Written Answers Nos. 533-50
533. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if a medical card application will be reviewed as a matter of urgency in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; if he will expedite the matter. [13948/13]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
534. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13943/13]
View answerImproving access to outpatient services is a key priority for the Government. Building on work already undertaken by the HSE, the National Treatment Purchase Fund has now taken over the reporting of outpatient waiting time data. For the first time data is available on www.ntpf.ie. 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 resources to be targeted towards those patients who are waiting longest and ensure that they are seen and assessed. For 2013, a maximum waiting time target has now been set of 12 months for a first time outpatient appointment.
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.
In relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
535. Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) is eligible for Benik splint which is needed for rehabilitation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13944/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
536. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health the number of discretionary medical cards in place on both the 31 December 2010 and the 31 December 2011; the number of general practitioner visit cards in place on both the 31 December 2010 and the 31 December 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13915/13]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
540. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the recommendations in a Vision for Change which have been implemented; and the recommendations which have yet to be implemented. [13994/13]
View answerImplementation of A Vision for Change (AVFC) and the reform of our mental health services is a priority for this Government. Implementation of AVFC has been slower than originally expected. It has been delayed by a number of factors including the changed economic context, constraints in public spending and the moratorium on recruitment. It is expected that the appointment of a Director for Mental Health, which was advertised recently by the HSE, will greatly accelerate the pace of implementation.
Nonetheless, a great deal of progress has been made with the accelerated closure of old psychiatric hospitals and their replacement with bespoke new facilities, better suited to modern mental health care. Progress also includes shorter episodes of in-patient care and the involvement of service users in all aspects of mental health policy, service planning and delivery.
A modern mental health service is best delivered in the community and in 2012 a special allocation of €35m was provided primarily to further strengthen Community Mental Health Teams in both adult and children’s mental health services, to advance activities in the area of suicide prevention, to initiate the provision of psychological and counselling services in primary care, specifically for people with mental health problems and to facilitate the re-location of mental health service users from institutional care to more independent living arrangements in their communities, in line with AVFC. 414 posts were approved to implement the €35m package of special measures.
Budget 2013 provided a further €35m for the continued development of our mental health services including forensics and community mental health teams for adults, children, older persons and mental health intellectual disability Over 470 additional staff will be recruited to implement these measures.
In order to ensure that the additional resources will be used to best effect, discussions are on-going within the HSE, and in consultation with the Department of Health, to finalise the allocation of these resources. Each HSE Region is being asked to submit a business case against each of the identified objectives detailing how the funding is to be spent and the type and number of WTE to be recruited. It is expected that this process will be concluded in the very near future.
The Minister for Health has been assured by the HSE that the recruitment process for the new posts being funded in 2013 and any outstanding posts from the 414 approved in 2012 is being given priority within the HSE.
541. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) in Dublin 15 will receive speech and language therapy and occupational therapy; if the attached medical evidence will be considered; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13967/13]
View answerThe particular issue raised by the Deputy is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
542. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite an appointment at the South Infirmary in Cork in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14003/13]
View answerAs the Deputy's query relates to operational matters for the Health Service Executive, this question has been forwarded to the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy.
543. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the procedures followed to date in the course of the various preparations in respect of the building of the National Children's Hospital, Dublin; the extent to which the scale of facilities has been identified; when the architectural work will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14004/13]
View answerThe decision to locate the new children's hospital on the St James's campus was announced on 6 November 2012. 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 new children’s hospital is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and the largest project within the current Capital Plan. This Government regards the building of the hospital as a priority and no effort will be spared in expediting its completion.
Following the announcement of the Government's decision, the first priority has been to determine the project management structures and governance arrangements required to enable delivery of the project as quickly as possible and to the highest quality. In this regard I intend to restructure the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board so that it focuses on the core function of planning, designing, building and equipping the new hospital. The membership of the restructured Board will align with this core function and include the necessary capital development expertise. The required legislation will, inevitably, take some time and as the terms of office of the majority of Board members expired on 5 December, I have appointed senior representatives from my Department and the HSE as an interim measure aimed at ensuring effective governance and decision-making for the project during this transitional phase.
At this important initial stage it is crucial that the project continues without delay. Work has been progressing in relation to the site and site preparation, while a review of urgent care centre(s) configuration is underway and a time-limited review of Dublin maternity services configuration is due to commence shortly. The Dolphin report concluded that the existing plan for the Ambulatory and Urgent Care Centre in Tallaght would need to be revisited in light of any decision about the location of the new children’s hospital. The necessary review is well underway and is expected to be complete within the coming weeks; its outcome will be a key factor in finalising the scale of the facilities required on the St James’s campus.
With regard to the architectural work, much of the work that has been done for the project in its previous location on the Mater site is transferable to the new site. However, a new design for the new site is required and in this regard the transitional National Paediatric Hospital Development Board is progressing the procurement of a new design team.
