Written Answers Nos. 98 - 115
101. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the date on which he or his Department will receive the report on hospital groups; the date on which he will publish the report; his plans to progress the implementation of hospital groups; if he intends to publish the report and its recommendations before it goes to Cabinet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7470/13]
View answerRecommendations on the formation of specific groups and arrangements for the management and governance of all groups have been included as part of a report on the establishment of hospital groups as a transition to hospital trusts. This report is based on a comprehensive consultation process, as well as a significant number of submissions from stakeholders and individual citizens. These recommendations have been considered and endorsed by a Strategic Board composed of representatives with national and international expertise in health service delivery, governance and linkages with academic institutions.
The report on the establishment of hospital groups as a transition to independent hospital trust has just been presented to me in the last 48 hours by the Chair of the Strategic Board, Professor John Higgins. I intend to prioritise consideration of this report, which will then be submitted to and presented to Government for decision on the hospital groups composition in light of the recommendations of the Report. The Government will then decide on the initial make up of hospital groups which will be established on an administrative basis pending the legislation required to set up hospital trusts by 2015. Before those trusts are established the composition and functioning of the Groups will be reviewed and if changes prove necessary then they will be made with Government approval when the hospital trusts are being formed. As such I cannot comment at this time on the final composition of the new Hospital Groups and will not be publishing the Report or its recommendations prior to it going to Cabinet.
102. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health his plans to improve ambulance coverage and response times throughout County Roscommon and east Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7433/13]
View answerNationally co-ordinated pre-hospital emergency care is provided by the HSE National Ambulance Service (NAS). Pre-hospital emergency care supports wider healthcare reform such as the reorganisation of acute care provision, including the Small Hospitals Framework, and implementation of the clinical care programmes.
The Health Information and Quality Authority has developed a set of key performance indicators (KPIs), which classify 999 emergency calls by clinical status. Clinical Status 1 Echo calls involve life-threatening emergencies of cardiac or respiratory origin. Clinical Status 1 Delta calls involve life-threatening emergencies of other than cardiac or respiratory origin. The target times for responding to Echo 1 and Delta 1 calls are 7 minutes 59 seconds by a first responder (a person trained in minimum basic life support and use of a defibrillator) and 18 minutes 59 seconds for a patient-carrying vehicle. With effect from January 2012, HIQA set the target for first responders to meet the response time (7 minutes 59 seconds) in 75% of cases. From January 2013 the target for patient-carrying vehicles is to meet the Clinical Status 1 ECHO incidents response time (18 minutes 59 seconds) in 85% of cases.
Following a review of the validity of time-based KPIs for clinical status data, and in line with international views, it is considered that clinical outcome indicators would be more appropriate, and work has begun on their development. I also welcome the consequential outcome that use of clinical indicators will enable a focus on Clinical Status 1 (Echo and Delta) calls.
The NAS has been taking a number of steps to improve response times. These include development of a Performance Improvement Action Plan, an intermediate care service, the control centre reconfiguration project and a trial emergency aeromedical service. Following a referral to the Labour Court under the Public Service Agreement, the NAS is progressing a number of efficiencies arising from the Court's recommendations, including the issue of overtime built in to rosters. New rosters are now in place and are operating successfully.
Through its control centre reconfiguration project, the NAS is continuing to rationalise the number of ambulance control rooms across the country, with a target of one system across 2 sites - Tallaght and Ballyshannon. The current total is nine. This project is focused on improving call taking and dispatch functions and on delivering improved technology. This will assist in improving response times and will allow the NAS to deploy resources in a much more effective and efficient manner, on a regional and national basis rather than within small geographic areas.
The Emergency Aeromedical Service (EAS) was initiated as a 12 month trial in June 2012, with two purposes - to reduce the transit time to an appropriate facility for certain conditions, particularly in the West, and to determine the extent, if any, of the need for aeromedical support to the NAS and, if required, how best to provide it. The trial involves the Irish Air Corps providing aeromedical support to the HSE NAS, from a base in Custume Barracks, Athlone. The aircraft is operated by the Air Corps, with clinical staffing from the NAS. The Irish Coast Guard also provides additional support to the primary aircraft, using its new search and rescue helicopter in Shannon, staffed by its own paramedics and an NAS advanced paramedic when necessary.
