Written Answers Nos. 734-748
734. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the number of medical cards returned voluntarily by persons who were medical card holders but who are no longer eligible to hold a medical card because of changes in their financial circumstances in the years 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014. [18691/14]
View answerThe following table outlines, where HSE records have indicated, the number of medical card holders who have returned their card voluntarily for the years 2012 to date.
|
Year |
No. of Cards |
|
2012 |
8 |
|
2013 |
70 |
|
2014 (YTD) |
30 |
735. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the current total annual cost of the maternity and infant care antenatal combined care scheme, including a breakdown of the amount that goes to general practitioners and the amount to hospitals. [18692/14]
View answerThe Maternity and Infant Care Scheme provides an agreed programme of care to all expectant mothers who are ordinarily resident in Ireland. This service is provided by a family doctor (GP) of the expectant mother's choice and a hospital obstetrician.
As this service is operated by the Health Service Executive I have asked them to forward the information requested directly to the Deputy.
736. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the average number of visits for each woman under the maternity and infant care antenatal combined care scheme. [18693/14]
View answerThe Maternity and Infant Care Scheme provides an agreed programme of care to all expectant mothers who are ordinarily resident in Ireland. This service is provided by a family doctor (GP) of the expectant mother's choice and a hospital obstetrician.
On a first pregnancy the GP provides an initial examination, if possible before 12 weeks and a further five examinations during the pregnancy, which are alternated with visits to the maternity unit/hospital. The schedule of visits may be changed by a GP and/or hospital obstetrician, depending on individual situations. For subsequent pregnancies an expectant mother will have an initial examination and a further six examinations. If an expectant mother has a significant illness, e.g. diabetes or hypertension she may have up to five additional visits to the GP.
Information on the average number of visits for each woman would be provided by the Health Service Executive and I have asked them to reply directly to the deputy.
737. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health when he will act on the recommendation from the 2003 Brenner independent review of the pilot domiciliary projects to the domiciliary birth group for a more equitable and comprehensive midwifery-led service. [18694/14]
View answerThe Report which I assume the Deputy is referring to was an independent report undertaken by a retired public health expert, Dr Harold Brenner. This Report was not, in fact, published.
738. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will set out the membership of the newly-formed national review group of maternity services; if he will confirm that this includes lay representatives from the maternity services implementation group from the west-north-west hospitals group and childbirth support groups such as AIMSI, the Home Birth Association and Cuidiú. [18695/14]
View answerMy Department, in conjunction with the HSE, is preparing a National Maternity Strategy which will provide the strategic direction for the optimal development of safe and high quality maternity services. The Strategy will incorporate a review and evaluation of our services and therefore provide us with the opportunity to take stock of current services and identify how the quality and safety of care provided to women and their babies can be further improved. A national review group has not been established. However as part of the development of the Strategy, it is proposed to elicit the views of relevant stakeholders on the future direction of services.
739. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the transposing of the EU patient mobility directive into Irish law, the implications for the Irish health consumer; the consequences for Irish hospitals, changes in interrelationships on both a North-South and European basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18699/14]
View answerThe Directive on Patients’ Rights in Cross Border Healthcare provides rules for the reimbursement to patients’ of the cost of receiving treatment abroad, where the patient would be entitled to such treatment in their home Member State (Member State of Affiliation) and supplements the rights that patients already have at EU level through the legislation on the coordination of social security schemes (Regulation 883/04). The Directive seeks to ensure a clear and transparent framework for the provision of cross-border health care within the EU, for those occasions where the care patients seek is provided in another Member State rather than in their home country. However, it should be emphasised that the vast majority of EU patients receive health care in their own country and prefer to do so.
The Department of Health is continuing to work on the necessary statutory provisions to fully implement the Directive and will have them in place as soon as possible. Nevertheless, there are arrangements in place in respect of the key provision of the Directive in relation to a national contact point (NCP), which has been set up within the HSE. The principal function of the NCP is to facilitate exchange of information for patients concerning their rights and entitlements relating to receiving health care in another Member State, in particular the terms and conditions for reimbursement of cost, the procedures for accessing and determining those entitlements. The NCP also has a responsibility to ensure that all enquirers are informed of the rights, if any, that they may have through the legislation on the coordination of social security schemes (Regulation 883/04) and which may be more beneficial to them. The NCP will be able to inform patients what the cost of their treatments would be in Ireland to allow them make a comparison with the costs they are being quoted for comparable treatment in another Member State. While it has been possible to have these aspects of the NCP up and running by the 25th October 2013 on an administrative basis, it was not possible to have prior authorisation or reimbursement operating on a statutory basis. Further information on the Ireland's implementation of the Directive is available on the NCP's webpage: http://hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/schemes/cbd/CBD.html.
The Directive permits EU patients to seek treatment in hospitals in Ireland subject to its provisions however no significant additional activity has been experienced. The Directive also provides that a Member State may limit the health care provided to patients resident in another Member State where it is justified by overriding reasons of general interest, such as planning requirements related to the aim of ensuring sufficient and permanent access to a balanced range of high quality treatment in the State, or the wish to control costs or to avoid, as far as possible, any waste of financial, technical and human resources.
No changes in inter relationships on both a North South and European basis are envisaged as this Directive does not give patients any rights to cross border health care that they don’t have already. It doesn’t introduce any new rights. These rights have already been established by the European Court of Justice. What the Directive aims to do is to establish a framework within which cross border health care will operate and to set the rules regarding how patients will access care and what kind of treatment they are entitled to outside of their own country.
740. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will support a matter (details supplied) regarding an ex gratia redundancy payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18701/14]
View answerMy Department has no role in relation to this issue as it concerns a private hospital.
741. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will investigate the amount of public funding that was cut from disability services (details supplied) in 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18702/14]
View answerSt Michael's House, the Central Remedial Clinic and Rehab are funded by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy with information regarding the level of funding provided to those organisations in 2012, 2013 and allocated for 2014.
742. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) in County Kerry regarding therapy services. [18705/14]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has recognised the need to increase the level of consistency and standardisation in the way services for children with disabilities are delivered. It is currently engaged in a reconfiguration of existing therapy resources to multidisciplinary geographic based teams for children as part of its National Programme on Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People (0-18 years).
The aim of the Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People Programme is to achieve a national, unified approach to delivering disability health services so that there is a clear pathway to services for all children, regardless of where they live, what school they go to or the nature of their disability.
The Programme is organised at national, regional and local level and includes representatives from the health and education sectors, non-statutory service providers and parents. An additional €4m has been specifically allocated in 2014 to drive implementation of the Programme. This equates to approximately 80 therapy posts.
My Department has asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy in respect of the specific local operational issue he has raised.
743. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the progress made to date in determination of an application 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. [18709/14]
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.
744. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the progress made to date in determination of eligibility 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. [18710/14]
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.
745. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if and when a medical card will issue in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18711/14]
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.
746. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if and when a medical card will issue in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18712/14]
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.
747. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if reassessment is complete in respect of eligibility for a medical card in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; when a decision will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18713/14]
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.
748. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if and when an appeal will be completed in respect of eligibility 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. [18714/14]
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.