This Government’s priority is to ensure that the project proceeds securely to completion as quickly as possible and with optimal results. I am confident that the project management and governance structures now being put in place will enable the fastest possible delivery of this key infrastructure for children’s hospital services.
544. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if the previously incurred costs associated with investigative consultancy, planning or architectural issues in respect of previous sites for the National Children's Hospital are likely to be offset in the totality of costs associated with the currently proposed site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14005/13]
View answerThe decision to locate the new children's hospital on the St James's campus was announced on 6 November 2012. 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 new children’s hospital is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and the largest project within the current Capital Plan. This Government regards the building of the hospital as a priority and no effort will be spared in expediting its completion.
The budget for this project was originally set at €650 million. €450 million of this was indented Exchequer funding of which €39m has been spent on the Mater site. The rest of the funding will come from a number of sources, e.g. education and research bodies, research foundations, commercial enterprises, philanthropy and other sources. In addition, up to €200m can be made available from the sale of the National Lottery.
Of the €39m spent on the project in its previous location, much of the work that was done for the project on its previous site can be transferred to the new site. However, a proportion of the costs incurred require to be written off. This cannot be avoided, having regard to the fact that the continuing serious planning concerns identified meant that the project could not continue on the original site. The totality of costs for the project in its new location will be determined as part of the updated business case to be finalised by the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board.
545. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the number of children that have received orthodontic treatment in each of the past four years to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14012/13]
View answer549. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the number of children diagnosed as being in need of category one orthodontic treatment in each of the past five years to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14007/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 545 and 549 together.
The 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 called the Modified Index of Treatment Need. Patients with the greatest level of need, i.e. Grade 5 or Grade 4 are provided with treatment by the HSE. The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. It is being collated by the HSE and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
546. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the total number of full medical cards issued and general practitioner cards now in circulation; the number of new cards that have been issued; the number that have been withdrawn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14013/13]
View answerI am advised by the HSE that as at 1st March 2013, the number of eligible persons with medical cards was 1,857,833 and the number of eligible persons with GP visit cards was 130,169 (please see attached sheet).
The information sought by the Deputy on the number of new cards that have been issued and the number that have been withdrawn is not readily available in the format requested. The numbers are not clear for presentation and can cause confusion. There are a number of reasons for this, e.g. there is an element of churn involved in any time period as clients can lose eligibility for a period of time due to non response etc., which is subsequently approved on review following appropriate engagement with the HSE by the client. In addition Medical cards are issued on an ongoing basis in respect of new applicants and in respect of applicants on review. It is not possible to clearly identify what is a ‘new’ card, as a client may have held and lost eligibility in the past, at any time, even a number of months ago, and on a number of occasions over a prolonged period as their circumstances change.
To date the Central Office has processed 820,873 applications for Medical Cards with 95.38% of completed applications been processed within 15 working days. The remaining 4.62% are being processed. These applications predominantly relate to applicants whose assessable income is in excess of the financial guidelines, and who are claiming undue medical hardship. The HSE has arrangements in place for Medical Officers to review such cases. The appointment of additional Medical Officers has reduced the number of applications currently waiting for Medical Officer assessment. The target turnaround time for discretionary medical cards is 20 working days. These figures are updated on a weekly basis and can be viewed on www.medicalcard.ie
547. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which he expects to be in a position to encourage the replacement of agency nursing staff throughout the public system with permanent or part time staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14006/13]
View answerGiven the requirement on the HSE to reduce numbers employed and to maximise savings, there is only very limited scope to offer permanent nursing posts at present. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has approved the Graduate Nurse Placement Initiative on the basis that participants will not be counted in health service staff numbers and that it will contribute to reducing unsustainable levels of agency and overtime expenditure. The HSE is currently accepting applications from graduates who wish to participate in the Initiative. The HSE's National Service Plan for 2013 provides for a saving of €10m in the current year, arising from the introduction of this scheme.
548. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite an application for a medical card in respect of a child (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13977/13]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
550. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which non-consultant hospital doctors in this jurisdiction require remuneration in line with other jurisdictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14008/13]
View answerAt the outset I wish to acknowledge the critical role played by NCHDs in the provision of our health services. I am deeply aware of the need to facilitate the recruitment of NCHDs and to ensure that posts are sufficiently attractive in terms of future career development, working conditions and remuneration. Most NCHDs are recruited by the postgraduate training bodies for placement in training posts. Approximately 15% of NCHDs are recruited to non-training posts. I have recently emphasised to the HSE the need to focus on reducing NCHDs working hours and, as part of this process, to ensure that they undertake duties appropriate to the grade.
Government public sector pay policy is driven by the requirement to achieve savings and attain sustainability. In order to restore the public finances it has been necessary to implement reductions in remuneration that apply across the Public Service. These reductions have been applied to NCHDs in the same manner as other staff with comparable levels of remuneration.
While deficits in the NCHD workforce have arisen in recent years, the HSE response has ensured that there has been little, if any, service reduction arising from problems filling posts and that most posts are now filled.
