Brendan Griffin
Question:622. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if funding will be provided to a service (details supplied) in Kerry in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2553/14]
View answerHealth Services Provision
Questions (622)
Written answers
As this is a service matter this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
HSE Funding
Questions (623)
Brendan Griffin
Question:623. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide funding for a facility (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2559/14]
View answerWritten answers
The Health Service Executive is the statutory body with responsibility for delivering Health and Personal Social Services in the State. The HSE may provide funding to non Statutory Provider Organisations in support of their activities where such activities are similar or ancillary to services the HSE may provide (Section 39 of the Health Act, 2004). The HSE also provides Capital Funding to non Statutory Provider Organisations for approved developments. Accordingly the matter has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
Departmental Funding
Questions (624)
Brendan Griffin
Question:624. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he will make funding available to a festival (details supplied) in County Kerry that has an emphasis on promoting positive mental health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2566/14]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
Departmental Properties
Questions (625)
Arthur Spring
Question:625. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health the costs incurred by the Health Service Executive in maintaining the building and in the provision of security at Dingle District Hospital, County Kerry; and if the HSE plan to sell the building or if sections of the building can be assigned for use of community groups in the area [2606/14]
View answerWritten answers
Management of the healthcare property portfolio is a service matter. Therefore your question has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
Departmental Properties
Questions (626)
Arthur Spring
Question:626. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health the costs incurred by the Health Service Executive in maintaining the building and in the provision of security at St. Finian's Hospital, Killarney, County Kerry; if the HSE plan to sell the building or if sections of the building can be assigned for use of community groups in the area. [2607/14]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
Medical Card Reviews
Questions (627)
Tom Fleming
Question:627. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite a medical card review and take into consideration the additional information from their accountants in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2616/14]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
Hospital Accommodation Provision
Questions (628)
Finian McGrath
Question:628. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding patients on trolleys at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9; and if he will make this a priority matter. [2640/14]
View answerWritten answers
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.
Mental Health Act Review
Questions (629)
Colm Keaveney
Question:629. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the review of the Mental Health Act 2001, which was committed to in the 2011 programme for Government, and which has been under consideration by the expert group since August 2012; the date on which the review will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2644/14]
View answerWritten answers
The Mental Health Act 2001 is a key piece of legislation regarding the rights of people involuntarily detained and treated in approved centres within our mental health services. The Act is being reviewed at present in line with the commitment contained in the Programme for Government to review the Act "informed by human rights standards and in consultation with service users, carers and other stakeholders".
The review is a two phased approach, the first phase of which saw a Steering Group produce an Interim Report in June of 2012. The recommendations of the Interim Review have been well received by key stakeholders and fully endorsed the rights based approach to mental health law in addition to supporting the objectives of 'A Vision for Change' especially in relation to the promotion of community based mental health services. Changes to limit the number of people detained and to improve procedures and safeguards regarding their detention were also recommended and the need to strengthen provisions relating to children was also emphasised.
An Expert Group was subsequently set up in August 2012 to carry out the second and substantive phase of the review and to look at the recommendations of the Interim Report in more detail. The main issues being addressed by the Expert Group include the need to move away from the paternalistic nature of the Act and the need for greater protections for individuals who are involuntarily detained which also include capacity, consent, criteria for detention and the promotion of a recovery based approach. The Expert Group have also been guided by the need to ensure the Act is fully compliant with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and have also taken into consideration the publication of the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Bill. The Expert Group has met on a total of ten occasions. I look forward to receiving the Expert Group's report in the coming months and, on receipt, I will be considering its recommendations.
Medicinal Products Prices
Questions (630, 663)
Derek Nolan
Question:630. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health his plans to include a maximum pricing scheme for essential drugs in the Pricing of Medical Goods Act 2013; his plans to implement a maximum pricing scheme separate from this Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2645/14]
View answer
Seán Kyne
Question:663. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Health the progress made regarding reducing the cost of medicines both at a State level and at consumer level; the negotiations that have been held between the Health Service Executive and the pharmaceutical companies; and if consideration will be given to partnering with other EU member states in purchasing medications which would enable health services to acquire essential medications at a lower cost [2936/14]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 630 and 663 together.
Most drugs and medicines which are paid for by the HSE are supplied to patients through their local pharmacies who, in turn, purchase them from wholesalers or, to a lesser extent, directly from drug manufacturers. There are no plans to alter these arrangements.
