Written Answers Nos. 1029-1047
1029. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will fill the post of domestic cook/cleaner at a care centre (details supplied) in County Kerry on a 39 hour week basis in view of the fact that the current situation is not acceptable and is a great inconvenience to service users who attend the centre from all parts of mid Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1181/13]
View answerThe filling of such a post is a matter for the Health Service Executive, and as such, the Deputy's enquiry has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1030. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding payment for medication in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5 [1182/13]
View answerMedical card holders are required to pay a €1.50 charge (per item) for medicines and other prescription items supplied to them by community pharmacists, subject to a cap of €19.50 per month for each person or family. Charges are not payable in respect of items supplied under the Long Term Illness Scheme. Prescription charges do not apply to children in the care of the HSE or to methadone supplied to patients participating in the Methadone Treatment Scheme.
1031. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will arrange an appointment at the earliest possible date in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1184/13]
View answerImproving access to outpatient services is the next priority for the Government. Building on work already undertaken by the HSE, the NTPF has now taken over the reporting of outpatient waiting time data. The collation and analysis of outpatient waiting time data in a standardised format will reveal the distribution of long waiters across all hospitals. In the first instance, this will allow the SDU and NTPF to target their resources towards those patients who are waiting longest and ensure that they are seen and assessed. A maximum waiting time target has now been set of 12 months for a first time outpatient appointment by 30 November 2013.
In parallel with reducing the numbers of longest waiters, the SDU will also work with the HSE Clinical Programmes to 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.
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.
1032. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a custom built wheelchair in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1190/13]
View answerAs 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.
1033. Deputy Ann Phelan asked the Minister for Health if he will investigate the case of a child (details supplied) in County Carlow who has been in long term care since June 2009 and who has been assessed by both a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist and by a clinical educational psychologist and psychotherapist as requiring additional therapeutic work over four years ago and has to date received no additional therapy; if he will outline the up-to-date situation with this case; what the carer's may now expect at this stage; what does the Health Service Executive propose in view of this case based on the previous recommendations made by the medical professionals involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1192/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter the question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1034. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the number of appointments made at senior physiotherapist level in the country in 2010, 2011 and 2012; if he will outline same on a Health Service Executive region basis showing the base hospital for each appointee; his views on whether there is any region with a shortage of senior physiotherapists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1193/13]
View answerThe Government has decided that the numbers employed across the public service must be reduced in order to meet its fiscal and budgetary targets. The health sector must make its contribution to that reduction. However, the HSE can make staff appointments once it remains with its overall employment ceiling and has the financial resources to do so. As the recruitment of physiotherapists is a matter for the HSE in the first instance, the Deputy's enquiry has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
1036. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 632 of 22 May, 2012 if a principal dental surgeon was appointed for Dublin South East/Wicklow at end of June 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1201/13]
View answerThe HSE informed the Deputy in a direct reply on 21 June 2012 that the appointment of a Principal Dental Surgeon for Dublin South East/Wicklow was anticipated by the end of June 2012. The HSE has been asked to confirm to the Deputy by direct reply whether the appointment has been made.
1037. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Health the current plans regarding the provision of inpatient bed numbers based in the Sligo Leitrim Mental Health Services campus in Ballytivnan, Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1204/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1038. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an application for a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1212/13]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1039. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health further to a statement in which it was stated that the State would pay for scans and operations for women whose cosmetic surgery had gone wrong and the clinics where they availed of these services had failed to care for them approximately 1,500 Irish women are involved in this and 140 experienced serious problems with implants; the amount of money his Department allocated so far to this problem and the amount proposed to be spent in 2013 on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1231/13]
View answerFollowing discussions between the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and with the agreement of my Department, it has been determined that services to women affected by the PIP breast implant controversy, in particular those patients treated through the Harley Medical Group, will be provided by the HSE. The aim is to ensure that anyone with a concern about their implants will have the option of discussing those matters in the first instance with their GP or surgeon. If the outcome of this discussion between the patient and their doctor is that an individual requires further follow-up and treatment (up to and including removal of the implants) then this will be facilitated through public hospitals. Owing to competing budgetary priorities it was not possible to commence this service in 2012.
The Department will continue to liaise with the appropriate personnel in order to assist with development and management of appropriate care arrangements for PIP clients who have not been able to satisfactorily resolve their aftercare issues with the main provider. My Department's and the Irish Medicine Board's advice to women - which is based on the available scientific evidence - remains consistent : there is no current evidence of health risks associated with PIP implants.
1040. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health at what stage the funding and remit for disability services will be moved from his Department to the Department of Social Protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1238/13]
View answerThere are no proposals to move responsibility for health related specialist disability services to the Department of Social Protection. "Future Health", the recently published Strategic Framework for Reform of the Health Service 2012 - 2015, envisages that services and supports for people with disabilities will be part of integrated social and continuing care provision within a reformed health system.
