Written Answers Nos. 1326 - 1349
1326. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if the decision to refuse a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17607/13]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has recently reissued to Oireachtas members.
1327. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny has been waiting four years for an operation; and if he wil expedite an early response. [17615/13]
View answerThe National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2013, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has recently been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists. In relation to this particular query raised by the Deputy, I have asked the Health Service Executive to investigate the situation and respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
1329. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will end the salary discrimination in the graduate nursing and midwifery initiative [17617/13]
View answerI cannot accept the Deputy's contention that the graduate nursing and midwifery initiative involves discrimination. In a time of very limited recruitment opportunities in the public sector, this initiative is offering up to 1,000 graduate nurses and midwives two- year contracts in the public health services. Participants will be recruited on two-year contracts and will be paid 80% of the starting-point of the Staff Nurse Scale. They will also qualify for premium payments and allowances on a pro rata basis, bringing expected average pay to about €25,000 per year, excluding overtime. The employment of Graduates in a specific graduate scheme is a widespread practice in other sectors of the economy. The rate of pay under this initiative is within the norms for such programmes.
The scheme will support the retention of graduate nurses and midwives within the Irish health system and enable them to gain valuable work experience and development opportunities post-graduation. It offers graduates an opportunity for further professional development. Participants will be supported to complete a Certificate in Advanced Healthcare Skills, such as Health Assessment and Pharmacology. The graduate nurses and midwives will be able to avail of the suite of educational programmes provided by the Centres for Nursing and Midwifery to enhance their professional development including intravenous canulation and anaphylaxis training. These skills are aligned to the delivery of the HSE clinical care programmes supporting earlier access to assessments and treatments for patients. This programme of professional development will be of great value for individual nurses as they embark on their career path.
Applications from graduates under this scheme will continue to be accepted by the HSE. In line with normal practice, the HSE will continue to facilitate applicants with offers of appointment to posts in the part of the country for which they have expressed a preference.
1331. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if a medical card will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will expedite the matter [17662/13]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has recently reissued to Oireachtas members.
1332. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if the home help hours will be restored in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will expedite a review of this case [17663/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
1333. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the expected waiting time for those children on the paediatric waiting list for assessment in the Health Service Executive South; his plans, if any, to reduce or eliminate the waiting list; his views on a case (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [17664/13]
View answerIn 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.
1334. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if an application for a medical card now under appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny will be expedited and approved as a matter of urgency. [17665/13]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has recently reissued to Oireachtas members.
1335. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health further to previous Parliamentary questions regarding an application for a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny, if he will insist on the special circumstances of the case being examined with a view to granting them a medical card [17666/13]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has recently reissued to Oireachtas members.
1336. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the plan of care which has been put in place in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17667/13]
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.
1337. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if the fair deal scheme will be approved in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will expedite a response [17668/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
1338. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if an early date for heart surgery will be arranged in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow; and if he will expedite the matter [17669/13]
View answerThe National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2013, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has recently been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists. In relation to this particular query raised by the Deputy, I have asked the Health Service Executive to investigate the situation and respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
1340. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the status of an application for a general practitioner-only medical card in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will expedite a positive response. [17671/13]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has recently reissued to Oireachtas members.
1341. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if an early date for a heart operation will be set in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford [17672/13]
View answerThe National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2013, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has recently been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists. In relation to this particular query raised by the Deputy, I have asked the Health Service Executive to investigate the situation and respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
1342. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if an application for a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny will be expedited and approved based on their financial circumstances and need [17673/13]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has recently reissued to Oireachtas members.
1343. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will support the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 17 [17704/13]
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.
1344. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1085 of 16 January 2013, wherein he had indicated that he expected to be in receipt of the report from Professor Higgins regarding the future potential composition of the hospital groups in the South East in the near future if he will confirm if he has received this report; if he has had time to consider the recommendations contained in same; have these recommendations been presented to Government for their consideration; if he is not in receipt of this report could he please clarify when he expects to be in receipt of same and further to this if he will clarify the difficulties that have caused such a delay in view of the significance of this report to the people of the south east; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17705/13]
View answerWe have a large number and range of acute hospitals in Ireland, all of which are held in high esteem and used mainly by local people for the majority of their hospital care. However, the provision of modern, high quality, safe care requires increasing levels of cooperation and overarching systems of governance and communication. We know that the traditional practice of providing as many services as possible in every hospital is neither sustainable nor safe. Experience in Ireland and abroad teaches us that a co-ordinated system of care is clearly better for patients than a sporadic approach from hospital to hospital. The formation of Irish acute hospitals into a small number of groups, each with its own governance and management, will provide an optimum opportunity for hospital services to be configured to deliver high-quality, safe patient care in a cost-effective manner.
