Written Answers Nos. 607-627
607. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of mental health residential units that have been closed in the past three years; the locations of same; how many more are expected to be closed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17658/14]
View answer608. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of day centres for mental health patients that have been closed in the past three years; the locations of same; the number expected to close; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17659/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 607 and 608 together.
As these are service issues the Deputy's questions have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
609. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the reason, in relation to the nursing home support scheme, the contribution of the State is being assessed for private or voluntary nursing homes, with the resident paying the balance while in the public homes the State pays the bill in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17661/14]
View answer610. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the reason, in private nursing homes, residents are expected to pay for excesses when the same services are fully covered in a public home; if this is against the basic principal of the fair deal scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17662/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 609 and 610 together.
All residents under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme make a contribution towards the cost of their care based on their means. This applies irrespective of whether the nursing home is public, private or voluntary.
The Nursing Homes Support Scheme provides financial support towards the cost of long-term residential care services in nursing homes. The Scheme covers the cost of the standard components of long-term residential care, which are:-
- nursing and personal care appropriate to the level of care needs of the person,
- bed and board,
- basic aids and appliances necessary to assist a person with the activities of daily living, and
- laundry service.
A person's eligibility for other schemes, such as the Medical Card Scheme or the Drugs Payment Scheme, is unaffected by participation in the Nursing Homes Support Scheme or residence in a nursing home. Incontinence wear, where required, is provided free of charge by the HSE to all Nursing Homes Support Scheme residents that possess a Medical Card.
Part 8 of the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2009 stipulates that the registered provider of the nursing home must agree a contract with each resident within one month of their admission. This contract must include details of the services to be provided to that resident and the fees to be charged. Residents should not be charged fees which are not set out in the contract.
611. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Health further to a report (details supplied) which identified a seven-year timeframe for implementation of the recommendation to move all persons out of congregated settings, if he is confident that this timeframe will be met; the progress since January 2012 regarding the number of persons who have been moved from a congregated setting to a home in the community; the number of persons who have been moved from a congregated setting to a nursing home; the number of persons who have been moved from a congregated setting to a psychiatric unit or approved centre under the Mental Health Act 2001; the number of persons residing in congregated settings who have passed away; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17667/14]
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.
613. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will undergo surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17683/14]
View answerIn relation to the particular patient query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to him directly.
614. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health if funding for transport will be provided to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo to enable attendance at hospital appointments. [17684/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
615. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; the procedure for accessing invasive ventilation, including the medical and administrative decision-making process involved; the number of persons who applied for invasive ventilation for each of the years from 2011 to 2013, inclusive; the number of persons who were granted the treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17686/14]
View answer622. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding invasive ventilation at home in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17751/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 615 and 622 together.
The issue of home ventilation whether invasive or non-invasive cannot be considered in isolation and whether the patient has access to such treatment is not purely a financial consideration.
A proper discharge care plan which is discussed between the hospital consultant team and primary care needs to be agreed and activated. Home ventilation needs appropriate equipment, trained staff and both patient and family education as well as arrangement for upkeep and maintenance of such ventilation equipment. Nurses supervising such patients at home need to be appropriately qualified and competent to supervise the patient clinically.
The HSE is responsible for the administration of the primary care schemes, therefore, the request for specific statistics concerning the provision of home ventilation services has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy. In relation to the individual case cited, I have asked the HSE to investigate the circumstances surrounding this case and respond directly to the Deputies as soon as possible.
616. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he is concerned that there seems to be inconsistency and a lack of transparency in the method of calculating a payment rate for individual nursing homes under the fair deal scheme; the broad differences of payment rates that exist for similar facilities with similar overheads in similar locations; if he will challenge the National Treatment Purchase Fund to justify its decisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17693/14]
View answerThe legislation underpinning the Nursing Homes Support Scheme requires each private nursing home to negotiate and agree a price for long-term residential care services with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) should they wish to be an approved nursing home for the purposes of the Scheme. This is a necessary feature of the scheme due to the commitment by the State to meet the full balance of the cost of care over and above a person's contribution.
