Written Answers Nos. 230-238
230. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if he has had any contact with the board of Tallaght Hospital, Dublin 24, regarding the introduction of a charge to patients for a call to its clinic for a blood test appointment; his views on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17769/13]
View answerI can confirm that I have had no contact with the board of Tallaght Hospital, Dublin regarding the introduction of a charge to patients for a visit to the blood testing clinic. I have asked the Health Service Executive for a report on the issue raised by the Deputy. I will revert to the Deputy on the matter as soon as possible.
231. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if an assessment will be carried out in respect of eligibility for orthodontic treatment in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17770/13]
View answerThe 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 and priority is given to patients with greatest needs. The HSE has been asked to examine the specific query raised by the Deputy and to reply to him as soon as possible.
232. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health his plans to recommend that the Health Service Executive provide funding for Pirfenidone, a drug approved by the European Medicines Agency in February 2011 and also approved on 21 March 2013 by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, the health technology appraisal body in England and Wales, for the treatment of mild to moderate Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17771/13]
View answerFollowing a pharmacoeconomic evaluation of pirfenidone (Esbriet), the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics concluded that, at the submitted price, pirfenidone is not cost-effective for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The HSE is currently in negotiations with the manufacturers of pirfenidone (Esbriet) and therefore it would not be appropriate to comment further while these negotiations are ongoing. The application to the HSE for the reimbursement of this product under the Community Drugs Schemes is being considered in line with the agreed procedures and timescales for the assessment of new medicines as per the 2012 agreement between the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, the HSE and the Department of Health.
233. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health if his Department, the Health Service Executive or any organisation funded by him or the HSE provides financial assistance by way of a grant or any other means to local community or sporting bodies who wish to provide a defibrillator for the potential benefit of members. [17772/13]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to a service matter I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
234. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the payments currently paid to general practitioners in respect of medical card patients; the details of the individual charges for each category of card holder, that is, child, adult, family, over 70 years, GP visit only card or whatever way the charges are structured; the additional payments made; the make-up of same, be that pensions, surgery, maintenance or upgrading, staff and so on; if he will list the normal GP services which are not covered by medical card, that is, driving test forms, blood tests and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17773/13]
View answerThe HSE, through the Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS), makes payments to contracted General Practitioners (GPs) for services they provide to eligible persons who hold a medical card or GP visit card in accordance with the rates set out in the Health Professionals (Reduction of Payments to General Practitioners) Regulations 2010 - SI 638/2010, which are available online at http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2010/en/si/0638.html
There is a range of capitation fees, which vary depending on the age and gender of the patient. In addition, there are special capitation rates for persons over 70 residing at home and for persons over 70 residing in private nursing homes. There are also a number of additional payments, e.g. in respect of out-of-hours consultations, temporary residents, special items of services (including suturing of cuts and lacerations, recognised vein treatment, etc.), practice support allowances and payments in respect of locum expenses.
In addition, medical indemnity insurance premia are refunded to contracted GPs based on the size of each GP's GMS panel. The HSE also pays into a superannuation scheme a sum equivalent to 10% of total capitation fees payable to contracted GPs.
The PCRS publishes a Statistical Analysis of Claims and Payments for each year in respect of payments which it makes to contracted health professionals, including GPs. These are available on line at: http://www.pcrs.ie/ PCRS Publications.
Clause 11 of the current GMS Contract states as follows:
“The medical practitioner shall provide for eligible persons, on behalf of the relevant Health Board, all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess. This will include such preventive and developmental services as are currently provided or may be developed in the new style of practice which this agreement facilitates, some of which services may be included on the list of special items of service for which specific payments shall be made. ”
It is the contracted responsibility of GPs to provide proper and necessary treatment to eligible persons. If part of that proper and necessary treatment includes routine phlebotomy, GPs must provide such services free of charge under the terms of their contract.
The monitoring and appropriate care of patients receiving anti-coagulation therapy with Warfarin comes within the scope of competence of general practice. Warfarin testing is carried out by some general practitioners as a matter of course in their practices and I welcome this. This provides their patients with an option of receiving this service locally in a primary care setting rather than attending an acute hospital for this service.
Under the GMS contract, fees are not paid to GPs by the HSE in respect of certain medical certificates which may be required, for example, under the Social Welfare Acts or for the purposes of insurance or assurance policies or for the issue of driving licences.
Consultation fees charged by general practitioners to patients outside the terms of the GMS contract are a matter of private contract between the clinicians and the patients. While the Minister for Health has no role in relation to such fees, it would be expected that clinicians would have regard to the overall economic situation in setting their fees.
The Programme for Government provides for the introduction of a new GMS GP contract with an increased emphasis on the management of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. It is envisaged that the new contract, when finalised, will focus on prevention and will include a requirement for GPs to provide care as part of integrated multidisciplinary Primary Care Teams. The arrangements in relation to the various services provided to GMS patients, including phlebotomy services and anti-coagulation therapy will be reviewed as part of this process.
235. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the role of the Junior Ministers in his Department in constructing abortion legislation; the number of meetings he has had with them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17774/13]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that, given the sensitivity of the topic, the complex constitutional and legal issues involved, and the political interest in this area, I have established a dedicated Oversight Committee to supervise this process. The Ministers of State are members of this Oversight Committee. The Committee has met five times to date.
236. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health when the full complement of beds will be opened in a hospital (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17775/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
237. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the processes undertaken, with regard to an independent assessments of need, as per the Disability Act 2005; the assessment waiting times involved; the procedures for implementation of recommendation of service; the timeframes for the provision of services; if he will provide statistics for the number of assessments carried out; the details of services provided in the areas of counties Louth and Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17776/13]
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.
238. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the position regarding provision of services to be provided in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17777/13]
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.
