Written Answers Nos. 442 - 459
442. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list in Cappagh Hospital for hip replacements to date; the number of hip operations that have been preformed since January 2014; his plans to deal with this waiting time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37101/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
443. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health his plans to establish a children's future health fund to deliver a package of measures that will protect children's health, including tackling under age smoking and ending under age drinking, as outlined by the Irish Heart Foundation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37106/14]
View answerThe Irish Heart Foundation proposes the introduction of a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks and the hypothecation of part of this revenue for a proposed 'Children's Future Health Fund'. A proposal to introduce a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks remains under consideration.
The measures outlined to tackle underage smoking and drinking reflect those contained in Tobacco Free Ireland and the Report of the Steering Group on a National Substance Misuse Strategy, 2012.
444. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce a tax on sugar sweetened drinks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37107/14]
View answerThe Department of Health's Special Action Group on Obesity (SAGO) is considering a range of measures to tackle obesity, including calorie-posting on menus and Healthy Eating Guidelines. A proposal to introduce a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks remains under consideration.
445. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to address problems with overcrowding at Beaumont Hospital accident and emergency department (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37109/14]
View answerIn relation to the detailed information sought by the Deputy, as these are service issues they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
447. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the apparently inordinate number of documents that go missing while processing applications for medical cards within the Health Service Executive; if an International Organisation for Standardisation is used to measure the performance of processing of applications within the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37121/14]
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.
448. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if a social worker will be assigned to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37123/14]
View answerAs this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
449. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will extend BreastCheck to women aged between 65 and 69 years of age as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37126/14]
View answerAs indicated in previous replies, I fully support the proposed extension of the Breastcheck screening programme to the 65-69 year age cohort. The timing of the implementation of this extension of the service will depend on the availability of resources.
450. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health if he will sanction additional funding in respect of a resource centre (details supplied) in County Longford which is facing a deficit. [37129/14]
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.
451. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the total number of medical card applications in respect of those under and over 70 years of age currently in the system and awaiting decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37130/14]
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.
452. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which it is possible to streamline the system of assessment for medical cards with a view to achieving a dramatic reduction in the time taken to assess; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37131/14]
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.
453. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which his Department continues to monitor the various issues affecting the cost of private health insurance; if particular contributing factors have been identified; if specific action is likely to be taken arising therefrom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37132/14]
View answerMy Department and the Health Insurance Authority (HIA) monitor the factors that contribute to costs on an ongoing basis. The cost of private health insurance is influenced by issues such as the number of persons and the age profile of those holding private health insurance, ongoing medical innovations which can have an impact on the cost of care and the cost of claims.
I am determined to address the issues contributing to increased costs in the sector. Health insurers also have an important role to play in keeping health insurance affordable. I welcome the 2% reduction in claims costs across the market for 2013 reported by the HIA and urge the sector to further build on this positive achievement. As part of the Consultative Forum on Health Insurance, Mr. Pat McLoughlin was appointed as Independent Chair to work with insurance companies, my Department and the HIA to identify effective cost management strategies for the industry. Mr. McLoughlin's final report is expected shortly and I will consider how the recommendations can best be implemented.
I am also keen to create the best possible environment within which more people, particularly young people, will want to obtain and retain private health insurance. Under Lifetime Community Rating, from 1 May 2015 loadings will be incurred by anyone aged 35 or over taking out private health insurance for the first time. Loadings can be avoided by taking out health insurance before this date. I am also going to address the sharp price increase that younger people currently experience when they can no longer avail of student discounts. This has led to a substantial reduction in penetration rates in the 20-25 age group, which I will address by making legislative provision for the introduction of Young Adult rates in 2015.
454. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which the costs associated with previous preparations for the national children’s hospital will be offset and utilised as part of the preliminaries in respect of the currently proposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37133/14]
View answerThe National Paediatric Hospital Development Board was established in 2007 as the body with statutory responsibility for the planning, design, building and equipping of the new children's hospital. As shown in the Board's financial statements for 2012, an amount of €39.98m in respect of construction work-in-progress is included in the balance sheet, relating to expenditure on the project at its previous location at the Mater campus.
