Written Answers Nos. 360-374
360. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Health what additional resources are being allocated to tackle the lengthy waiting list in the accident and emergency department of Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45142/14]
View answerThe Department and the HSE both believe that trolley waits are an unacceptable feature of the Irish health care system. This feature must be addressed. Figures for 14 November 2014 show that compared to the baseline year of 2011, there are 28.7% fewer patients on trolleys at Beaumont, equivalent to 1,883 patients. Compared to 2013, there are 16.3% fewer patients on trolleys. This is equivalent to 911 fewer patients. Performance in this area occurs against a background of a population which is experiencing significant ageing, with those over 80 years increasing by some 4% annually.
I am advised by the HSE that it is introducing a range of measures to minimise the numbers of patients waiting on trolleys. The Special Delivery Unit is working with hospitals to improve access times to appropriate care and to reduce the length of stay for key conditions. New pathways of care continue to be introduced to improve patient flow through hospitals including minor injury, medical assessment and surgical assessment units and specific pathways for frail older patients. This work is supported and facilitated through the clinical programmes and the involvement of senior clinical decision makers at all stages of the patient journey. The Special Delivery Unit is also working with the hospital groups to maximise capacity to accept ED patients by ensuring that appropriate activity is performed at each individual site. An in-depth review of individual sites is due to commence within the next month, which should lead to sustainable improvement.
The Government has also provided additional funding of €25 million in 2015 to address delayed discharges. This funding will be targeted at hospital and community services which can demonstrate initiatives to address specific needs of delayed discharge patients most positively. This will therefore improve timeliness for admissions from Emergency Departments and waiting lists.
361. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the legal requirements for receipts issued in pharmacies on the purchase of medicines; if there is any legal requirement for itemised prices of medicines purchased; if there is any intention to introduce itemised prices in view of the fact that this may lead to greater consumer knowledge of and control over prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45144/14]
View answerThere is no legal requirement for retail pharmacies to provide for itemised prices of medicines purchased. However, it is acknowledged that the transparency of prices of medicines for patients is desirable and measures have been taken to increase price transparency among retail pharmacies. The Department engaged with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland to consider how to provide greater price transparency in 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, setting out the price per item dispensed.
362. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding special shoes in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45149/14]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he can contact my Private Office and they will follow the matter up with the HSE.
363. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health how a person can access their own personal medical records in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45173/14]
View answerGenerally, access to one's health records should be provided routinely and administratively, having regard to privacy, confidentiality and the public interest. An application may be made in writing to the appropriate service or agency providing sufficient information (date of birth, current and previous addresses, dates of contact with the specific services etc.) to help in locating records.
People may also access their medical records under the Freedom of Information Act. They may apply in writing to the public body that holds them and for medical card holders that public body is the Health Service Executive (HSE). Patients of the public system may also be entitled to their medical records under the Data Protection Acts (2003 and 2008) or by 'discovery' in the course of court proceedings.
People who visit their G.P. privately or attend a non-HSE funded or private hospital may access their records under the Data Protection Acts (2003 and 2008) or by court order.
364. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 438 of 11 November 2014, if he will expedite a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath [45180/14]
View answerIn relation to the further query raised in this 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 my officials will follow the matter up.
365. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update regarding improvements in the access for women who were clients of a person (details supplied) to alternative home birthing arrangements, in view of the delay in having these matters processed; and in that context, if he will intervene in order to request that the person's indemnity would be temporarily reinstated until after the Health Service Executive investigations, as had previously been the case in other instances especially in view of the detrimental impact that the removal of this indemnity has had on the over 20 women directly involved [45186/14]
View answerI have been advised by the HSE that there were 13 mothers-to-be contracted for home births with the community midwife at the time of her suspension.
The current position is that seven of these mothers have delivered their babies. A further five mothers-to-be have expected delivery dates between now and March 2015. The 13th mother's application for a home birth could not be approved as she did not meet the criteria.
My role as Minster for Health primarily relates to policy decisions, legislation, implementing the programme for Government, securing an overall budget for the health service and accounting for it to the Oireachtas. The particular case referred to by the Deputy is an operational matter and it is appropriate that is should be dealt with by the HSE. I have referred the Deputy's question to the HSE for attention and direct reply.
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.
366. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if a date for surgery at the Regional Hospital Limerick will be expedited in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick [45227/14]
View answerThe 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 my officials will follow the matter up.
368. Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for Health if and when all the key recommendations in A Vision For Change will be implemented; if and when counselling will be provided for bereaved adults and children following a suicide; when a 24 hour suicide help line will be provided; the allocation that was made in budget 2015 towards providing these services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45237/14]
View answerSince coming into office, this Government has prioritised the reform of our mental health services in line with the recommendations in A Vision for Change. Additional funding totalling €125 million and some 1,100 new posts have been provided primarily to strengthen Community Mental Health Teams for both adults and children and to enhance specialist community mental health services for older people with a mental illness, those with an intellectual disability and mental illness, and forensic mental health services.
Implementation of Vision is ongoing. Work will be undertaken during 2015 to prioritise outstanding actions informing the identification of any gaps in service. The additional €35 million provided for mental health in Budget 2015 will be directed towards the continued prioritised development and reconfiguration of General Adult teams, including Psychiatry of Later Life, and Child and Adolescent Community Mental Health teams. This will be delivered through further recruitment and investment in agencies and services in order to achieve a consistent service provision across all areas. In addition, the funding will also permit urgent specialist needs to be addressed, including psychiatric intensive care, forensic mental health, mental health intellectual disability care, and psychiatric liaison services. The details will be outlined in the HSE National Service Plan 2015.