The NTPF is independent in the performance of this function and, in carrying it out, it must ensure value for money for both the individual and the State. It negotiates with each nursing home individually and may examine the records and accounts of nursing homes as part of the process. This method of negotiation is necessary in order to ensure that the State obtains the best value for each individual in a nursing home and to comply with competition law.
In negotiating with nursing homes, the NTPF has regard to:
- costs reasonably and prudently incurred by the nursing home and evidence of value for money,
- price(s) previously charged,
- local market price, and
- Budgetary constraints and the obligation on the State to use available resources in the most beneficial, effective and efficient manner to improve, promote and protect the health and welfare of the public.
If price negotiations break down, a three stage review process can be invoked. Details of the process are set out on the NTPF website.
The list of approved private nursing homes and the cost of care for each of these homes is available on the HSE website at: http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/olderpeople/nhss/CostofCarePrivateandVoluntaryNursingHomes.pdf
As the Deputy is aware, the Nursing Homes Support Scheme is currently being reviewed. One of the terms of reference for the review is an examination of the overall cost of long-term residential care in public and private nursing homes and the effectiveness of the current methods of negotiating/setting prices. Work on the review is on-going. It is expected that the review will be completed in the coming months and the report will then be made publicly available.
617. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of companies within and outside the State that the National Treatment Purchase Fund uses for forensic accounting purposes; if he will state the amounts paid to each in the past three years; the number of cases each have worked on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17694/14]
View answerThe detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. However, as soon as this information becomes available I will make arrangements to forward it to the Deputy.
618. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will deal with the following matter (details supplied) regarding hospital aftercare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17696/14]
View answerIn relation to the particular patient query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to him directly.
619. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when a hip operation will be carried out in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17699/14]
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.
620. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied). [17720/14]
View answerIn relation to the particular patient query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to him directly.
621. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Health his views on the level of research dedicated to inner ear syndrome; if delivery of the ENT service is adequately resourced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17745/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
623. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a copy of the terms of reference for the national ambulance capacity review; the structure of the board that will carry out the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17763/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
624. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Health if he will consider including the medical product (details supplied) on the GMS and DPS scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17773/14]
View answerThe HSE is responsible for the administration of the primary care schemes, therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
625. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath has been waiting for some time for a hip replacement surgery in the Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore, and when a date for same can be expected. [17774/14]
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 him in this matter.
626. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Health if omega 3, including lutein, has been recommended and prescribed by general practitioners and opthalmologists to help with age related macular degeneration; if it will be included on the list of drugs allowed for medical card holders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17799/14]
View answerIn the current financial environment the Health Service Executive (HSE) is facing a challenge to deliver services in a way that will minimise any adverse impact on patients and continue to protect, as far as possible, the most vulnerable citizens. Unfortunately, it has become necessary for the HSE to suspend certain products from its list of reimbursable items. These include omega-3 triglyceride products.
Omega-3 triglyceride products have been identified both nationally and internationally as not being cost effective or being of lesser benefit to patients. However, these products are available over the counter without prescriptions.
627. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will conduct a Health Information and Quality Authority based investigation into allegations regarding the safety of service users and staff at St. Joseph's ID services in Portrane in regard to improper staff appointments; the high volume of assaults by clients on each other and on staff and the high number of under-recorded seclusions, restraints and unsafe practices regarding clients. [17806/14]
View answerAs the facility that the Deputy refers to is registered as an 'Approved Centre' pursuant to Section 64 of the Mental Health 2001, it is the responsibility of the Inspector of Mental Health Services, pursuant to sections 51 and 52 of the Mental Health Act 2001 to visit and inspect the approved centre annually. All reports of the Inspector of Mental Health Services are published on the website of the Mental Health Commission (www.mhcirl.ie). Any additional information regarding an approved centre pertaining to concerns that are received by the Mental Health Commission is forwarded to the Inspector of Mental Health Services for appropriate attention.
I understand that the Mental Health Commission has been informed of the allegations referred to by the Deputy and has referred them to the Inspector of Mental Health Services. I also understand that the Health Service Executive is aware of the allegations and that a senior official is looking into the matters which are the subject of the allegations, as a matter of urgency.