Much of the work undertaken for the project on that site is transferable to the project in its new location. This includes in particular development of activity projections and capacity requirements, development of functional requirements, and decisions on workflow, adjacency planning and logistics. This work has been built on in developing the Project Brief for the hospital on the St James's campus, which was approved in July 2014. As noted in the accounts, the Board is to complete a process to review expenditure to date in the context of determining the value transferable to the new site.
455. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the total number of patients on waiting lists for various procedures in all hospitals throughout the country as recorded at specific times throughout the course of each year in the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37134/14]
View answer461. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which research has been done into the causes of waiting lists, with particular reference to identification of what may be regarded as management issues or initiatives needed to minimise the risk of backlogs resulting in waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37140/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 455 and 461 together.
In relation to the detailed information sought by the Deputy, as these are service matters they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
456. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the total number of children currently listed as awaiting orthodontic treatment; the extent to which the waiting list has fluctuated in each of the past five years to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37135/14]
View answerThe HSE provides orthodontic treatment to those who have been assessed and referred for treatment before their 16th birthday. It should be noted that the nature of orthodontic care means that immediate treatment is not always desirable. It is estimated that in up to 5% of cases it is necessary to wait for further growth to take place before treatment commences. Patients are assessed by the HSE Orthodontic Service under the modified Index of Treatment Need. Patients with the greatest level of need are provided with treatment by the HSE. The information sought by the Deputy is as follows:
|
Year |
No. of Patients awaiting treatment |
|
2009 |
11,519 |
|
2010* |
11,604 |
|
2011** |
9,493 |
|
2012** |
9,824 |
|
2013 |
15,540 |
|
2014 (Q2) |
16,518 |
* Figures for the former Western Area not available;
** HSE Figures for former Western and South Eastern Areas not available.
457. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which the full scale of services continues to be provided at Naas General Hospital, County Kildare; the extent to which equipment continues to be upgraded; if adequate staff remain available in all departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37136/14]
View answerIn relation to the detailed query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to him directly.
458. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the comparisons he continues to make between the costs associated with hospital care in the public and private sectors with a view to ensuring achievement of the maximum efficiency and cost benefit for the public sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37137/14]
View answerIt is not currently possible to undertake direct comparisons between the cost of hospital care in the public and private sectors because neither my Department, nor the HSE, have access to private hospital cost data. However, steps are being taken to help ensure that public hospitals have a better understanding of the costs involved with the provision of services. Such an understanding is essential for hospitals to operate effectively under the new funding model for the health service called Money Follows the Patient (MFTP). Implementation of MFTP commenced in January and the new model is being rolled-out in phases over the coming years.
A new Patient Level Costing (PLC) system is being implemented in public hospitals to help them to analyse and interpret their operating costs. Although a pilot PLC project has been underway since 2010, the PLC function must now be embedded across all hospitals. This will require investment in skills and also in PLC IT systems and feeder IT systems to improve the collection and analysis of cost data. The data provided by the PLC pilot is being used in conjunction with the current speciality costing methodology to set prices for services and this will continue when rolled out to more hospitals.
The HSE published an Invitation to Tender for a PLC System, to include knowledge transfer, in July of this year with a closing date of 26 August. The tenders are currently being evaluated and this process is expected to be completed by October. Assuming a successful outcome, it is intended to establish a contract for the provision of the solution in the fourth quarter of this year.
I believe that the combination of the MFTP funding model and a better understanding of costs will help to deliver improved efficiency and effectiveness in public hospitals.
459. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which arrangements are in hand to ensure an adequate supply of junior hospital doctors throughout the country in the public health sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37138/14]
View answerThe question raised by the Deputy is a matter for the HSE and I have requested that they respond directly to you.
