Tuesday, 11 Nov 2014

Written Answers Nos. 379-393

Mental Health Act Review

Questions (379)

Finian McGrath

Question:

379. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a domestic situation (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43022/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The Mental Health Act 2001 is the key piece of legislation regarding the rights of people involuntarily detained and treated in approved centres within our mental health services.

For a person to be legally detained under the Act, that person must have a mental disorder as defined in section 3(1) of the Act. Only those who are formally diagnosed with a mental disorder by a Consultant Psychiatrist may be detained under the Act.

Section 8(2) of the Act specifically prohibits the detention under the Act of individuals who suffer from a personality disorder, are socially deviant, or are addicted to drugs or intoxicants. Where individuals with such conditions are also diagnosed with a mental disorder, then they may be subject to detention but only because of the presence of a mental disorder.

While the Expert Group review of the Mental Health Act is to be completed in the coming weeks, I have no expectation that a change along the lines proposed will be recommended in the review. I would not accept that individuals with addiction problems should be treated without their consent unless there is also a diagnosis of a mental disorder by a Consultant Psychiatrist.

Treatment is of course available to individuals with addiction in the normal way.

Nursing Staff Remuneration

Questions (380)

Michael Lowry

Question:

380. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will review the low rate of salary being paid to newly qualified nurses; if he is aware that a newly qualified nurse may be paid a lower rate than the care assistants they are working alongside; his views on whether this is fair (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43024/14]

Written answers

Minister for Health

Under the Haddington Road Agreement, nurses and midwives participating in the Graduate Nurse Programme are paid 85% of the first point of the Staff Nurse/Midwifery Scale in the first year, €23,129, and 90% in the second year, €24,490. Slightly higher scales apply for Mental Health Nurses, €23,667 in the first year and €25,059 in the second year, maintaining previous relativities. In addition, participating nurses would also be in receipt of allowances and other premium payments. It is noted that the Agreement specifies that any subsequent appointment following completion of the Graduate Nurse Programme will be to the third point of the staff nurse salary scales and that, under the Agreement, the January 2011 new entrant salary scales have now been assimilated with the scales applicable to those who were in the Public Service prior to January 2011.

Some newly qualified nurses take up temporary contracts following completion of their 4th year undergraduate clinical placement covering the period until the following year's intake commence their 36 week placements. On doing so they would be awaiting registration and would not be in a position to undertake the full range of nursing duties. The pay rate for these nurses is also set at 85% of the first point of the Staff Nurse/Midwifery Scale.

While these rates are less than the first point of the permanent Health Care Assistant Scale, €25,578, Health Care Assistants participating in the Intern Scheme are also paid 85% of the first point in the first year, giving a salary of €21,741, and 90% of the first point in the second year, giving a salary of €23,020.

There are no plans to review these rates of pay at present.

Maternity Services

Questions (381)

Maureen O'Sullivan

Question:

381. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will acknowledge the tremendous work being done by an overstretched staff in the Rotunda Maternity Hospital, Dublin, and the need for urgent investment to provide a better service for patients due to increased demand, in view of the fact that the hospital is now 30% busier than it was in 2006, with practices such as newly delivered babies in the same ward as women who have suffered miscarriages now being commonplace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43036/14]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I am always happy to acknowledge the tremendous work being done by staff in the Rotunda Hospital, and indeed all healthcare staff, and I recognise that resource pressures in recent years have impacted on staff throughout the health service. I am aware too of the difficulties with the infrastructure at the Rotunda but as the Deputy will be aware, it is intended to relocate the hospital. The 2008 KPMG Independent Review of Maternity and Gynaecology Services in the Greater Dublin Area recognised that for optimal clinical outcomes, maternity services should be co-located with adult acute services, and specifically, that the Rotunda should be moved to the Mater site, the Coombe Hospital to Tallaght Hospital and the National Maternity Hospital to St Vincent's University Hospital. With the decision to develop the new Children's Hospital at the St James's campus and the relocation of the National Maternity Hospital already underway, the previous plans in respect of the Coombe and the Rotunda must be reviewed. That review has now commenced and will be completed in early 2015.

Pending the redevelopment of the Rotunda, there is provision in the HSE's Capital Plan for upgrading the electrical distribution system, the boundary wall and the hospital mortuary. In addition, capital funding has been indented for the development of an emergency theatre and delivery suite upgrade.

Hospital Facilities

Questions (382)

Seán Kenny

Question:

382. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Health his plans to have a new 24-hour helipad at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9; the estimated cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43040/14]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Question No. 383 answered with Question No. 332.

Haddington Road Agreement Implementation

Questions (384)

Patrick O'Donovan

Question:

384. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health following the announcement of the ending of the moratorium on recruitment in the public service, if employees in the Health Service Executive on flexitime will be entitled to get back the additional hours they have had in the past or if this announcement only relates to new employees; if any additional hours that are being added to make up annual leave for these staff can be taken back; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43051/14]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I assume that the Deputy is referring to the additional hours required under the Haddington Road Agreement. This Agreement is due to run for 3 years from July 2013 and there are no plans to amend the Agreement at this time.

