Written Answers Nos. 704-728
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Written Answers Nos. 704-728
704. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if any allegations of a conflict of interest in the awarding of contracts by the Health Service Executive is currently being investigated by the HSE or any other authority; if so, the number of allegations; the hospitals concerned; and the nature of contract to which they relate. [29234/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter the HSE has been requested to respond directly to the Deputy.
705. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health to outline the reason a dedicated nurse specialist has not been appointed to assist the rheumatologist at Kerry General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29236/14]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have referred the question to the HSE for direct reply.
706. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) in County Cork will be assessed by the Brothers of Charity in Cork for autism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29239/14]
View answerAs the issue raised by the Deputy relates to an individual case, this is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. I have asked the HSE to look into the particular matter raised and to reply directly to the Deputy.
707. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Health to set out the number of complaints received in respect of the psychiatric services on physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental abuse and over-medication; the number of these that relate to Grangegorman Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29240/14]
View answerAs it is the responsibility of the HSE to deal with formal complaints made against any of its services, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to them for direct reply.
708. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Health if he, his officials or the Health Service Executive met representative groups of patients that have received physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental abuse or over-medication while in the care of psychiatric hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29241/14]
View answerMy Department has not met with any representative group referred to by the Deputy. I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the HSE for their attention and directly reply.
710. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the progress he is making regarding a proposal to allocate medical cards on the basis of medical need; if public consultation in this regard will take place; if the establishment of consultative forums and focus groups will be part of this consultative process; the timescale for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29255/14]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine the specific queries raised and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
711. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if general practitioners are required to provide a home visit service to private patients on their list or in their catchment area; if GPs participating in the GMS scheme are required to provide such a service to their medical card or GP visit card list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29256/14]
View answerThere are over 2,800 General Practitioners (GPs) in Ireland, working in group practices, primary care centres, single practices and health centres across the country. Many GPs in Ireland are private practitioners and the hours that a private practice is open varies. GPs have a variety of arrangements in place to provide cover for patients over a 24 hour period. These include rotas with other colleagues or deputising services. The Minister for Health has no role in relation to the running of a private practice.
On 30th April 2014, 2,416 GPs held a General Medical Services (GMS) contract, providing services on behalf of the HSE. The GMS contract states that the medical practitioner shall provide for eligible persons, on behalf of the Health Service Executive, all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess.
Under Section 10 of the GMS contract, the GP shall be routinely available for consultation by eligible persons at his/her approved surgery or surgeries and for domiciliary visiting for a total of 40 hours each week, on five days or more in the week, by agreement with the HSE. The GP's hours of availability shall have regard to his/her patients' needs in the locality and the GP shall not amend their hours without the agreement of the HSE. The medical practitioner shall also make suitable arrangements to enable contact to be made with him/her or his/her locum/deputy outside normal hours for urgent cases. The GP must make known to their patients their hours of routine availability by way of notice in their practice premises.
712. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of GPs in the Dublin 3, 5, 9 and 13 areas who provide a home visit service to private patients who are too ill to attend their surgeries; if he will provide a list of those who provide such a service to medical card patients and a list of those who provide such a service to GP-only card patients. [29257/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
713. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health to set out the average waiting time for a North Doc home visit in 2011, 2012 and 2013; the shortest and longest waiting times in the same years; the service's target waiting time in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29258/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
714. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health to explain his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding a medical card matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29274/14]
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.
715. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health to set out the position regarding repayment of moneys in respect of medication in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29281/14]
View answerIn relation to the individual case raised by the Deputy, the Health Service Executive has been asked to investigate the specific issues surrounding this case and respond directly to the Deputy.
716. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health to set down the number of Bills his Department has published since March 2011; the number of regulatory impact assessments his Department has published since March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29295/14]
View answerSince March 2011, twenty Bills have been published by my Department. The number of Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs) that have been published is three. Separately, in relation to the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013, the Report of the Expert Group on the judgment in A, B and C v Ireland,which was published, served the purposes of the RIA process.
717. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that a person (details supplied) in County Dublin in the care of Beaumont Hospital is currently receiving no treatment because the drug recommended, Lemtrada, is deemed too expensive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29310/14]
View answerIn relation to the individual case raised by the Deputy, the HSE has been asked to investigate the specific issues surrounding this case and respond directly to the Deputy.
718. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if his Department or agencies under its auspices have engaged the services of a debt collection agency in pursuing moneys owed to them; if his Department has guidelines regarding hiring such agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29332/14]
View answerNeither my Department nor the agencies under its aegis have ever engaged the services of a debt collection agency. This question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
719. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the building of the new primary care centre in Kells, County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29349/14]
View answerDelivery of infrastructure to accommodate the delivery of primary care services is a service matter. Therefore your question has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
720. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he will investigate the treatment of a person (details supplied) at a recent consultant appointment; his views that this practice is widespread. [29352/14]
View answerIf a person has a specific complaint related to an experience of an individual in our hospitals, there is a formal complaints policy, entitled “Your Service Your Say”, details of which are on the HSE website, at http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/yourhealthservice/feedback/complaints/
In accordance with this procedure, a complaint must be made in the first instance to the hospital in which the incident causing the complaint occurred. I note from the details supplied that the patient received treatment in a private hospital and that he was treated there on foot of a Service Level Agreement between it and a public hospital. In light of this, I have asked the Health Service Executive to examine the matter and respond to the Deputy directly.
If an individual is not satisfied with the response from the hospital, a review can be sought from the HSE Director of Advocacy and the Ombudsman, whose details are set out as follows:
HSE Director of Advocacy
Oak House
Millennium Park
Naas
Co Kildare
Tel 1890 424 555
Office of the Ombudsman
18, Lower Leeson Street
Dublin 2
Tel 1890 223 030
Email: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie.
721. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health to set out the number of civil registrars available to perform civil marriages and civil partnerships in each of the past ten years, broken down by county and Health Service Executive civil registration office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29354/14]
View answerAs the information requested by the Deputy is not routinely collected by my Department, I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply directly to the Deputy on this matter.
722. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health to set out the annual income of each Health Service Executive civil registration office broken down by category, including marriages, civil marriages, civil partnerships, notification fees, expenses of registrars, fees for registrars; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29356/14]
View answerThis question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
723. Deputy Seán Conlan asked the Minister for Health when a decision will me made on a medical card application in respect of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29359/14]
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.
724. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health to outline his views on the concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding stoma care products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29381/14]
View answerAn Ostomy / Urinary Review of Approved products under the GMS and Community Drugs Schemes is underway. An Expert Group has been convened by the Health Service Executive (HSE), with representation from two patient organisations. These are the Ileostomy, Colostomy and Internal Pouch Support Group and Spinal Injuries Ireland.
Updated Criteria for Inclusion on the Reimbursement List have been developed by the Expert Group. Applications for new innovative products have been requested from relevant suppliers with a closing date of the 11th July 2014. Applications will be considered in the context of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act, 2013.
In any review of Ostomy / Urinary Products, the HSE is not in a position to increase the current levels of expenditure unless cost effectiveness with clear patient benefit can be demonstrated.
725. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health to outline the estimated cost of implementing the extension of the free cancer screening programme BreastCheck to women aged 65 to 69 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29413/14]
View answerThe cost of extending the BreastCheck screening programme to women aged 65 to 69 years will depend on details of the approach to be taken to such extension and on the timing of the role out of services to the entire cohort involved. The costs will be considered further in the context of the Estimates process.
726. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that medical cards are being refused to over 70 applicants who are a few euro over the income limit (details supplied). [29419/14]
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.
727. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form the names of all maternity units and their associated perinatal mortality rates in each year from 2003 to 2013, as compiled by the national perinatal reporting system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29423/14]
View answerPlease see the following list of maternity units as requested. In relation to the detailed information requested by the Deputy, as this data is not collated by my Department, I have asked the Health Service Executive to provide the information requested directly to him.
1. Coombe Women’s and Infants University Hospital;
2. National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street;
3. Rotunda Hospital;
4. Cork University Maternity Hospital;
5. Kerry General Hospital, Tralee;
6. South Tipperary General Hospital;
7. St Luke's General Hospital Kilkenny;
8. Waterford Regional Hospital;
9. Wexford General Hospital;
10. University Hospital Galway;
11. Letterkenny General Hospital;
12. Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar;
13. Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe;
14. Sligo General Hospital;
15. University Maternity Hospital, Limerick;
16. Cavan General Hospital;
17. Our Lady Of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda;
18. Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar and
19. Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise.
728. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that medical cards are being refused to applicants over 70 years who are slightly over the income limit (details supplied). [29425/14]
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.
