Dan Neville
Question:271. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Health if an appointment for surgery will be brought forward in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [31787/14]
View answerHospital Waiting Lists
Questions (271)
Written answers
The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, 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 the Deputy on this matter.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (272)
Paul Connaughton
Question:272. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31788/14]
View answerWritten answers
The management of inpatient and daycase waiting lists for patients awaiting public health care is based on the principle that after urgent and cancer patients are treated, then clinically assessed routine patients should be seen in chronological order (i.e. longest waiter first).
Should the patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he/she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved.
In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
Hospital Staff
Questions (273, 274)
Terence Flanagan
Question:273. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the action being taken to deal with the lack of non-consultant doctors and locums; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31798/14]
View answerTerence Flanagan
Question:274. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the action being taken to improve conditions and pay for junior doctors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31799/14]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 273 and 274 together.
It is recognised that the working conditions and career pathways of trainee doctors need to be improved and that the public health system value the contribution and commitment they make. The Haddington Road Agreement specifically identified the objective of retaining graduates of Irish medical schools and attracting such graduates back to Ireland.
Subsequently, in July 2013, a Working Group chaired by Professor Brian MacCraith, President of DCU, was established to carry out a strategic review of medical training and career structures. The Group finished its work at the end of June 2014 having submitted three reports.
The first report submitted in December 2013, focused on improving the training experience for trainees and the implementation of its recommendations should result in tangible improvements for trainee doctors in their day-to-day working lives. The second report, submitted in April 2014, reviewed career structures and pathways following completion of specialist training. A key recommendation is that health service management and medical organisations should commence, as a matter of urgency, an industrial relations engagement of short duration to address the barrier caused by the variation in pay rates between new entrant Consultants and their established peers that have emerged since 2012. This issue has been identified as being important in the recruitment of consultants and in retaining doctors in training. Discussions involving the HSE, my Department, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the IMO negotiations have commenced under the aegis of the Labour Relations Commission. The third report, submitted on 30th June, addresses issues relating to strategic medical workforce planning, and career planning and mentoring supports for trainee doctors.
The Working Group has offered solutions and recommendations that will enable us to build a sustainable medical workforce for the future. Processes are already in place in relation to implementing the recommendations of the December 2013 and April 2014 reports. My Department and the HSE will now work together to put the necessary arrangements in place in order to drive and oversee implementation of all the recommendations of the Strategic Review and assess their impact into the future.
Separately, as part of the implementation of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-16, the Department of Health, HSE and Irish Medical Organisation are collaborating on a series of initiatives to support graduate retention, including progression of EWTD compliance, agreement on the protection of training time and the implementation of time and attendance systems for NCHDs. Arrangements have recently been finalised allowing NCHD's to avail of career breaks to travel abroad for Specialist Training and to take up employment in the private sector as part of their training.
HSE Complaints Procedures
Questions (275)
Clare Daly
Question:275. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to an article in The Sunday Times by Justine McCarthy dated 25 May 2014, in which it was noted that his Department stated a certain contention (details supplied) was not correct, the person or persons on whose legal advice this statement was based, in other words, whether it was the advice of the Attorney General or an external or other source. [31817/14]
View answerWritten answers
The Department of Health was advised by An Garda Siochána that it was not accurate to say that it would be necessary for the HSE to make a formal complaint before such a case would be investigated.
Medical Card Appeals
Questions (276)
Willie O'Dea
Question:276. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the reason there is no specific appeal allowed for refusals to over 70s medical card applications; the reason two single persons over 70 who live together are assessed on the basis of a lower income threshold than a couple; the reason over 70s medical card holders have to appeal a refusal on an under 70s appeal form and, as a result, are assessed on the basis of criteria for an under 70 year old; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31820/14]
View answerWritten answers
I would like to clarify to the Deputy that applications for persons aged 70 years and older can be assessed both on the basis of the standard national assessment guidelines and on the basis of the guidelines for persons aged 70 years or over.
Applications are assessed against the HSE’s Medical Card and GP Visit Card National Assessment Guidelines for the standard medical card or for the over -70s card, as appropriate. In all cases, if an application is assessed ineligible for a medical card or eligible for a GP visit card only, the letter issuing informing this decision will include an explanation of how the application was assessed and the details of the means assessment calculated on the application. In addition, the letter will notify the applicant of the details should he/she wish to appeal the decision or provide additional relevant information for a further review assessment.
Where an applicant’s income is in excess of the gross income limit for the over-70s scheme, in addition to being informed of the appeal process, the applicant will be advised that he or she can be assessed under the General Medical Card/GP Visit Card Scheme. As this assessment is based on net income and assessable outgoing expenses, it is necessary that the individual completes and submits the relevant application form, along with the required supporting documents, to the HSE.
The HSE will then carry out a full assessment under the General Medical Card/GP Visit Card Scheme. In such cases, careful consideration will be given to social, medical and other relevant circumstances of the applicant. The HSE will exercise discretion in responding to the needs of the applicant where it is satisfied that additional and/or exceptional circumstances exist. The avenue for appeal is again advised.
The Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that the assessment of over -70s persons for qualification for a medical card for persons who are (i) married, (ii) who live together as husband and wife, or (iii) are civil partners as respects each other are assessed against the couple gross income limit of €900 per week. Under the legislation, an individual is (i) not married, (ii) is not living together with another person as husband and wife, and (iii) does not have a civil partner. The gross income limit against which an individual is assessed is €500 per week from 1st January 2014.
Medical Card Applications
Questions (277)
Tom Fleming
Question:277. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31827/14]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
Medical Card Applications
Questions (278)
Tom Fleming
Question:278. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will examine an application for the renewal of a full medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31828/14]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (279)
James Bannon
Question:279. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite a surgical procedure in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31831/14]
View answerWritten answers
The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, 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 the Deputy on this matter.
General Medical Services Scheme Administration
Questions (280)
Róisín Shortall
Question:280. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the criteria used by the PCRS in cases where a doctor visit card is awarded on discretionary grounds rather than a medical card on the same grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31857/14]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.