Written Answers Nos 121-140
121. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the reason there is no community response team for care of the elderly in County Meath; his plans to create one; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38390/14]
View answerI understand the Deputy is referring to Community Intervention Teams. As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
122. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if there has been any risk assessment regarding the use of digital mammograms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38391/14]
View answer124. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if there is a safety statement that has been issued regarding digital mammograms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38404/14]
View answer125. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if there is or was a conflict of interest regarding the matter of the head of the Health Service Executive and BreastCheck being the same person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38405/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 122, 124 and 125 together.
BreastCheck utilises digital mammography as it is the most advanced method available, giving enhanced image quality and significant reductions in the radiation dose associated with screening examinations.
Information regarding manufacturers' manuals and safety data for digital mammography equipment is included as part of the BreastCheck tendering process. Quality assurance processes and measurements are a vital aspect of the BreastCheck programme and their ‘Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Mammography Screening’ is available from the publications section of the BreastCheck website. These guidelines are consistent with those of the European Reference Organisation for Quality Assured Breast Screening and Diagnostic Services which is the EU standard.
The National Screening Service operates three population based cancer screening programmes: BowelScreen, BreastCheck and CervicalCheck and is an integral part of the Health and Wellbeing division of the HSE. The Screening Service reports through the Office of the Director of Health and Wellbeing to the Director General of the HSE. There is no conflict of interest in this reporting structure.
123. Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for Health if transport will be provided to enable persons (details supplied) in Dublin 9 to access respite care on 14 October 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38398/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
126. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure local property tax payments are not considered a voluntary deduction from persons' wages, when the Primary Care Reimbursement Service is assessing persons' payslips; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38410/14]
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.
127. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health his views regarding a change in law and regulations to allow for the medicinal prescription of cannabis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38414/14]
View answerThe Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1988, made under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, are the primary legislative instrument regulating the import, export, manufacture, production, prescribing, supply, possession and administration of controlled drugs in Ireland. On 11th July this year, the Misuse of Drugs Regulations were amended to allow for certain cannabis based medicinal products to be used in Ireland.
Subsequently the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) granted a marketing authorisation for cannabis based medicinal product Sativex® to be marketed in this State. Sativex® is indicated for the relief of symptoms of spasticity for people with multiple sclerosis where other conservative treatments have failed to provide adequate benefit.
128. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Health his policy regarding integrative health otherwise known as integrative medicine; if the practice has been recognised here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38418/14]
View answerIntegrative medicine relates to the combining of alternative therapies with those of evidence based medicine. Complementary and alternative therapies and are not funded through the public health system and are not regulated by the Department. All regulated healthcare professionals are required to practice in accordance with their respective professional and ethical codes of conduct and the use by these regulated professionals of such therapies has to be in accordance with the requirements of the respective regulators.
General policy on complementary therapy is informed by the National Working Group on the Regulation of Complementary Therapists which reported in 2005. Their report is available athttp://health.gov.ie/blog/publications/report-of-the-national-working-group-on-the-regulation-of-complementary-therapists-to-the-minister-for-health-and-children. In line with a recommendation of the National Working Group, the Department of Health supports greater voluntary self-regulation of complementary therapy.
While those providing complementary therapies are not subject to professional statutory regulation, they are subject to a range of legislation and regulation, similar to other practitioners including consumer legislation, competition, contract and criminal law.
People should be supported and empowered to make informed choices about how they can best look after their own and their families health and wellbeing. It is important that people have access to current, accurate and reliable information about health and health-related services and products, and that they consult relevant healthcare professionals for advice about their health needs.
The Department also produced an information leaflet to help consumers make an informed health choice on complementary medicine. It is on the Departments website http://health.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/complementary_therapists_leaflet.pdf
129. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for the processing of long-term illness card applications in each office; the number of persons working in each of these offices and processing long-term illness applications; if he will provide for individual staff to assist those processing these applications; his views that these backlogs are acceptable in view of the illness of the applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38426/14]
View answerUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for the administration of the primary care schemes, including the Long Term Illness Scheme, therefore the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
130. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health his plans to reduce the costs of drugs-medicines for patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38431/14]
View answerThe Government has introduced a series of reforms in recent years to reduce the prices of drugs and medicines which are paid for by the HSE. This has resulted in reductions in the price of thousands of medicines. Price reductions of the order of 30% per item reimbursed have been achieved between 2009 and 2013; the average cost per items reimbursed is now running at 2001/2002 levels.
A major new deal on the cost of originator drugs in the State was concluded with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) in October 2012. It will deliver a number of important benefits, including, significant reductions for patients in the cost of drugs, a lowering of the drugs bill to the State, timely access for patients to new cutting-edge drugs for certain conditions, and reducing the cost base of the health system into the future.
The IPHA agreement provides that prices are referenced to the currency adjusted average price to wholesaler in nine EU member states (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and UK) and these are the maximum prices paid by the HSE for originator drugs supplied through the community drug schemes.
The gross savings arising from this deal will be in excess of €400 million over 3 years. €210 million from the gross savings will be available to fund new drugs.
The IPHA agreement provides for a mid-term review in 2014. As the outcome of this review is dependent on negotiations with IPHA further comment at this stage would not be appropriate.
A new agreement was also reached with the Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers in Ireland (APMI), which represents the generic drugs industry, in 2012. Under this Agreement the maximum price the HSE pays for generic products was 50% of the initial price of an originator medicine, this was further reduced to 40% from 1 May 2014. This has resulted in the price differential between off-patent drugs and most generic equivalents increasing from 5% to approximately 20%.
The Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 provides that from June 2013 the maximum price of all new medicinal products reimbursed under the community drug schemes will be set in accordance with the criteria set out in the Act. The Act introduces a system of generic substitution and reference pricing. Reference pricing involves the setting of a common reimbursement price, or reference price, for a group of interchangeable medicines. This is the maximum price that the HSE will reimburse to pharmacies for all medicines in the group, regardless of the individual medicine’s prices. It is estimated that reference pricing will yield €50 million in savings in 2014.
In the case of drugs and medicines which are paid for by the HSE, prices are set in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 or the terms of the framework agreements between the Department of Health and the HSE and the representative bodies for pharmaceutical manufacturers in Ireland. However, neither the Minister for Health nor the HSE has any power to set the prices of drugs and medicines purchased by private patients. It would nonetheless be disappointing if all pharmacists were not passing on the benefits of lower prices to patients.
The HSE advises the public that if they are being charged prices which exceed the reimbursement price listed on the HSE website (http://www.pcrs.ie/), plus a dispensing fee of between €3.50 and €5, then they should discuss the differential with their pharmacist to ensure they get the best possible price for the medicine concerned.
In addition, measures have been taken to increase price transparency among retail pharmacies. In March of this year the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland issued guidelines to pharmacists on procedures and minimum standards of information to be provided to customers, including a requirement to provide an itemised receipt of purchase of medicines.
131. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the fair deal scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38434/14]
View answerThe Nursing Homes Support Scheme provides financial support towards the cost of long term residential care services in nursing homes. The total budget for long-term residential care is €939m in 2014. A number of people covered by funding arrangements which preceded the Scheme are also covered by this funding. However, €23m has been transferred from the Nursing Homes Support Scheme to provide additional community services, with a view to allowing more older people to be supported in their own homes and communities for longer in line with both Government policy and with the expressed wishes of older people. The target in the HSE's Service Plan 2014 is for 22,061 persons to be in receipt of financial support for long-term residential care by year end.
The HSE operates a national placement list for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme to enable it to operate within budget. All applicants who are approved for funding are put on the placement list in chronological order by the date of determination of their application, and funding issues to applicants in this chronological order to ensure equity nationally. Funding is released by the HSE on a weekly basis to ensure those on the placement list receive it as soon as possible.
Funding for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme will be considered in the context of the Estimates Process 2015, which is currently underway. The funding that becomes available must be balanced across all of the various service areas in a way that achieves the best possible outcomes for the greatest number of service users and prioritises areas of greatest need as far as possible.
132. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 828 of 27 May 2014 and 950 of 17 September 2014, in respect of the reference in the reply to emergency medical cards being issued within 24 hours of receipt of the required patient details, if he will report on the circumstances under which a medical card would be issued in an emergency and the procedure to be followed by a patient to have a medical card issued in emergency circumstances. [38439/14]
View answerI understand that the HSE issued a reply to Questions 828 and 950 directly to the Deputy on 2 October 2014.
The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this further 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.
133. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list to be admitted to nursing homes who are seeking to avail of the fair deal scheme, including the number on the waiting list in Dublin; and the number of patients who are currently in hospital wards across the country and are waiting to be accommodated in nursing homes, including the number of persons who are patients of Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9 and are awaiting nursing home places. [38440/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
134. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the ongoing bed crisis at the Aislinn Centre at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9 such that there are an insufficient number of beds available to comply with the guidelines contained in the Health Service Executive National Mental Health Division Operational Plan 2014; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that there are only 15.3 inpatient beds per 100,000 persons in the Dublin north east region compared to the HSE target of 21.2 beds per 100,000 persons; the actions he will take to address the severe bed shortages in mental health services in the Dublin north east region and to address the instances of patients in need of mental health services being denied treatment due to the shortage of inpatient beds. [38441/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
135. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 965 of 17 September 2014, the timeframe for a decision on this application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38474/14]
View answerThe Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the community drug schemes in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
136. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health if he will create a statutory entitlement to community care services, including home helps and home care packages, as recommended in the Seanad Éireann report on the rights of older people of March 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38481/14]
View answerThe creation of a statutory entitlement would not be possible in this context as services can only be provided in line with the resources that are available. It is my objective to ensure that available resources are deployed to achieve the best possible outcomes for older people.
In 2014 the budget of €315m for home help and home care services was augmented with an extra €23m, redirected from the provision for residential care, to strengthen the community provision and to develop new and more flexible approaches to community-based care.
The current review of the Nursing Home Support Scheme will include consideration of the way that residential and community care are currently balanced, and whether new approaches to financing community care would be appropriate.
137. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the reason the MRI machine at Galway University Hospital is only operational Monday to Friday; the hours of operation; the hours within which the results may be read; his plans to extend the hours of operation and the availability of a consultant to read the results; his plans to provide software in order that the results may be transmitted electronically to another hospital and protocols to have such results read; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38482/14]
View answerIn relation to the specific queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service matters they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
138. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the hours of operation of each MRI machine in each acute hospital; if an on-call service is available in each case; if he will confirm that software is operational to allow results to be read remotely in each hospital; if he will confirm that a clear protocol is in place to have results read off site when a consultant is not available and out of hours; the steps he will take to provide appropriate cover where a 24-7 service is not available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38483/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
139. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the hours of operation of each CAT machine in each acute hospital; if an on-call service is available in each case; if he will confirm that software is operational to allow results to be read remotely in each hospital; if he will confirm that a clear protocol is in place to have results read off site when a consultant is not available and out of hours; the steps he will take to provide appropriate cover where a 24-7 service is not available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38484/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
140. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of the acute hospitals where an x-ray is not available 24-7; if an on-call service is available in each case; if he will confirm that software is operational to allow results to be read remotely in each hospital; if he will confirm that a clear protocol is in place to have results read off site when a consultant is not available and out of hours; the steps he will take to provide appropriate cover where a 24-7 service in such hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38485/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