1041. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health if the forthcoming review of fair deal will remove the current framework of price capping, thus ensuring the private and voluntary nursing home sector will address the significant growth in demand for long-term residential care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1239/13]
View answerThis is a necessary feature of the Scheme due to the commitment by the State to meet the full balance of the cost of care over and above a person's contribution.
The Terms of Reference for the review of the Scheme include an examination of the overall cost of long-term residential care in public and private nursing homes and the effectiveness of the current methods of negotiating/setting prices. The Deputy will be aware that a public consultation to inform the review was concluded in July 2012. A summary report of the submissions received was published on the Department's website in December. The Department will shortly be seeking tenders through the public procurement process for the carrying out of the review. It will progress within the constraints of available staff and other priorities. It is envisaged that the review will be completed in 2013.
As the Scheme is statutory based, the implementation of any recommendations arising from the review may require significant amendments to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act, 2009.
1042. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive a decision on a medical card application. [1249/13]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1044. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding health insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1261/13]
View answerI think the Deputy may be speaking about the VHI's recent claim that charging private in-patients who occupy public beds in public hospitals the daily maintenance charge, would result in a 45% increase in health insurance premia.
The situation is that a system of bed designation has been in place in public hospitals since the 1990s. Under this system, most beds are either designated as public beds or private beds: there is a small number of non-designated beds, such as those in Intensive Care Units. Under the current framework, private in-patients who occupy public beds in public hospitals are not levied the daily maintenance charge, which ranges from €586 to €1,046 in most public hospitals. The Comptroller and Auditor General reported in 2010 that 45% of in-patients treated privately by their consultants were not charged for their maintenance costs because they were not occupying designated private beds.
As part of Budget 2013, it has been indicated that legislative proposals will be brought to Government that will provide for charges to be collected from private in-patients who are not occupying a private designated bed. This charge will be phased in over a number of years to mitigate the impact on the private health insurance market. It is envisaged that new charges will be implemented in mid-2013 and will yield additional €60m in 2013. In the meantime, the maintenance charges for private in-patients in public hospitals remain unchanged.
I am committed to keeping the cost of health insurance premia as low as possible and, to this end, my Department is working closely with the four health insurers, through the Health Insurance Consultative Forum. The objective of the forum is to explore ways to minimise costs, while always respecting competition law.
1046. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the 2012 targets set for his Department for implementation of the Jobs Action Plan; if he will report on the attainment or otherwise of these targets; the reason targets were not met; the steps he is taking within his Department to create new jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1284/13]
View answerThe 2012 Jobs Action Plan included a number of actions with Department of Health involvement. The relevant actions and outcomes are set out below: -
The aim of Action 1.19 is to “Promote greater competition and reduce costs in the health sector by enacting legislation relating to general practice”. The commencement on March 12th, 2012 of the Health (Provision of General Practitioner Services) Act 2012 meets the objective of this action.
The Department of Health has been working with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on Action 7.2.1 to "Deliver a Health Innovation Hub to drive collaboration between the health system and commercial enterprises leading to the development and commercialisation of new health care technologies, products, services and start-ups emerging from within the health system and/or firms". The steps in the table of actions were completed in 2012. The Demonstrator Project was launched last October and is established in University College Cork. It will test the Hub model and inform the development of a national Hub.
Action 7.2.2 sets out to " Enact a Health Information Bill to support a conducive environment for health research in Ireland ; this will streamline the ethics approval process for health research not governed by statutory regulation and EU law; the Bill will also provide a legal framework for the introduction of an individual patient identifier". Certain issues remain to be finalised and it is expected that the Bill will be ready for publication later this year.
Action 7.26 aims to "Prepare a detailed implementation plan for the development of a national biobanking structure.". This implementation plan has been completed.
Government policy on public service numbers, reflected in the HSE’s 2013 Service Plan, requires that by the end of 2013 the health service achieves a workforce of 98,955 whole time equivalents, a significant reduction from a workforce of 101,519 whole time equivalents at the end of November, 2012. However, the Plan allows for investment of an additional 1,025 whole time equivalents in a number of key prioritised areas, as well as the completion of recruitment for the additional posts authorised for mental health services in 2012. In addition, a graduate nurse employment programme will be implemented, involving the recruitment of up to 1,000 nurses on two-year contracts.
While our policies and programmes do not of themselves create jobs, they are, nonetheless important in terms of supporting an environment in which enterprise (SME and multinational) can do business. These include the Actions referred to above; the progression of EU legislative proposals on Clinical Trials and Medical Devices; investment in Clinical Research facilities through the Health Research Board and the development of an e-Health strategy.
1047. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health if he has figures available on the number of suicides in Ireland in 2012; if not, the data he has at his disposition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1298/13]
View answerData on mortality is compiled by the Central Statistics Office and published in the Annual and Quarterly Reports on Vital Statistics. The latest data published is for the second quarter of 2012. The number of deaths by suicide in the first two quarters of 2012 are as follows:
|
- |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Quarter 1 |
91 |
23 |
114 |
|
Quarter 2 |
96 |
22 |
118 |
Note: These figures are based on year of registration and are therefore subject to future revision.
