Written Answers Nos. 210-217
210. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting to be seen at the outpatients department at Beaumont Hospital; the number of patients waiting two or more years to be seen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49887/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
211. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health his proposals to provide an immediate improvement in the waiting times for outpatients on the orthopaedic list in the north east particularly Our Lady's Hospital, Navan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49893/13]
View answerFor 2013, a maximum waiting time target of 12 months has been set for a first time consultant-led outpatient appointment and this is reflected in the HSE Service Plan. The SDU and the NTPF are working 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 query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
212. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health when the vacant geriatrician post will be filled at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe; the date on which the post became vacant; when approval to fill the post was sought and sanctioned; the reason for the delay in filling the post; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49906/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
213. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health if the geographic location of an applicant is considered as a criteria for the assessment of a discretionary medical card; if he will provide the detail of such weighting, if any, for each designated geographic area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49918/13]
View answerThe HSE's National Assessment Guidelines for a medical card or GP visit card state that the ‘exercise of discretion by the HSE, in favour of the applicant, should be considered where meeting the costs of services covered by a medical card or a GP visit card compromises the applicant’s or his/her family’s ability to meet the essential costs associated with:
- maintenance of employment
- provision of reasonable housing
- provision of appropriate nurturing and care for children or dependants
- provision of adequate heating, nutrition and clothing, or
- coping with exceptional personal and financial burdens arising from medical or social circumstances."
In conducting this assessment, the Guidelines state that the following issues be taken account of on an application:
- Illness or medical circumstances which results in financial hardship.
- The cost of providing general medical and surgical services.
- The cost associated with the provision of medical, nursing and dental treatment.
- The cost of physiotherapy and speech and language therapy.
- Transport cost to hospitals and clinics.
- Addictions such as drink, drugs and gambling.
- Poor money management.
- Social deprivation – including poor home management.
- The cost of medical aids and appliances.
The HSE will give equal consideration to each of the above factors that present on an application in deciding whether to approve that application for grant of a medical card on grounds of ‘undue hardship’/’undue burden’ in the arranging of GP services by an applicant for himself/herself and dependants.
The decision maker may make appropriate inquiries or seek advice from other sources to assist with coming to a decision on ‘undue hardship’/’undue burden’, including the applicant’s doctor, Social Worker, Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) and the HSE’s Medical Officers.
I trust the above reply clarifies the circumstances, in addition to income, taken into account in deciding whether to approve medical card eligibility on discretionary grounds.
214. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health when the national immunisation advisory committee will be making a decision regarding immunisation against meningitis B; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49919/13]
View answerThe inclusion of items on meeting agendas is a matter for the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) itself. The Department will, however be informed of any recommendations arising from those meetings.
Should the NIAC advice recommend the inclusion of Meningococcal group B (Meningitis B) vaccine into the primary childhood immunisation programme in Ireland, my Department, in association with the Health Service Executive National Immunisation Office, will examine the issue.
215. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Health if an appointment in the radiotherapy Department of CUH will be brought forward on grounds of age and the severity of the patient's condition in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49929/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
216. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, details of the model 4 hospitals in each new hospital group, details of the model 3 hospitals in same and details of the model 2 hospitals in same; in regard to this category, if it is a model 2D, a model 2S or a model 2R; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49935/13]
View answerThe Report on the Establishment of Hospital Groups, which I launched on 14 May, is the most fundamental reform of the Irish acute hospital system in decades. The introduction of hospital groups will provide for organisational change in the first instance, giving more autonomy and better enabling the reorganisation of services in a well-planned manner. Over time, this will help to improve services and deliver better outcomes for patients. The Smaller Hospitals Framework, which will be implemented in the context of hospital groups, defines the role of smaller hospitals and outlines in detail the wide range of services that can be provided within the smaller hospital and that can be transferred from the larger to smaller hospitals within hospital groups.
The reforms outlined above can be expected to result in change at most if not all hospitals across all Groups. All hospitals, whether categorised in the future as Model 4, 3, or 2 hospitals, will play a significant role in their groups in providing sustainable, safe and effective care at the appropriate level of complexity. The provision of services at all hospitals will be examined in the context of strategic plans to be developed by each hospital group. These plans will be prepared in the context of an overarching policy framework to be developed by my Department, and their preparation will afford an opportunity for all hospitals in each group to work together to address the opportunities and challenges of service reorganisation.
217. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health with regard to the nine smaller hospitals which are to be model 2 hospitals, if he will provide in tabular form for each hospital a list of services that are currently available in those hospitals that will will no longer be available when the framework is put in place; the timeline for these changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49936/13]
View answerThe Report on the Establishment of Hospital Groups, which I launched on 14 May, is the most fundamental reform of the Irish acute hospital system in decades. The introduction of hospital groups will provide for organisational change in the first instance, giving more autonomy and better enabling the reorganisation of services in a well-planned manner. Over time, this will help to improve services and deliver better outcomes for patients. The Smaller Hospitals Framework, which will be implemented in the context of hospital groups, defines the role of smaller hospitals and outlines in detail the wide range of services that can be provided within the smaller hospital and that can be transferred from the larger to smaller hospitals within hospital groups.
The reforms outlined above can be expected to result in change at most if not all hospitals across all Groups. All hospitals will play a significant role in their groups in providing sustainable, safe and effective care at the appropriate level of complexity. The provision of services at all hospitals will be examined in the context of strategic plans to be developed by each hospital group. These plans will be prepared in the context of an overarching policy framework to be developed by my Department, and their preparation will afford an opportunity for all hospitals in each group to work together to address the opportunities and challenges of service reorganisation.
