Written Answers Nos. 189-194
189. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he intends to publish the details of the review of the national service users executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42619/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
190. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health if he will consider providing defibrillators in public places for use by the public in emergency cases (details supplied). [42630/13]
View answerThe Second Stage of the Public Access to Defibrillators Bill, which sets out the requirement to provide defibrillators in a range of settings and for events which have a regular attendance in excess of 100 persons per day, was passed in the Seanad in June 2013. The Minister has requested the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to undertake a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) on the practical elements of the introduction of a public access defibrillation programme and Department of Health officials have met with HIQA to discuss the procedures around a HTA.
The Health Technology Assessment has now commenced and will be concluded in 2014.
191. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if an appointment will be arranged urgently in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42633/13]
View answerImproving access to outpatient services is a key priority for the Government. Collaborating with individual hospitals, the SDU, together with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and the HSE, has developed the outpatient waiting list minimum dataset. This allows data to be submitted to the NTPF from hospitals on a weekly basis and, for the first time, outpatient data is available on www.ntpf.ie. For 2013, a maximum waiting time target has been set of 12 months for a first time consultant-led outpatient appointment and this is reflected in the HSE service plan. The SDU and the NTPF will work closely with hospitals towards achievement of the maximum waiting time.
Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved. In relation to the specific hospital appointment query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
192. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health further to his meeting with the happy new ear campaign, if he will ensure that bilateral cochlear implants for children are rolled out without further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42642/13]
View answerBeaumont Hospital is the centre for delivering Ireland’s national cochlear implant programme, with surgical provision for patients under six years being carried out in the Children’s University Hospital Temple Street. Since the programme commenced in 1995, over 700 patients have received cochlear implants. Beaumont Hospital carried out ninety cochlear implants in 2012 (42 children and 48 adults).
The HSE has developed a proposal, in liaison with Beaumont Hospital, to introduce a bilateral cochlear implant programme in Ireland. It is planned that the programme will be located in Beaumont Hospital. This is a complex development and the HSE has engaged with many stakeholders in the proposal development. Introduction of bilateral cochlear implantation will involve additional staff, equipment and capital works and will be dependent on additional funding being made available to support its commencement. The proposal is being considered as part of the 2014 Estimates process.
193. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the provisions being put in place for the implementation of a programme to provide for bilateral cochlear implants. [42662/13]
View answerBeaumont Hospital is the centre for delivering Ireland’s national cochlear implant programme, with surgical provision for patients under six years being carried out in the Children’s University Hospital Temple Street. Since the programme commenced in 1995, over 700 patients have received cochlear implants. Beaumont Hospital carried out ninety cochlear implants in 2012 (42 children and 48 adults).
The HSE has developed a proposal, in liaison with Beaumont Hospital, to introduce a bilateral cochlear implant programme in Ireland. It is planned that the programme will be located in Beaumont Hospital. This is a complex development and the HSE has engaged with many stakeholders in the proposal development. Introduction of bilateral cochlear implantation will involve additional staff, equipment and capital works and will be dependent on additional funding being made available to support its commencement. The proposal is being considered as part of the 2014 Estimates process.
194. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to the publication of the establishment of hospital groups as a transition to independent hospital trusts, if he will outline in precise terms the way patients who are currently served by the Mater Hospital in Dublin will in future be served; if it is planned to disrupt or terminate existing consultant-patient relationships or to reassign current patients to different consultants; and if he will set out the timescale that is being worked to. [42667/13]
View answerThe hospital groups are configured so as to facilitate the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care in a cost effective manner. I wish to assure the Deputy that appropriate patient care pathways will not be affected by the establishment of hospital groups.
In terms of timescale, within a year of establishment, the new hospital groups will be required to produce a strategic plan describing how they will provide more efficient and effective patient services; how they will reorganise these services to provide optimal care to the populations they serve; and how they will achieve maximum integration and synergy with other groups and all other health services, particularly primary care and community based services.
