Written Answers Nos 424-437
424. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Health the percentage and number of persons living in the Dublin 5,13 and 17 areas who are in receipt of medical cards, general practitioner only cards and the drugs refund scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43386/13]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. However, I have asked the Health Service Executive to supply this information to me and I will forward it to the Deputy as soon as possible.
425. Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card review in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who, on renewal, was issued with a general practitioner only card instead of a full medical card. [43419/13]
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.
426. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 22 has been refused full-time residential care. [43420/13]
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.
427. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an application for a discretionary medical card on medical grounds in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43423/13]
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.
428. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if a cateract operation will be arranged as a matter of urgency in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [43426/13]
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.
429. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Health when the beds in Carndonagh Hospital, County Donegal which were closed this year, will be reinstated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43431/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
430. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if it is true that a private psychological assessment carried out on a child may not be accepted by the Health Service Executive. [43435/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
431. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to address the delay in speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and psychological assessments for Ballyfermot children in view of the fact that early intervention is often key to addressing problems or developing key strategies. [43436/13]
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.
432. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Laois will receive orthodontic treatment and much needed braces from the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43490/13]
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.
433. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health the number of staff appeals officers, administrators and so on, employed in dealing with appeals in the Health Service Executive National Appeals Office; the number of cases currently at hand; the length of time it takes to process each appeal; the number of cases processed each month; if he will make additional staff and resources available to deal with the backlog; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43492/13]
View answerAs this is an operational matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
434. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Health his views on the most recent Health Information and Quality Authority report into service by the Health Service Executive to patients, including pregnant women, at risk of clinical deterioration, including those provided in University Hospital Galway and as reflected in, among other things, the care and treatment provided to Savita Halappanavar; his views on the recommendations of this report and on whether there is an urgent need for a national maternity strategy; if he will commit to developing such a strategy and implementing it fully; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43506/13]
View answerFirstly, I wish to repeat that this tragedy should not have happened and that the untimely death of Savita Halappanavar on 28 October last year was a shocking wake-up call to the whole health care system about how failures in patients' care can sometimes have extreme consequences. I am determined that out of the sad loss of this young woman our whole health system will learn lessons that will ensure that it provides safe, patient-centred care.
I am changing the way we do business in relation to monitoring the performance of our health services so that there is visible emphasis on patient safety. One immediate step is to make patient safety a priority within the HSE's annual Service Plan through specific measures focused on quality and patient safety including Healthcare Associated Infections, Medication Safety and implementation of Early Warning Score systems. I will not accept insufficient allocation of funding for measures supporting safe patient care, despite hugely competing demands on the Service Plan's Budget.
My Department will be developing a Code of Conduct for Employers that reflects the fact that patient safety is core business and must be permanently integrated into the corporate governance agenda.
I am determined that the recommendations of this Report will be implemented. To ensure this, I will direct the Chairperson of HIQA to ensure that my patient safety priorities are reflected in their monitoring programme against the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare.
My Department will be leading the development of a Strategic Plan for Maternity Services in collaboration with the HSE which will provide the blueprint for the safe effective delivery of maternity services nationally. The Department will oversee the development of this national maternal strategy and it will be informed by our own national expertise as well as an international analysis of maternity and gynaecology service configurations and best practice models of care.
I have already mandated the National Early Warning Score as the first National Clinical Guideline. Ireland was the first country to do this. I am now requesting the development of similar guidelines for national maternity early warning score, national paediatric early warning score, sepsis and clinical hand over.
Finally, I am continuing to examine this extremely important and comprehensive report. In the meantime, I have written to both HIQA and the HSE giving further directions to both organisations on how progress on the implementation of the recommendations should be monitored and reported.
435. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) in County Laois will receive orthodontic treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43523/13]
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.
436. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Health if the taget date for the opening of a new psychiatric unit in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, has been delayed. [43542/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
437. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the reason there are waiting lists for dental treatment in Navan, County Meath, where young persons on the list since 2009 are only now being seen; if he will indicate what happens to young persons who cease to qualify for treatment on age grounds despite never having been seen; the number of young persons on the waiting list in the area and the types of treatment they are awaiting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43559/13]
View answerThe HSE is responsible for providing dental care to schoolchildren. The matter has therefore been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
