Written Answers Nos. 393-407
393. Deputy Michael P. Kitt asked the Minister for Health if an independent review will be put in place on the scoring system for comparisons between Ballinasloe and Roscommon as centres for acute psychiatric beds in the Health Service Executive west PCCC; when the proposed resources will be made available in the community; if it will be done before any decisions are made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43046/13]
View answerMental health services in HSE West, including Galway and Roscommon which operates as one administrative unit, has been resourced to implement A Vision for Change . This involves modernising the service in this particular area, thus giving better outcomes for both patients and staff. However, existing resources in Galway/Roscommon need to be re-shaped, and the priority for some time has been to achieve this in line with similar re-configurations undertaken, or planned, elsewhere nationally.
In light of the above, a detailed assessment was carried out by HSE West, including taking account of the recommendations of an Expert Group, to develop mental health services in Galway/Roscommon. An open and transparent scoring system was used to assess the merits of all relevant criteria and locations, including the most appropriate skill mix for service delivery in the future.
I accept the recommendations of the Executive to bring about much needed and long called for re-configuration of mental health services in this region. I wish to stress that community mental health services in this case can only be enhanced on a transitional or phased basis, particularly bearing in mind that at least some staff from St.Brigid's have to transfer to new community based provision. There is flexibility within existing overall HSE West mental health resources to deliver this objective.
I and HSE senior officials recently met with a delegation consisting of local public, care professional and union representatives about the re-configuration of services across Galway/Roscommon, to outline the position. Bearing in mind all the circumstances, I am satisfied that the decision in principle recently taken by the HSE to enhance future mental health for this area is the best option, taking account of overall service needs and resource priorities. There is not, by any objective measure, any need for a review of the nature suggested by the Deputy, as this would only postpone modernising services locally. The Deputy will be aware that HSE West has established an Implementation Group to engage in appropriate consultation to progress this initiative and to address any outstanding local concerns.
394. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Health when a new cardiology appointment will be provided for a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43047/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, NCHD’s undertook one-day industrial action in pursuance of a maximum shift of 24 hours and full compliance with the EWTD (48 hours per week) by the end of 2014 which resulted in a reduction in planned patient attendances and the cancellation of numerous procedures.
I was disappointed that this action took place, particularly given its impact on the provision of services to the public and having regard to the commitment to achieving compliance with the European Working Time Directive in respect of NCHDs by the end of 2014. Disruption to the delivery of acute care causes unnecessary worry and anxiety and is not in the interests of patients.
I am, however, pleased that the IMO and its NCHD Committee accepted the invitation to attend the LRC last Thursday and that progress has been made. As with any industrial dispute, negotiation between the parties is the only logical way of achieving resolution. I would hope that this engagement will result in an agreement acceptable to both sides. Patients deferred are being offered the earliest possible re-attendance / readmission dates and in relation to the particular case raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to investigate and respond directly to him.
395. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Donegal who was finally called for an appointment with a consultant and who has seen them on two previous occasions has been advised that they will now be added to a waiting list as a new patient and will be subject to a further lengthy delay for further consultation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43049/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
396. Deputy Damien English asked the Minister for Health if he will set out the stages, indicative dates, any other associated time or submission targets or deadlines by which his Department will conduct the regulatory impact analysis on proposed legislation on plain packaging of tobacco products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43060/13]
View answerIn line with the Regulatory Impact Assessment Guidelines (RIA) published by the Department of the Taoiseach, my Department will be undertaking a Regulatory Impact Analysis on the proposed legislation for the introduction of standardised packaging for tobacco products. Consultation with all relevant stakeholders is an integral part of the RIA process, which will also consider the costs, benefits and impacts of this proposal. A final decision has yet to be taken on the timing of the consultation.
397. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Health if he will publish details of the ophthalmology waiting list at Waterford Regional Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43062/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
398. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if Ireland is being fined under the working time directive for the long hours worked by non-consultant hospital doctors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43069/13]
View answerIn response to a Reasoned Opinion of the European Commission issued in September 2011, Ireland submitted an Implementation Plan on achieving compliance with the provisions of the Directive by the end of 2014. The Plan: Affirmed Ireland's commitment to achieving compliance with the Directive; Set out a challenging three-year timeframe for achieving EWTD compliance by the end of 2014; Committed to other measures that will support compliance, including: a. The implementation of new work patterns for medical staff; b. Transfer of work undertaken by NCHDs to other grades; c. Organisation of hospital services to support EWTD compliance.