The NAS is developing non-emergency transport, through a national intermediate care service (ICS), which is key to resolving bed and clinical management pressures. ICS will allow for safe, planned and timely clinical transfers of inpatients to the most appropriate facility, depending on their acuity and clinical needs. This will allow for beds to be made available for higher acuity admissions through emergency departments. ICS will also release emergency resources for emergency functions, for improved response times and performances in pre-hospital care. To date, ICS has been implemented in Cavan, Castleblayney, South County Dublin, Letterkenny, Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Roscommon, Mallow and Bantry. Supported by the 2013 National Service Plan, the NAS intends to expand ICS to Waterford, Cork, Tralee, Castlebar and Drogheda and to increase services in Dublin and Galway during 2013.
The NAS, with the Retrieval and Transport Medicine Programme, will also use these additional services to support the Critical Care Programme, through the establishment and extension of critical care retrieval services.
103. Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for Health the actions taken to reduce the waiting times for patients awaiting a routine endoscopy procedure; the impact of these measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7544/13]
View answerIn July 2011, I announced the establishment of the Special Delivery Unit as a key part of my plans to radically reform the health system in Ireland. The Unit's purpose is to improve access to healthcare, both scheduled and unscheduled. Since it was established last year, it has been working to unblock public access to acute services by improving patient journeys through the system and by streamlining public hospital waiting lists. I am pleased to be able to say that very significant progress has been made by the SDU in relation to scheduled care waiting times.
Waiting times for endoscopy procedures have been a particular focus for the Special Delivery Unit's Scheduled Care Team, with a target set for 2012 in the HSE Service Plan that no-one should wait more than 13 weeks for a routine endoscopy procedure. By year-end, the numbers waiting longer than 13 weeks for routine endoscopy had fallen by 99%, from 4,590 in December 2011 to 36 patients at the end of December 2012. This is a significant achievement which shows what can be done to tackle access. The progress made in 2012 does not mean all problems are solved, and 2013 will remain very challenging. However, the improvement reflects my commitment, and that of this Government, to ensuring patients can access the acute hospital services they need, when they need them.
105. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health when the universal primary care Bill will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7496/13]
View answerThe Programme for Government commits to reforming the current public health system by introducing Universal Health Insurance with equal access to care for all. As part of this, the Government is committed to introducing, on a phased basis, GP care without fees within its first term of office. Primary legislation is required to give effect to the Government commitment to introduce a universal GP service without fees. Legislation to allow the Minister for Health to make regulations to extend access to GP services without fees to persons with prescribed illnesses is currently being drafted by the Office of the Attorney General and the Department and it will be published shortly. Implementation dates and application details will be announced in due course. An annual budget of €15 million was provided for the first phase of the roll out of GP care without fees.
107. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if he will advise the annual State spend on high tech drugs in each of the years 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012; if he will list the medications involved; if he will advise the savings he has negotiated and secured across each of the relevant expenditures; the way he will deliver the €10 million savings in the high tech drugs bill as outlined in the Health Service Executive National Service Plan 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7459/13]
View answerThe total cost of the High Tech Drug Scheme, for the years in question, is as follows: 2009 - €331.29 million; 2010 - €360.40 million; 2011 - €368.18 million; 2012 - €396.32 million.
High Tech Medicines are generally only prescribed or initiated by Consultants in hospitals. They include anti-rejection drugs for transplant patients and medicines used in conjunction with chemotherapy. Approximately 30% of the expenditure is for rheumatology products. A further 10% is spent on treatments for multiple sclerosis. They are among the most innovative products added to schemes each year. A number of steps have been have been taken to reduce costs in recent years. In particular, the wholesale mark-up was reduced from 17.66% to 10% in 2009 and to 8% in 2011 by regulations under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009.
The HSE's National Service Plan has just been finalised for 2013. The HSE is now working with the relevant programme directors to profile their budgets appropriately. It is not possible at this stage to provide details of how individual savings measures will be profiled across 2013. However, I can assure the House that there will be no reduction in the availability of High Tech Drugs to patients who require them.
108. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the reason he has not met the Irish Thalidomide Survivors Society, despite repeated requests and promises that he would do so, with particular reference to the urgent need to implement a proposed care plan to meet their particular needs. [7441/13]
View answerI met with the Irish Thalidomide Survivors Society in July 2011 and have been in correspondence with the Society since that meeting. The Government's main aim is to address the health and personal social care needs of thalidomide survivors living in Ireland. I have stated that I am willing to enter into discussions about a health care package on a non-statutory basis; an ex gratia payment having regard to current financial circumstances; and a statement to the Dáil recognising the challenges faced by survivors.
