dealing with sufferers of narcolepsy associated with pandemrix; and any commitment made to the group [52434/12]
View answer648. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health when he will bring the package of supports for the narcolepsy sufferers arising from the H1N1 vaccine before Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52439/12]
View answer667. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding proposals for a package of supports for persons who developed narcolepsy as a result of vaccination with pandemrix; the reasons for the delay in bringing the proposals to Dáil Eireann; when he expects to re-establish contact with members of Sufferers of Unique Narcolepsy Disorder; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52585/12]
View answer684. Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Minister for Health the date on which he proposes to put a paper to the Government on foot of the recommendations of the final report of the National Narcolepsy Study Steering Committee which concluded that the increased incidence of narcolepsy in children and adolescents here since 2009 came as a result of the a side affect of the Pandemrix vaccine administered for the H1N1 virus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52786/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 645, 646, 648, 667 and 684 together.
The association between Pandemic vaccination and an increased risk of narcolepsy in children/adolescents is acknowledged in the report of the National Narcolepsy Study Steering Committee. However, causation has not been established. My priority is to ensure that the children/adolescents affected are provided with services and supports to meet their health needs. e HSE and the Department of Education and Skills together provide a comprehensive range of services and supports to those affected. These supports and services include access to rapid diagnosis, clear treatment pathways, temporary medical cards and reimbursement of expenses incurred. Multi-disciplinary assessments which allow for the appropriate individualised health and educational supports to be put in place are ongoing. e National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) is also engaging with the HSE and with the individual schools and parents of children concerned to identify and provide educational supports for the children and adolescents affected.
Both myself and officials from my Department and the Department of Education and Skills has met SOUND on a number of occasions, to outline the services available. At our most recent meeting, in July 2012, I reiterated my commitment to bring a Memorandum to Cabinet setting out the full response to the issue. My Department is considering all possible supports which may need to be put in place for those affected. Any such supports require my approval and the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. A further meeting with representatives from SOUND will be arranged when the matter has been concluded.
647. Deputy Ann Phelan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of all of the voluntary organisations here in receipt of grants under Section 39 of the Health Act; if he will indicate the hierarchy of such organisations and the amount the chief executive officers or equivalent are receiving in salaries per annum; if he intends to question these salary levels in the public interest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52437/12]
View answerI have referred this matter to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. Organisations may receive grants from the HSE under Section 39 of the Health Act 2004 to provide a service similar or ancillary to a service that the HSE may provide. Staff in such independent organisations are not public servants and are not specifically subject to the pay scales approved for public servants.
649. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health his plans to tackle obesity here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52469/12]
View answer650. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health the statistics available to him in relation to obesity here; the number of Irish adults that are now obese; the number that are men; the number that are women; the way the figures compare to other countries; the level of increase in obesity here in the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52470/12]
View answer651. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health if there is a specific strategy in place to tackle child obesity; the number of Irish children that are obese; the way this compares to 10 years ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52471/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 649 to 651, inclusive, together.
Some 61% of Irish adults ( 18-64 years ) are overweight or obese- 70% men and 52% women. Levels of overweight and obesity have increased in the last 20 years, with a rise from 51% in 1990 to 61 % in 2011. In men, the increase was 11% -from 59% to 70%. In women, the increase was also 11% -from 41% to 52%. In adults aged 65 and over, there has been a decrease in obesity, but an increase in overweight over the last 3 to 4 years and this increase in overweight can be seen particularly in men. Almost 8 in every 10 adults 65 years and over are overweight or obese, compared to 6 in 10 adults 18-64 years.
Recent data for overweight and obesity in the European Union (EU 27) compiled by the International Association for the Study of Obesity ranks Ireland as 1st in Europe for overweight and obesity in males (70%) and 4th for females (52%)
Children
There has been a two-to-fourfold increase in overweight and obesity in children aged 8–12 years from 1990 to 2005. Current figures show that 1 in 4 primary school children are overweight or obese and 1 in 5 teenagers are overweight or obese. Girls are more likely to be overweight or obese. The recent Growing Up in Ireland survey found that in children as young as 3 year of age, 1 in 4 are overweight or obese.During 2011, I established a Special Action Group on Obesity comprising key stakeholders and chaired by my own Department. Its remit is to examine and progress a number of issues to address the complex and multi-factorial problem of obesity. It has long been recognised that alone no single initiative will reverse this growing trend, but a combination of measures should make a difference. For this reason the Special Action Group is concentrating on a range of measures including actions such as: calorie posting in restaurants, the introduction of a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks, nutritional labelling, marketing of food and drink to children, the supply of healthy food products in vending machines, the detection and treatment of obesity, healthy eating guidelines and the promotion of physical activity. When necessary the Group will liaise with other Departments and organisations in a cross-sectoral approach to help halt the rise in overweight and obesity .
652. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health the number of weight loss operations that have been carried out by the health service here in 2010, 2011 and to date in 2012; the number of hospitals here providing these operations; the waiting list for such an operation; the number of persons currently waiting on an operation for weight loss; the amount of funding in place for such operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52472/12]
View answerI have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
653. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health the number of patients accessing weight management services in hospitals here; the amount of funding that was provided to these services in 2010, 2011 and to date in 2012; the number of persons on a waiting list to access these services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52473/12]
View answerThis Parliamentary Question has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
654. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the number and standard of ambulance vehicles and levels of medical staff available throughout County Clare is adequate to support the cardiovascular services available at Limerick Regional Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52491/12]
View answerThe National Ambulance Service is responsible for the provision of national pre-hospital emergency care. It deploys its emergency resources, including ambulances, paramedic staff and rapid response personnel, in a dynamic manner and works on an area and national, rather than a local, basis. The dynamic deployment of ambulance resources ensures that the nearest appropriate resource is mobilised to the location of any incident.
As the issue raised is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy in this matter.
655. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo who had home help hours cut without any review; if he will immediately review this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52495/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply
656. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive a transfer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52496/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
657. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if funding will be provided for Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland in counties Cork and Kerry in 2013 for the provision of a family support worker; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52506/12]
View answerPending completion of the national estimates, budgetary and service planning process for 2013 it is not possible to predict the service levels to be provided next year.
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.
658. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of staff in his Department or in bodies which fall under the remit of his Department whose annual remuneration including salary, pension and benefits at 31 December 2011 fell into bands of €400,000 and above, between €300,000 to €399,999, between €200,000 to €299,999 and between €150,000 to €199,000; and if he will provide a breakdown of the positions held by the staff in relevant pay brackets [52520/12]
View answerThe data relating to the Department of Health at 31st December, 2011, is detailed in the table following:
|
Salary Band |
No Staff |
Position |
|
€200,000 – 299,000 |
1 |
Secretary General |
|
€150,000 – 199,000 |
1 |
Chief Medical Officer |
With regard to the Health Service Executive, they have been asked to collate the data sought as soon as possible and it will be provided directly to the Deputy by them when available.
The information required by the Deputy in relation to the agencies under the remit of the Department is being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy.
659. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he has made any contacts requesting staff whose annual salary is more than €200,000 in his Department or in any body under the remit of his Department, to waive 15% of their salary or such amount in excess of €200,000 whichever is the lesser; if he has, the date on which he first made this contact; the number of staff who acquiesced to the request for the waiver; the number of staff who refused the request for the waiver and the number of staff who have not responded to the request for the waiver [52522/12]
View answerIn June 2011, the Government announced the introduction of pay ceilings for higher posts across the public service and for CEO posts in Commercial State Companies. As part of these measures, the Government also decided to seek, in the first instance, voluntary waivers of salary of 15%, or by a lesser amount if the application of the full 15% reduction would bring the salary levels of such individuals to below the proposed pay ceiling of €200,000 for the public service and €250,000 for CEOs of Commercial State Companies.
Within the HSE, the then CEO came within the terms of the Government Decision. The HSE made contact with my Department directly on 27 June 2011, to indicate that the CEO would make a voluntary waiver of 15% of his salary. The necessary formal arrangements were put in place to apply the waiver with effect from July 2011. No cases of non-acquiescence to this waiver arose in the HSE.
Apart from the HSE, no CEO/staff members in the non-commercial agencies under the remit of the Department received salaries in excess of €200,000.
The Decision did not apply to medical consultants, as a separate process in relation to their salaries and working practices was under consideration.
The VHI is the only commercial agency under the aegis of the Department. Accordingly, in July 2011, the Department wrote to the Chair requesting that relevant staff be asked to comply with the request for the voluntary waiver. The VHI response to the Department in October 2011 indicated that no voluntary waivers of salary would be made by any staff member. No member of staff of the Department of Health currently receives a salary in excess of €200,000 per annum. However, the annual salary of the former Secretary General of the Department, who retired on April 8th, 2012, was in excess of €200,000 but a voluntary surrender brought his annual salary below the €200,000 figure.