The State has introduced a series of reforms in recent years to reduce pharmaceutical prices and expenditure. These have resulted in reductions in the price of thousands of medicines. Price reductions of the order of 30% per item reimbursed have been achieved between 2009 and 2013; the average cost per items reimbursed is now running at 2001/2002 levels. A major new deal on the cost of originator drugs in the State was concluded with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) in October 2012. It will deliver a number of important benefits, including, significant reductions for patients in the cost of drugs, a lowering of the drugs bill to the State, timely access for patients to new cutting-edge drugs for certain conditions, and reducing the cost base of the health system into the future. The IPHA agreement provides that prices are referenced to the currency adjusted average price to wholesaler in the nine EU member states and these are the maximum prices paid by the HSE for originator drugs supplied through the community drug schemes. The gross savings arising from this deal will be in excess of €400 million over 3 years. €210 million from the gross savings will be available to fund new drugs.
A new agreement was also reached with the Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers in Ireland (APMI), which represents the generic drugs industry. Since 1 November 2012, the maximum price at which the HSE reimburses generic products is 50% or less of the initial price of an originator medicine. This represents a significant structural change in generic drug pricing and should lead to an increase in the generic prescribing rate. It is estimated that the combined gross savings from the IPHA and APMI deals will be in excess of €148 million in 2014.
The Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 provides that from June 2013 the maximum price of all new medicinal products reimbursed under the community drug schemes will be set in accordance with the criteria set out in the Act. The Act also provides that the HSE must review all items currently reimbursable under the GMS and other community drug schemes (including prices) within three years to determine if they should remain on the reimbursement list and, if so, what price should apply. In addition, the Act introduces a system of generic substitution and reference pricing. This legislation will promote price competition among suppliers and ensure that lower prices are paid for these medicines resulting in further savings for both taxpayers and patients. It is estimated that reference pricing will yield €50 million in savings in 2014.
Under the Act, the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) is responsible for the assessment for interchangeability of medicines. Generic substitution will be introduced incrementally with the IMB prioritising those medicines which will achieve the greatest savings for patients and the State. The Board is in the process of reviewing an initial 20 active substances, which equates to approximately 1,500 individual medicines. They include statins, proton pump inhibitors, angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers.
The first List of Interchangeable Medicinal Products, containing groups of atorvastatin products, was published by the IMB on the 7th August 2013. The List has been updated since then by the addition of 10 more groups of medicines. The IMB is updating the List of Interchangeable Medicinal Products on an ongoing basis and it expects to complete the assessment of the top 20 priority medicines by end Quarter 1 2014. A second list of 20 priority products will then be identified and it is expected the IMB will have completed assessment of these products in Quarter 4 2014. The process will then continue until all relevant medicinal products on the reimbursable list have been assessed.
Once a List of Interchangeable Medicinal Products is published by the IMB a two stage price reduction process gets underway. First, under the terms of the 2012 APMI Agreement, the price of all relevant products fall by 20%, e.g. atorvastatin prices were reduced from 1 September 2013. Secondly, the legislation provides that the HSE may set a reference price for groups of interchangeable products published on the List of Interchangeable Medicinal Products with a view to introducing further significant price cuts. Taking both price reductions into account, atorvastatin prices are down 70% since the introduction of generic substitution.
Reference pricing involves the setting of a common reimbursement price, or reference price, for a group of interchangeable medicines. It means that one reference price is set for each group or list of interchangeable medicines, and this is the maximum price that the HSE will reimburse to pharmacies for all medicines in the group, regardless of the individual medicine’s prices. The first reference price for atorvastatin products was implemented on 1 November 2013 and the second reference price for esomeprazole 20mg products was implemented on 1 January 2014. The HSE also expect to implement reference prices for esomeprazole 40mg and rosuvastatin products with effect from 1st February 2014.
In addition, the consultation process is also underway in relation to three more groups of medicines which have been designated as interchangeable by the IMB – Omeprazole, Lansoprazole, and Pravastatin. It is expected that reference prices will be implemented for these groups of medicines with effect from 1 March 2014. The HSE will continue the process of setting reference prices for the remaining groups of interchangeable medicinal products published by the IMB in accordance with the processes and timelines set down in the legislation. It is expected that 80% by value of the off-patent market for prescribed medicines will be subject to reference pricing by end 2014. Reference prices will ensure that generic prices in Ireland will fall towards European norms.