Bereavement support for families and communities is critically important in the aftermath of a death by suicide. A range of local and national services provide suicide bereavement support to families and communities (details of these can be found at www.yourmentalhealth.ie). The HSE's National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) provides funding to Console to deliver suicide bereavement support services across the country. The organisation has six regional offices and has a dedicated helpline for individuals bereaved by suicide. The National Office also provides funding to Counselling, Responding, Information and Bereavement Services in HSE South and to Mayo Suicide Liaison Project.
The NOSP, in collaboration with Console and the Resource Officers for Suicide Prevention, has funded the development of the Family Suicide Bereavement Liaison Service across HSE West. Family Liaison Bereavement Officers, employed by Console, provide a range of services such as home visits and linking families to appropriate services such as GP, counselling, listening, or mental health services. The service is currently available in Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Galway, Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary with Roscommon, the Midlands and the South East available shortly.
There is help available for people who are struggling to cope or feel suicidal, and for families or friends who are concerned about someone. People who are in emotional distress can call the new Samaritans 24/7 free-phone number 116123, Console at 1800 201 890, Aware at 1890 303 302 and Pieta House at 01 601 0000.
The HSE National Service Plan for 2015, to be published shortly, will outline the total amount of funding for mental health services in 2015. Decisions on the allocation of budgets in respect of specific initiatives are an operational matter for the HSE.
369. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the delivery of oral and dental care (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45242/14]
View answer375. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding oral hygiene; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45303/14]
View answer378. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on securing and maintaining oral health (details supplied) in the early years of a person's life; the way this will be achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45329/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 369, 375 and 378 together.
The role of the Department of Health is in the development of policy and the role of the HSE is the implementation of the policy. The National Service Plan of the HSE outlines the priorities of the HSE on agreement with the Minister and the Department of Health annually. The oral health key priorities are indicated in the National Service Plan and in the Divisional Operational Plans for the HSE. The National Service Plan for 2015 is currently being finalised.
The Dental Treatment Service Scheme (DTSS) provides access to dental treatment for medical card holders over the age of 16. All medical card holders are entitled to specific dental treatments e.g., an annual dental examination, two fillings in each calendar year, extractions as necessary. Additional treatments are available to persons with specific medical conditions including persons in receipt of care or services for a disability and persons on a register of disability. The HSE prioritises for treatment patients with special needs, high risk patients and those who have greater clinical needs and will continue to monitor the operation of the DTSS to ensure the most beneficial, effective and efficient use of available resources. Funding for the DTSS, which was capped at the 2008 level of €63 million, has increased to €75 million this year to take account of the increase in the uptake of services.
The HSE introduced Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for patients eligible for the DTSS in November 2011. This is linked with prior approval of claims for treatment such as endodontics. This has enabled increased uptake of such treatments.
Dental services for children up to 16 years of age and persons of all ages with special needs are provided by the Public Dental Service of the HSE through its dental clinics. All HSE dental clinics prioritise emergency care for children up to 16 years of age, treatment for special needs patients and screening of children aged from 11 to 13 years, including referral for orthodontic services where necessary. Other services, including screening of children 6 to 8 years, are provided but may be deferred in clinics where there is pressure on resources.
The Department of Health is in the process of developing a new oral health policy. This is a three year project which commenced in 2014 and is led by the Chief Dental Officer.
The project will have three key parts. The first is a needs assessment, which will inform how new services should be provided. The second part will be a review of resources. Thirdly, there will be consultation with stakeholders, including professional groups and the public, on new ways of delivering oral health services.
The emphasis on prevention rather than intervention is a cornerstone of this policy development. The project is prioritising older adults in the first instance. The ethos and principles for adults will provide a framework for the policy on children which will follow. In line with the 'Healthy Ireland' policy framework there will be a focus on a life course approach and the 0-5 age group will be considered in this context.
370. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health when a continuous positive airway pressure, CPAP, machine will be provided in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny in view of the fact that the funding has been awarded under the sundry section of the long-term illness card; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45246/14]
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.
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.
371. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health the reason the rheumatology outreach clinic has not been reinstated at Letterkenny General Hospital in view of the fact that suitable accommodation is available and the consultant has returned from maternity leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45247/14]
View answerAs 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 my officials will follow the matter up.
372. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health if different criteria are applied when an Air Corps or coastguard helicopter is used in instances where an air ambulance is required for a patient for inter hospital transfer or call out to an incident; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45272/14]
View answerAs 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 my officials will follow the matter up.
373. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that a person (details supplied) was inadvertently and incorrectly not provided with an adequate pension following 30 years working as a home help provider with the Health Service Executive and its predecessors; the reason they were informed that they were too old to avail of the pensions scheme at the time of their retirement in January 2014; if he will review this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45292/14]
View answerThe question raised by the Deputy is a matter for the HSE and I have requested that they respond directly to you. 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.
374. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Health when a doctor visit card allocated on 21 October 2014 will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the current delay in terms of issuing cards; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this family have been pursuing this matter for months before the DVC was granted and now they face further delays in terms of having to pay for doctor's treatment when a DVC has been granted because of administrative delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45298/14]
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. 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.
