Wednesday, 13 Feb 2013

Written Answers Nos. 225-232

Medical Aids and Appliances Provision

Questions (225)

Jack Wall

Question:

225. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hearing aid placement for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7630/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The HSE Community Audiology service administers and monitors hearing tests for adults who are at risk of hearing loss. Appointments for the audiology service are sent in a strict chronology according to clinical priorities and date of receipt of referral. The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine the specific query raised by the Deputy and to reply to him as soon as possible.

Hospital Accommodation Provision

Questions (226)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

226. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the planned dates for the opening of four monitoring beds for epilepsy patients in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin and the opening of a two bed epilepsy monitoring unit in Cork University Hospital in consideration of the estimate spend of €900,000 to provide these units which are currently not available to treat epilepsy sufferers. [7646/13]

Written answers

Minister for Health

Cork and Beaumont are two of six regional centres which have been identified by the HSE's Clinical Care Programme for Epilepsy for the provision of specialist epilepsy services. Developments so far under the Programme include the opening of Rapid Access Clinics at four of these centre, including Beaumont, St James’s, Galway and Limerick. The Rapid Access clinics are led by Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs). Under the Programme, 10.5 (WTE) Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) have been recruited to lead these clinics so that a total of 12 ANPs are now in place across the four centres, delivering services on site and on an outreach basis.

The two Epilepsy Monitoring Units (EMUs) planned for Cork and Beaumont under the Programme will increase pre-surgical evaluation capacity. Monitoring is required for those patients with the worst effects of epilepsy, and patients at these units will require 24/7 care.

The staffing requirements to enable the units to be safely opened have been identified. In regard to the planned EMU at Beaumont, I am advised that Beaumont Hospital and the HSE are working jointly to fill the posts necessary to support the service development. The recruitment of the necessary nursing personnel is a key element to facilitate phased opening of the unit, commencing Quarter 1, as nursing staff come into post. With regard to Cork, the HSE has advised that the Service Plan for 2013 for CUH is being drawn up currently and will be finalised in the coming weeks, and that the provision of additional staff for the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit is being considered as part of that process.

Medical Goods Regulation

Questions (227)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

227. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if he plans to designate branded drugs to treat epilepsy, anti-epileptic drugs, as exempted drugs for generic substitution in the forthcoming health (pricing and supply of medical goods) Bill in view of the benefits for epilepsy sufferers of continuing to take the branded drugs that have been prescribed to them. [7647/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill, the Irish Medicines Board has statutory responsibility for establishing and publishing a List of Interchangeable Medicinal Products. In deciding whether to add a group of medicinal products to the List of Interchangeable Medicinal Products, the Board must be satisfied that each medicinal product which falls within the group: has the same qualitative and quantitative composition in each of its active substances as each of the other medicinal products which fall within the group; is in the same pharmaceutical form as, or in a pharmaceutical form that is appropriate for substitution for, each of the other products in the group; and has the same route of administration as each of the other medicinal products which fall within the group.

In addition, the Bill provides that the Board is not permitted to add a group of medicinal products to the List of Interchangeable Medicinal Products where: there is a difference in bioavailability between the medicinal products and the interchangeable medicinal products which currently fall within the group of interchangeable medicinal products which may lead to a clinically significant difference in efficacy between them; and any of the medicinal products cannot be safely substituted for any one or more of the other medicinal products in the group.

I would like to emphasise that in making a decision to add a medicinal product to a group of interchangeable medicinal products or a group of medicinal products to the List of Interchangeable Medicinal Products the Board is obliged to have regard to the criteria as set out in the Bill and that these criteria fully reflect the recommendations set out in the Joint Department of Health/HSE report 'Proposed Model of Reference Pricing and Generic Substitution' (the Moran Report, 2010) regarding criteria for interchangeability. To further enhance the patient safety aspect of generic substitution, Section 13 of the Bill allows a prescriber to indicate on a prescription that a branded interchangeable medicinal product should, for clinical reasons, not be substituted.

I am satisfied that these provisions address the concerns raised by the Deputy. I met with the Irish Epilepsy Association in January and explained this position. It is also important to point out that generic medicines must meet exactly the same standards of quality and safety and have the same effect as the originator medicine. All of the generic medicines on the Irish market are required to be properly licensed and meet the requirements of the Irish Medicines Board.

Primary Care Centre Provision

Questions (228)

Pat Deering

Question:

228. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a progress report on the proposed primary care centre at Tullow, County Carlow. [7650/13]

Written answers

Minister for Health

Tullow/Rathvilly is one of the 35 potential locations for primary care centres for development by way of PPP as announced in the July 2012 Infrastructure Stimulus Package. Of the 35, approximately 20 will be offered to the market subject to a) agreement between the local GPs and the HSE on active local GP involvement in the centres and b) site suitability and availability. The HSE is currently analysing the available sites in each location and engaging with the GPs in each location to determine their interest in participating in the primary care centre development. While it is not possible, at this time, to give start and completion dates for any of the individual 20 potential locations, the best estimate is that these primary care centres will be completed by late 2016.

Health Services Provision

Questions (229)

Finian McGrath

Question:

229. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will support the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9. [7656/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Mental Health Services Provision

Questions (230)

Seán Fleming

Question:

230. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the staffing arrangements, facilities and the cutbacks in services that have been implemented at a location (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7658/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

HSE Planning

Questions (231)

Gerry Adams

Question:

231. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health if he will outline when the Health Service Executive regional service plan for the north east will be published. [7661/13]

Written answers

Minister for Health

It is intended to publish the Health Service Executive's regional service plans by the end of February.

Hospitals Funding

Questions (232)

Gerry Adams

Question:

232. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the way additional funds recently announced for the Louth Meath hospital group will be spent; and if he will provide a detailed breakdown of same [7662/13]

Written answers

Minister for Health

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.