The Agreement allows for significant productivity increases to meet demands particularly on front line services.

Health Services Provision

Questions (385)

Joan Collins

Question:

385. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive is medically equipped or has the medical knowledge to provide the detailed medical needs of people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (details supplied); if the Health Service Executive has a multidisciplinary team that can provide services to EDS sufferers; and, if not, if the HSE will fund patients under the treatment abroad scheme. [43056/14]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As 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. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Dental Services Provision

Questions (386, 413)

Joanna Tuffy

Question:

386. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Health if he will take immediate action to provide alternative facilities to cater for children in the Dublin area requiring multiple dental extractions under general anaesthetic; his views on whether young children are being put at risk because of the closure of the dental clinic at St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8, which provided care for 3,000 children each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43062/14]

Róisín Shortall

Question:

413. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to my correspondences requesting him to provide funding for private contracted dental services until such time as a replacement for the St. James's Hospital clinic is established, if he will make an urgent decision on this request so that children in need of extractions may access a service without further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43198/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 386 and 413 together.

The dental clinic in St. James's Hospital, which provided dental extractions under general anaesthetic for children in the greater Dublin area, ceased in October 2014 due to problems with the suitability of the building. The HSE is seeking a long term solution for the provision of a service for children with these needs. In the meantime, urgent cases requiring immediate treatment due to pain or swelling are being dealt with as necessary at private centres in Dublin and at no cost to the families. Parents who have concern in relation to this matter should liaise closely with their local public dental clinic, and particularly so if there is any deterioration or pain being experienced since their last dental assessment.

Medical Card Administration

Questions (387)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

387. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the processing of medical cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43063/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

Medical card applicants, when advised by the HSE of an unsuccessful application or review, are provided with details of their assessment and are further advised that they can request a review of the decision if they believe their financial or other circumstances have not been correctly assessed. In addition, the applicants will be advised of the option to appeal the decision and the contact details of the Appeals Office.

Should the Deputy wish to provide information about a specific case or cases, I will arrange that the HSE investigates them.

Medical Card Reviews

Questions (388)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

388. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if a discretionary medical card will be reinstated in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43064/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

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. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.

Medical Card Eligibility

Questions (389)

Olivia Mitchell

Question:

389. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the way the income assessment for medical cards is calculated; if the weekly income is calculated by dividing the monthly income by four; his views on whether this leads to a miscalculation over the course of the year as this method of calculation would lead to 48 weeks in the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43072/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

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. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Questions (390)

Martin Ferris

Question:

390. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick with type 2 diabetes who is unable to take medication, suffers terrible pain and has been on a neurosurgery waiting list for over a year at Cork University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43090/14]

Written answers

Minister for Health

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.

As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Hospital Procedures

Questions (391)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

391. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if a medical procedure will be expedited in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 13. [43105/14]

Written answers

Minister for Health

In relation to the particular patient query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Health Insurance Prices

Questions (392)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

392. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health with regard to the two McLoughlin reports on private health insurance, if he will indicate the recommendations contained in those reports that he and his Department have accepted and are implementing; the recommendations that are not being implemented and the reason they are not being progressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43106/14]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Review of Measures to Reduce Costs in the Private Health Insurance Market Phase 1 report was published in December 2013, and the Phase 2 report was published recently. I welcome both reports and will address each of the recommendations systematically.

Last week I announced a package of measures to address rising private health insurance premiums which are closely aligned to the recommendations made by Mr. McLoughlin. These measures include the introduction of Lifetime Community Rating from May 2015 and the provision for young adult rates in the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2014, which will be before the Houses of the Oireachtas this week.

I have accepted the recommendations relating to the implementation of a case-based charging system using Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) for private patients in public hospitals under Money Follows the Patient, and the establishment of a steering group to build on the reforms underway in the area of the prevention of Chronic Disease, which will focus on the provision of an integrated model of care for patients with chronic conditions.

Other recommendations being implemented include an increased focus by private health insurers on combatting fraud in the private health insurance market and the establishment of a working group with the HSE and the health insurers on the recommendations relating to claims processing.

Mr. McLoughlin's independent reports make a number of important recommendations under the headings of Controlling Costs, Care Settings and Resources, Age Structure, Clinical Audit and Utilisation Management, Private Psychiatry, Fraud Waste and Abuse, Chronic Disease Management, Claims Processing, and Admission and Discharge Processes. I have instructed my Department to pursue these, in conjunction with the private health insurers and the HSE as appropriate.

Medical Card Data

Questions (393)

John O'Mahony

Question:

393. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 201 of 19 September 2014, 638 of 15 July 2014, 139 of 25 June 2014 and 209 to 212, inclusive, of 4 June 2014, the reasons these questions have not been answered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43121/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I am aware that reminders have issued previously to the HSE regarding the Deputy's question of 4 June 2014 and I have now issued a further one. On receipt of the information from the HSE, I will forward it to the Deputy directly.