Earlier this year I reaffirmed the 2014 target date when I met Commissioner Andor and confirmed that the immediate focus would be on eliminating average weekly hours exceeding 68 and shifts exceeding 24 hours. The question of legal proceedings with the potential for fines is a matter for the European Commission in the first instance. The Commission has not instigated such action to date.
399. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health the way ambulance response times are currently assessed by the Health Service Executive; if an assessment of ambulance response times will be carried out nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43072/13]
View answerThe Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) published the Pre-hospital Emergency Care Key Performance Indicators for Emergency Response Time in October 2012. They developed a set of key performance indicators (KPIs), which classify 112/999 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. Target response times for patient-carrying vehicles set the percentage of cases in which an ambulance responds to Clinical Status 1 ECHO and DELTA incidents within 18 minutes 59 seconds.
It is acknowledged that response-time indicators should not be used in isolation as a means of evaluating of pre-hospital emergency service delivery. 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. For example, there may be significant regional variations in response times because of the influence of differing geographic and demographic factors in different areas, while outcomes may be similar. Work is now in progress on the development of clinical outcome indicators for pre-hospital emergency responses.
The HSE publishes monthly performance data, including performance information for pre-hospital emergency response times at national level. This information is collected from data reported at regional level within the National ambulance Service and is available to management for information and to facilitate response time assessment and decision-making in relation to local and national service provision. In relation to the specific queries, as these are service matters, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
400. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a detailed breakdown of all money paid by the Health Service Executive, his Department and health boards to the Irish Medical Organisation for the period 2000 to 2005, inclusive; the amounts paid each year; the purpose this money was intended for; and if the HSE or his Department conducted its own audit of the way this money was spent or verified that it was spent as intended [43085/13]
View answerPayments from my Department to the IMO for the period in question are as follows:-
|
Year |
Description |
Amount |
|
2005 |
IMO Annual General Meeting |
€2,000 |
|
2004 |
IMO Annual Conference |
€3,700 |
|
2004 |
Sponsorship of Session at IMO Annual Conference |
€1,300 |
|
2003 |
Scientific Session-IMO Annual Meeting |
€5,000 |
|
2001 |
BMA/IMO Conference |
€126,974 |
Standard government accounting procedures would have applied in respect of these payments. Details of payments by the HSE and Health Boards to the IMO have been requested from the HSE and will be forwarded to the Deputy when they are received.
401. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he will consider the introduction of weekly or fortnightly payments for the services of home help workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43123/13]
View answerI am aware that payments to home helps are made on a monthly basis in the Cork and Kerry region. However, as this is a service issue, I have arranged for the Deputy's question to be forwarded to the Health Service Executive for direct response.
402. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Carlow will receive a decision on their appeal for a medical card; and if he will expedite the matter [43155/13]
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 issued to Oireachtas members.
403. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will address concerns regarding the availability of smoking patches (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43164/13]
View answerNicotine Replacement Therapy (including nicotine patches) is reimbursable for medical card holders under the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme, however, it is not reimbursable under the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS). There are no plans to change this arrangement.
404. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if a financial review of a medical card application will be carried out in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43166/13]
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 issued to Oireachtas members.
405. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a surgical appointment at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43197/13]
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 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.
406. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list for ENT services at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda; the average waiting time for ENT services at the hospital; the number of ENT consultants based at the hospital at present; the services that are currently in operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43198/13]
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. In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
407. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health if expectant mothers suffering from significant illnesses such as gestational diabetes are having the associated costs of medical equipment to monitor blood sugar levels, covered under the maternity and infant care scheme or medical card scheme; his views on whether such significant illnesses constitute coverage under the existing maternity and infant care services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43213/13]
View answerThe Maternity and Infant Scheme provides that all pregnant women have a schedule of free visits to their GP - 6 visits for first pregnancies and 7 for subsequent pregnancies. In addition there is provision for an extra 5 consultations where a condition related to pregnancy such as gestational diabetes occurs. The scheme also provides for a 2 week baby check and a six week mother and infant check.
The Maternity and Infant Scheme does not provide cover for medical equipment. However, patients with medical cards have associated medications covered by their medical card and glucose monitoring equipment (glucometers) is made available through Hospital diabetic clinics for all expectant mothers suffering from gestational diabetes. This is regardless of whether the expectant mother is a private patient or a GMS patient.
Where the expectant mother does not hold a medical card, the strips (to be used in conjunction with the glucometer) have to be paid for by the patient (approximate cost of €44 for pack of 50). If the expectant mother has a medical card, the strips are covered without charge. For non-medical card holders, the drug payment scheme provides that no individual or family pays more than €144 per calendar month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines and appliances. The scheme significantly reduces the cost burden for families and individuals incurring ongoing expenditure on medicines.
