Written Answers Nos. 128-134
128. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health his views that free under six general practitioner care could lead to GPs being overwhelmed with work and subsequently resulting in waiting lists to see GPs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40546/14]
View answerThe Government is committed to introducing, on a phased basis, a universal GP service without fees within its term of office, as set out in the Programme for Government. As announced previously, it was decided to commence the roll-out of a universal GP service by providing all children aged 5 years and under with access to a GP service without fees. €37 million (full year) is being made available for the provision of GP care without fees to children under six years.
On 4th June 2014, a Framework Agreement was concluded between the Department of Health, the HSE and the IMO in relation to the draft contract for the provision of services to children under 6 years of age. The Framework Agreement sets out a process for engagement concerning the GMS/GP contract and other publicly funded contracts involving GPs. A number of meetings have already taken place between the parties. The objective is to have universal GP care without fees for children under 6 years in place in the coming months, subject to the conclusion of the present discussions and the completion of a fee-setting process.
Regarding additional workload, research carried out for the Department in 2013 indicates that fee-paying children under 6 years of age have an annual GP visitation rate of 2.7, whereas, medical card/GP visit card holding children in the same age cohort have an annual visitation rate of 3.1. It is not expected that such an increase in visits will result in an intolerable workload for GPs.
129. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Health if expenses for water charges and local property taxes will be included in calculating the eligibility criteria for general practitioner visit cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40557/14]
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.
130. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 653 of 17 June 2014, if the Health Protection Surveillance Centre has established a lyme borreliosis sub-committee; the details of the membership of same; if not, when this sub-committee will be established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40568/14]
View answerThe Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) of the HSE is responsible for the surveillance of notifiable infectious diseases such as Lyme Disease. The HPSC is presently involved in establishing a Lyme Borreliosis Sub-Committee with the primary aim of examining best practice in prevention and surveillance of Lyme Disease and to develop strategies to undertake primary prevention in order to minimise harm caused by Lyme Borreliosis in Ireland. A major focus of the Committee’s work will be on raising awareness of Lyme Disease among both clinicians and the general public.
With a view to this, in preparing for the establishment of the Committee, the HPSC has extended the information available on its website to ensure that diagnosticians remain increasingly aware of the issue of Lyme Disease. Each year, as part of its ongoing awareness raising about Lyme disease and methods of preventing or minimising potential exposure through tick bites, HPSC holds a "Lyme Disease Awareness Week", in which media releases are sent out with the intention that media outlets would take up the important Lyme prevention messages. This year, "Lyme Disease Awareness Week" took place in late May.
As part of the Lyme Disease Awareness Week a supply of information was made available to the public and attention was drawn to a “Tickborne Disease Toolkit”, developed by the European Centre for Disease Control, which is available on the ECDC website. In addition, this toolkit was modified for use in Ireland and posted on the HPSC website. The ECDC has noted that Ireland is the first European Member State to make such extensive use of this material. Following the Awareness Week a 100% increase of web traffic to the various Lyme Disease sections of the HPSC website was noted.
Preparatory work in drawing this group together began before the summer and relevant experts and officials were identified and invited to participate. The Unit within HPSC responsible for surveillance and provision of expert advice in relation to Lyme borreliosis is the Gastrozoonotic and Vectorborne (GZV) Unit. This work will be advanced over the next few months.
131. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a breakdown as to the amount spent by hospitals nationally on providing food for patients; the cost per head per patient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40573/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
132. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he will prioritise the opening of extra beds at West Kerry Community Hospital; if he will assist in ensuring that the Health Service Executive provides adequate funding in the 2015 services plan to allow for extra beds to open in order that older persons in west Kerry may remain in their community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40582/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
133. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if respite services available to users of a facility (details supplied) in County Kerry have deteriorated; if this will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40600/14]
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.
134. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the position regarding two Health Service Executive employees (details supplied) who are being paid at a point lower on the pay scale than what they are entitled to; if their proper level of pay, including back pay, will be reinstated; if the HSE accepts that the information furnished to this Deputy in response to a previous parliamentary question was inaccurate and if the correction that this Deputy furnished on behalf of the employees has been taken into account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40601/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the HSE for direct reply.