It was with this in mind that I appointed Professor John Higgins in June of last year to chair a Strategic Board on the establishment of Hospital Groups. I have received Professor Higgins’ report, which is based on a comprehensive consultation process and contains almost 60 recommendations on the formation, management and governance of hospital groups, all of which are strongly endorsed by the Strategic Board. I will shortly submit this report to Government, to consider and decide on the final formation of each hospital group. I appreciate that this report and the related government decision are anxiously awaited: however, this is the most radical and most fundamental modernisation of our health system infrastructure since the State’s foundation and I take very seriously my obligation to consider the report closely, to assure myself and my Cabinet colleagues that it provides a robust basis to enable timely access to a high quality and sustainable hospital service for those who need it.
The Government will 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.
1345. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions (details supplied) if he will clarify a matter (details further supplied) [17708/13]
View answerThe General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme and the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) are separate schemes with separate qualifying criteria.
Under the GMS Scheme, medical 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. 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.
Under the DPS, no individual or family pays more than €144 per calendar month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The scheme significantly reduces the cost burden for families and individuals incurring ongoing expenditure on medicines.
There is no provision for a family in the circumstances mentioned by the Deputy to claim a refund of the prescription charge from the DPS because, as advised from the outset, the GMS Scheme and the DPS are separate schemes with separate qualifying criteria.
1346. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify the amount of the Health Service Executive money being spent on children and adults with Autism; the amount of disability funding that is budgeted for Autism and its services; if he will provide an update on the current number of persons with Autism in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17717/13]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is not available in my Department. However, I have asked the HSE to provide the information it has available directly to you in relation these matters.
1347. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health the measures that have been considered by his Department to prevent health cost inflation which is likely to occur as a result of the planned introduction of Dutch-style mandatory universal health insurance as laid out in the Programme for Government (details supplied) [17718/13]
View answerThe Government is embarking on a major reform programme for the health system, the aim of which is to deliver a single-tier health service, supported by universal health insurance (UHI), where access is based on need, not on income. Under UHI, everyone will be insured and will have equal access to a standard package of primary and acute hospital services, including acute mental health services. A new Insurance Fund will subsidise or pay insurance premiums for those who qualify for a subsidy.
In moving to UHI, the Government is not seeking to simply transplant a health system from another jurisdiction. While it is important to learn from international experience, we are committed to introducing an Irish model of universal health insurance which best fits the Irish system. Detailed design work is currently ongoing on the model of UHI for Ireland. This work includes explicit consideration of mechanisms for ensuring appropriate cost control and long-term sustainability of our health system.
Finally, a number of initiatives are currently underway in order to prepare the system for the introduction of UHI. These initiatives will bring benefits and drive efficiencies in advance of implementing universal health insurance. They include:
- the strengthening of primary care services to deliver universal primary care with the removal of cost as a barrier to access for patients,
- the work of the Special Delivery Unit in tackling waiting times and establishing hospital groups,
- the introduction of a more transparent and efficient "Money Follows the Patient" funding mechanism for hospitals, and,
- the establishment of a Consultative Forum on Health Insurance comprising representatives from the country's main health insurance companies, the Health Insurance Authority and the Department of Health. The Forum provides a platform for identifying ways of addressing costs throughout the industry, whilst always respecting the requirements of competition law. In addition, it gives a voice to insurers in raising issues relating to the development of UHI.
1348. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the position regarding when the last assessment of income guidelines on the eligibility criteria for medical cards for persons aged between 66 and 70 years was undertaken. [17721/13]
View answerThe current income limits applicable to medical card applicants aged under 70 years came into effect from 1st January 2009.
1349. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health if he will arrange to have an appointment to a consultant in Waterford General Hospital treated as urgent in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford. [17728/13]
View answerThe National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2013, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has recently been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists. In relation to this particular query raised by the Deputy, I have asked the Health Service Executive to investigate the situation and respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