Health Services Staff Recruitment
Questions (631)
Seán Sherlock
Question:631. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if he will examine and fill the vacancy in the early intervention team in north Cork of a psychological therapist (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2646/14]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
Medical Card Applications
Questions (632)
Dan Neville
Question:632. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the application for full medical card in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Limerick. [2647/14]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
Departmental Expenditure
Questions (633)
Thomas P. Broughan
Question:633. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the amount of expenditure incurred by his Department for the purposes of funding research into the effects of smoking cigarettes on the human body, including research on associated matters such as cancers attributable to cigarette smoking for the years 2012 and 2013 and the projected spend for 2014; and the amount of health expenditure allocated to campaigns to encourage persons to stop smoking in each of those years. [2651/14]
View answerWritten answers
There is a significant amount of research and evidence available nationally and internationally regarding the health effects of smoking on smokers and those around them. As such the harms caused by smoking are well established and my Department has not commissioned any research in this area in the years referred to by the Deputy. In relation to the heath expenditure on campaigns to encourage and assist people to stop smoking, I understand from the HSE that in respect of their QUIT social marketing campaign that €850,000 was spent in 2012 and €1.07m in 2013. The costs associated with the campaign in 2014 have not yet been finalised.
In addition to this there are other existing measures aimed at warning people about the harms of tobacco and encouraging smokers to quit the habit. In 2012 I developed regulations for the introduction of graphic warnings on cigarette packs which came into effect in 2013. Research and experience in other countries has shown that health warnings combined with coloured photographs can be an effective means of discouraging smoking and informing people about the health risks related to smoking. In relation to educating children and young people about the harms of smoking, the Social Personal Health Education (SPHE) curriculum incorporates a smoking component. For those who seek support, smoking cessation services are provided nationally by the HSE, the National Smokers' QUIT-line provides telephone support together with the QUIT website and QUIT Facebook page and nicotine replacement therapies are available free of charge on GMS prescriptions.
Question No. 634 answered with Question No. 604.
Medical Card Appeals
Questions (635)
Bernard Durkan
Question:635. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the progress to date in respect of appeal for a medical card in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2708/14]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
Medicinal Products Licensing
Questions (636)
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:636. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the list of all side effects of the swineflu vaccine Pandemrix reported to the Health Service Executive since 2010, both including and excluding narcolepsy; the numbers of reported incidents of these side effects also including and excluding narcolepsy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2727/14]
View answerWritten answers
The competent authority for licensing and safety of all medicines, including vaccines licensed in Ireland is the Irish Medicines Board (IMB). From 2010 to date, the IMB has received 783 reports of suspected adverse reactions to Pandemrix, the majority of which are consistent with the known effects of the vaccine as described in the product information (product information for all authorised products is publically accessible via the IMB website). The most frequently reported reactions included the following: 754 - Nervous system disorders including dizziness, headache, fainting, and drowsiness; 485 - General disorders including fatigue, injection site reactions, temperature changes and weakness; 259 - Gastrointestinal disorders including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain; 127 - Skin and hypersensitivity disorders including rash and allergic type effects; 121 - Musculoskeletal disorders including muscle pain and muscle weakness.
Many of the reports describe a number of reactions, so the number of reactions exceeds the number of reports. To date, the IMB has received reports of 49 cases with clinical information confirming a diagnosis of narcolepsy in relation to individuals vaccinated with Pandemrix. However the IMB is awaiting information on further possible cases where clinical investigations are ongoing and is actively following up to obtain this information. Overall updates on national adverse reaction reporting experience are shared with relevant HSE groups, including the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, the National Immunisation Office and with representatives of the Department of Health through the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), at which all of the relevant groups are represented.
Mental Health Services Provision
Questions (637)
Sandra McLellan
Question:637. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health when the third community CAMHS team currently being implemented in Cork to include the east Cork catchment area will be put into operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2729/14]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service issues this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
Ambulance Service Response Times
Questions (638)
Billy Kelleher
Question:638. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the response times for 112-999 calls to Ballyshannon local ambulance call centre from Enniscrone and the Easkey area; if he will provide figures where the response time has been over fifteen minutes in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2731/14]
View answerWritten answers
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.
Health Services Staff Data
Questions (639)
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:639. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form the number and grade of staff employed in the provision of mental health services in counties Meath, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan; if he will provide a breakdown of same by staff grade and county and for each of the years 2009-2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2735/14]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service issues this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
Hospital Appointment Status
Questions (640)
Robert Troy
Question:640. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied). [2737/14]
View answerWritten answers
The 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 Health Service Executive, 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 HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.