My position remains unchanged from that outlined in my letter to the Society in June 2012 in which I requested the society to proceed, in good faith, with a health care protocol which would involve:
- Appointing and training a multidisciplinary team (a lead consultant has been identified);
- Arranging a multidisciplinary health evaluation;
- Identifying and documenting individuals healthcare needs/issues;
- Developing plans to address their healthcare needs/issues.
The Irish Thalidomide Survivors Society has indicated that it is not willing to proceed with the health care protocol without the inclusion of other aspects of their needs being addressed in a wider care package, including those outside the remit of the health sector such as housing, heating, transport and clothing. The Society is also seeking the establishment of an independent agency with ring fenced funding to provide for all their needs. I am not in a position to meet the demands of the Irish Thalidomide Survivors Society as mandated by their membership and I await a response as to whether it is prepared to proceed with the health care protocol.
109. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the Health Service Executive is subject to the same parliamentary oversight as other State agencies are by means of parliamentary questions; his views that there are significant delays in responses to parliamentary questions submitted to the HSE; his views that the lack of public access to replies is a matter of great concern; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7442/13]
View answerI would like to assure the Deputy that responding to the information needs of the Oireachtas is a priority both for my Department and the Executive. The Health Service Executive is committed in their National Service Plan to answering 75% of directly referred Parliamentary Questions within a period of 15 working days from receipt. Performance in relation to this target is currently being met and will continue to be monitored closely by my Department.
In 2012 a total of 4,045 PQs were referred by my Department to the Health Service Executive for direct written response to members of the Oireachtas. 3,011 (74.5%) of those PQs were answered within the stipulated 15 day timeframe. A further 344 (8.5%) were answered within another 5 days . That is, 83% of all written PQs referred to the Health Service Executive were answered within 20 working days. Despite a doubling in volume of PQs in 2012 as against 2011, the “on time” performance increased by 16.5% from 58% to 74.5% and is now in line with the National Service Plan.
The Health Service Executive makes as many of its PQ responses as possible available on their website at www.hse.ie. As a significant proportion of PQs answered by the HSE relate to individual matters, under data protection legislation, they can not be made publically available. In 2012 the Health Service Executive uploaded a total of 759 responses to their public website. My Department holds regular meetings with the Health Service Executive's Parliamentary Affairs Division to monitor response times and to emphasise the importance of issuing timely and comprehensive replies to Deputies.
113. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline the issues discussed at his recent meeting with the Northern Ireland Secretary of State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7910/13]
View answerI met the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Ms. Theresa Villiers in Farmleigh on 11 February, 2013. We discussed the current political situation in Northern Ireland noting the importance of political leadership in countering sectarianism. We discussed how the two governments might assist political leaders in Northern Ireland promote a genuinely shared society. We also discussed the security and public order situation in Northern Ireland and noted the ongoing close cooperation between the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Garda Síochána.
On the issue of parades in Northern Ireland the Secretary of State and I agreed on the importance of supporting the institution of the Parades Commission and its decisions. We also discussed the cases of a number of prisoners held in Maghaberry Prison. We both welcomed the decision by the EU Heads of State and Government at the European Council on 7/8 February that €150 million will be allocated towards a new PEACE Programme. We also discussed the equine DNA issue noting that this is now a Europe wide problem and we welcomed the ongoing cooperation and contact between the Irish Food Safety Agency (FSAI) and the Food Safety Agency in NI and the UK.
114. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the funding that will be provided for the new PEACE programme; the level of funding to be provided both North and South; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7912/13]
View answerAt the meeting of the European Council in Brussels on 7/8 February, it was decided by the EU Heads of State and Government that a total of €150 million will be allocated towards the PEACE Programme. The final size of the next PEACE programme, which would also include funding from Ireland and the UK, will be determined following a programme planning process.
115. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the total amount spent on outsourced security services in his Department; and if he will provide details of the companies providing these services. [8475/13]
View answerThe amount expended by my Department in respect of outsourced security services in Ireland for 2012 was €639,063. The services were provided by G4S.
