Written Answers Nos. 771-788
771. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the national eHealth strategy; the cost to date of setting up the project; the cost to date of consultants relative to the project; the cost of contract workers to date; the number of staff involved from set-up to date; where the project is based; the name of the person responsible for its development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22519/14]
View answerThe eHealth Strategy for Ireland was published in December 2013. The strategy sets out how the individual citizen, the Irish healthcare delivery system, both public and private and the economy as a whole can benefit from eHealth.
The strategy envisages that a new entity called “eHealth Ireland” is to be established, initially on an administrative basis, within the System Reform Group of the HSE. Over time this new organisation will be formed as an independent entity within the new institutional framework envisaged for the health sector as a whole. eHealth Ireland will be led by a Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Health Sector who will work closely with all of the key business organisations within the health service, in order to drive forward the eHealth strategy and ensure that key IT systems are implemented on time and to budget. The post of CIO will be advertised shortly.
No project costs have been incurred to date.
772. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if a long-term care plan will be put in place in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow; if they will be referred to a specialist unit to offer them the chance of full recovery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22521/14]
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.
773. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if an early date for a knee operation at Waterford Regional Hospital will be confirmed in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will expedite a response [22524/14]
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.
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 particular query raised by the Deputy, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to him on this matter.
774. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has been waiting since early March for a decision on their medical card [22533/14]
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.
775. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health if parents with special needs children are entitled to know the identity of the parent representatives on the local implementation groups established around the country for the reconfiguration of therapy services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22539/14]
View answerThe 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.
776. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Health the reason the discretionary medical card was removed from a person (details supplied) in Dublin 4; if he will consider reinstating their medical card in view of the fact that the Health Service Executive client registration unit lost their file; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22547/14]
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.
777. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the vetting process undertaken for those who provide home help services; the training they receive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22548/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
778. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will provide Internet facilities in the Health Service Executive owned health centre in Glenbeigh, County Kerry, where at present there is no Internet facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22550/14]
View answerThe HSE has responsibility for the provision, maintenance and operation of Health Centres. Therefore, this matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
779. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Longford [22551/14]
View answerShould 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 hospital appointment query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
780. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card renewal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Laois. [22556/14]
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.
781. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Laois. [22557/14]
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.
782. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health his views on reports that the obstetrics unit at Letterkenny General Hospital is under threat with a serious impact on maternity services at the hospital [22559/14]
View answerReports suggesting that some hospitals in the West are to lose their maternity services are purely speculative. The position is that in the context of the implementation of the recommendations of the HIQA Report into the death of Savita Halappanavar at University Hospital Galway, and the Report on the establishment of Hospital Groups, the West/North West Hospital Group undertook a review of maternity services within the Group. The review included the maternity units at Mayo General Hospital, University Hospital Galway, Portiuncula Hospital Ballinasloe, Sligo Regional Hospital and Letterkenny General Hospital. While the review presents various options for service reconfiguration, I understand that the review does not recommend any particular option, nor indeed the closure of any maternity unit.
My Department is currently developing a new National Strategy for Maternity Services which will determine the optimal configuration of maternity services to ensure that women in Ireland have access to safe, high quality maternity care in a setting most appropriate to their needs. As part of the development of the Strategy, all maternity services in the country will be reviewed and evaluated. Any decision on maternity service reconfiguration will be considered in the context of the National Strategy, and therefore on a national rather than on a local basis. In these circumstances I can assure the Deputy that no decisions on service reconfiguration will be implemented without my agreement nor in advance of the publication of the proposed National Maternity Strategy. It is intended to publish the Strategy later this year.
783. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the average waiting times for bariatric surgery in Loughlinstown weight management clinic; if new funding will be provided to clear the backlog; if he will provide an update on the commitment to reduce the waiting list to one year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22561/14]
View answerIn relation to the detailed queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to her directly.
784. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22562/14]
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.
785. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if an early hospital appointment will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will expedite same. [22572/14]
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 the particular query raised by the Deputy, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to him on this matter.
786. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 631 of 15 April 2014, when a response will issue from the Health Service Executive. [22579/14]
View answerI understand that the Health Service Executive wrote to the Deputy on 21st May in relation to this matter.
787. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if he will review the details of a case (details supplied) where a patient who has recently undergone a serious medical procedure now finds that the items-products required to aid their recovery are not covered by either their medical card or the drug refund scheme and the personal cost of same is prohibitive; if he and his Department have any current plans to review the lists of products and medications covered by medical cards and the DRS; his plans to lift the Health Service Executive embargo on new products being added to these lists; if he will acknowledge that there are many other products and treatments regularly prescribed by GPs and consultants that should be added to the lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22590/14]
View answerThe Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the GMS and other community drug schemes, in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, therefore, these matters have been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
788. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health if he will examine the position taken by the medical card section of the Health Service Executive in relation to applications from persons with a very small income from self-employment, who are currently in receipt of a means-tested social welfare payment, who have been assessed by a local social welfare inspector and the Department of Social Protection has accepted their income details without the need for documentation from the Revenue Commissioners; taking into consideration their very small self-employment income and inability to pay for an accountant in respect of same; his views on the refusal of the HSE to accept the means assessment of the local social welfare inspector as proof of their income and its insistence on full accounts and statements from the Revenue Commissioners. [22597/14]
View answerI have asked the Health Service Executive for a report on the issue raised by the Deputy. I will revert to the Deputy on the matter as soon as possible.
