Written Answers Nos. 251-263
251. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the circumstances surrounding the incident in the Drogheda area on 18 February 2014 when it took an ambulance 40 minutes to arrive to the scene of an emergency at St. Joseph's NS, Meel, which is located approximately four minutes away from the regional hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10098/14]
View answer253. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the locations at which the ambulances were stationed covering the Drogheda area at the time the incident at St. Joseph's NS, Meel occurred on 18 February; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10100/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 251 and 253 together.
As these are service matters, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
252. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of ambulances that were in place on 18 February 2014 to cover the Drogheda and Navan areas. [10099/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
254. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will fill the vacant cardio-thoracic transplant post in the Mater Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10101/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
255. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the supports and care plans in place for patients with endometriosis; if he has, or will consider the establishment of a multidisciplinary centre; if his attention has been drawn to the work of the Endometriosis Association of Ireland; if he will agree to meet with the group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10109/14]
View answerIn general, health services are provided in primary care by GPs and also in hospitals on the basis of eligibility set out in the various Health Acts. The provision of health services is not linked to a specific diagnosis that an individual may have. Services in hospitals and primary care are capable of meeting the needs of all but the very rarest of diseases.
Endometriosis occurs when tissue grows outside of the uterus on other organs or structures in the body. It is a common condition which mostly affects women in their 30s and 40s.
It is something that is well within the scope of competence of both General Practitioners and our gynaecological services in acute hospitals to address. Accordingly I have no plans to make any additional services available to specifically deal with endometriosis.
Should I receive a direct invitation to meet with the Endometriosis Association I will be happy to consider it.
256. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for Health when persons (details supplied) in County Monaghan can expect to have a decision made on their medical card application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10115/14]
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.
257. Deputy Gerald Nash asked the Minister for Health his views on the need to introduce legislation to regulate the growing tattoo industry; if it is his intention to do so in the interests of public health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10121/14]
View answerThere is currently no legislation in Ireland specifically regulating tattooing businesses. However, these businesses are required to comply with general public health and safety legislation in the same way as any other business.
The responsibilities of business operators include taking all reasonable precautions for the safety of persons using the premises. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 imposes a duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of employees. Employers are also obliged to manage and conduct his or her undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that in the course of the work being carried on, individuals at the place of work, (not being employees), are not exposed to risks to their safety, health and welfare.
In addition, under the Infectious Diseases Regulations, 1981, a Medical Officer of Health or an Environmental Health Officer is empowered where there is reason to believe that a suspected case of an infectious disease or a probable source of infection exists, to take such steps as are necessary for investigating the nature and source of such infection.
High standards of hygiene are necessary when tattooing in order to minimise the risks for both the person carrying out the tattooing and the client. Standard Infection Control Precautions were developed for the healthcare setting but they can and should be applied to any settings where there is a potential for persons to be exposed to blood or other body fluids including tattooing premises. It is also advisable that anyone carrying out tattooing receive the hepatitis B vaccination.
The Department of Health and the Health Service Executive are currently reviewing policy regarding tattooing and body piercing. In the first instance, the focus is on the development of a best practice guidance document aimed at practitioners in the area. The main objective of this guidance is to encourage best hygiene practice by tattooists and piercers, thereby minimising the risk of infection and so protecting both the artists and clients.
The draft guidance document has been the subject of consultation within the health sector and it is expected that the Department and the Health Service Executive will be in a position to bring the guidance to completion later this year.
258. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a decision on their appeal for a medical card; the reason the application was turned down; if all the medical information was taken into account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10161/14]
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.
259. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health if there has been changes to the ambulance service in Athy, County Kildare and the surrounding areas; if at all times there are ambulance services in Athy and south Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10163/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
260. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health when a surgical procedure will be offered in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10179/14]
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 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.
261. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if an agreement is in place between local pharmacies and the Health Service Executive regarding the dispensing of methadone to drug users (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10186/14]
View answerThe methadone protocol scheme, which is an agreement between Community Pharmacists, Primary Care GPs and the HSE to provide services to drug misusers in community based settings, was introduced in Ireland in 1998.
As of 31 December 2013, there were 628 Community Pharmacists involved in the Methadone Protocol Scheme nationally.
262. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if under the public service embargo the Health Service Executive have been given leeway to hire non-medical staff in hospitals to alleviate the pressure of staffing shortages due to sick leave numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10189/14]
View answerThe Government has decided that the numbers employed across the public service must be reduced in order to meet fiscal and budgetary targets. In order to mitigate the impact on frontline services of the reduction in employment numbers, the priority is to reform how health services are delivered in order to ensure a more productive and cost effective health system. The revised working arrangements provided for in the Haddington Road Agreement are a pivotal element in this regard.
Subject to approval by senior managers, arrangements are in place in the HSE to allow the recruitment of staff where it has been established that there is an urgent service requirement. In addition, the HSE continues to fill a significant number of development posts in line with service priorities identified by Government. The Support Staff Intern Scheme also allows for the recruitment of 1000 staff in roles such as Health Care Assistants, Multi-Task Attendants and Support Grades. The scheme facilitates the intern achieving the appropriate FETAC level 5 qualification, which will be an invaluable asset in their professional development.
263. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive has outsourced the processing of medical card applications; the names of the company-companies involved; when these contracts were entered into; the length of the contracts undertaken; the value of said contracts; the number of applications being processed by this company-companies compared to that being processed by the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10190/14]
View answerI am advised that the Health Service Executive has not outsourced the processing of medical card applications. All medical card applications are processed in the HSE’s central office, located at the Primary Care Reimbursement Services (PCRS), Finglas, Dublin 11.
For more than thirty years the business model operated by the central office has included the use of managed services contracts to support service delivery processes, as required. A new managed services project for a specific task, and for a defined period of 18 months, has been put in place to satisfy the requirement of basic data entry. No decision making powers have been delegated and all of the work is overseen by HSE staff.
In 2013 the HSE, PCRS published a tender in the EU Journal to procure Managed Services to support the work of the PCRS. The Invitation to Tender was published on the Etenders website and on the OJEU on 2nd May 2013, (reference number 2765/13), as an Open Procedure. The total value of this 18 month contract is, as published in the Journal, €2,663,572 + vat. The successful company providing this particular managed service is Arvato and is located in the Eastpoint Business Park in Dublin 3.
