Written Answers Nos. 443-459
443. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health to explain the reason that consultant services are currently not available to new patients referred to the dermatology service within the Children's University Hospital, Temple Street, Dublin 1. [2684/15]
View answer444. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health to detail the number of new patients that have been put on hold and are waiting to be seen by the dermatology services within the Children's University Hospital, Temple Street, Dublin 1. [2685/15]
View answer445. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health when the consultant services in the dermatology service in the Children's University Hospital, Temple Street, Dublin 1, will be restored to allow new patients access to the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2686/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 443 to 445, inclusive, together.
In relation to the specific queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service matters, 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.
446. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if an early date for an operation which is deemed urgent by a consultant will be scheduled in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow. [2697/15]
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.
In relation to the particular 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 my officials will follow the matter up with them.
447. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health if he will meet with all of the parties concerned regarding the increase in the registration fees for nurses and midwives with a view to bringing the matter to a satisfactory conclusion; if he will ensure that no nurse is effectively de-registered until this matter is resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2700/15]
View answerI am concerned regarding the implications for the health service and patient safety should the current impasse over the annual retention fee increase continue. I therefore wrote last week to the President of the Board of NMBI asking that options be explored to bring a resolution to issues surrounding the annual retention fee. I recognise that the Board must meet its obligations within the financial resources available. At the same time this demands that obligations are met on the most economic basis possible and that all planned expenditure can be demonstrated as necessary.
I have requested that the Board of NMBI re-engage in discussions with the staff associations, as a matter of urgency. An outcome must be found which secures the Board’s minimum financial operating requirements but avoids a scenario where nurses and midwives are removed from the Register for non-payment of fees with potential consequences for service availability.
I will continue to monitor the situation closely in the interests of patient safety and continuity of care.
I have offered that both my officials and I are available to engage with the Board should that be of assistance.
The Board is an independent body, answerable to the Oireachtas, with the responsibility to ensure that it has the financial capacity to undertake all its legal obligations. The cost of enacting the additional requirements under the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 was set out in the Regulatory Impact Analysis that was carried out prior to the enactment of the legislation.
It was also made clear at the time of the legislation that the Board would continue to be self-funding and needed to plan and cost how it would fulfil its legal obligations. Following detailed negotiations with the Executive and Board members in 2013 it was agreed in October 2013 that an initial once-off sum of €1.6m would be granted by the Department to the Board to cover 2013/2014 costs, but that the Board would have to increase its income in 2015 to undertake its commitments in the legislation.
448. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health to explain the reason a parent of an autistic child attending a centre (details supplied) in County Offaly was informed that the child was only entitled to six sessions with a psychologist; if this is a general policy applied by the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2704/15]
View answerAs the particular issue raised by the Deputy relates to an individual case, this is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE 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.
449. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on proposals to ban the use of cigarette vending machines in bars; the process for same; the timeframe he is considering; if submissions can be made; his views on the effects such a ban would have on the sale of black market cigarettes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2712/15]
View answer450. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health if compensation will be paid to the approximately 145 legal tax compliant businesses that will be forced to close down if the proposed ban on cigarette vending machines goes ahead. [2713/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 449 and 450 together.
In June 2014, the Government approved the drafting of legislation to provide for measures in relation to the sale of tobacco products and non-medicinal nicotine delivery systems, including e-cigarettes (NMNDS).
Work is ongoing in relation to this legislation and details have yet to be decided on the provisions that will be included. My Department conducted a public consultation on this legislation and submissions were received, the closing date was 16th January 2015. An analysis of the submissions will be conducted and a consultation report will be prepared. This report will inform the Regulatory Impact Analysis and the drafting of the Heads of Bill. It is expected that Heads of Bill will be published during 2015.
451. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health to set out his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding medication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2720/15]
View answerThe HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the community drugs schemes in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
The decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds by the Health Service Executive on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics. They are not political or ministerial decisions.
The HSE received an application for the inclusion of Eculizumab in the GMS and community drugs schemes. Eculizumab or Soliris® to give it its brand name is indicated for the treatment of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria or PNH.
The application is being considered in line with the procedures and timescales agreed by the Department of Health and the HSE with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association for the assessment of new medicines. In accordance with those procedures the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics conducted a pharmacoeconomic evaluation of Eculizumab.
The Report of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics was published in October 2013. It concluded that at a total cost per patient per year of €437,247 and a cumulative gross budget impact over 5 years estimated at €33 million, the therapy did not represent value for money for the treatment of patients in the Irish healthcare setting.
In addition, the manufacturer did not include an economic model as part of their submission and failed to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of this therapy. Consequently the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics was unable to recommend reimbursement of the product under the community drugs schemes.
With regard to the 10 people that currently have access to this drug an interim agreement was put in place to fund these patients. This was to allow the pharmaceutical company, Alexion Pharma to have developed additional evidence to enable the HSE to make a long-term decision in relation to the funding of this incredibly costly agent.
Many countries have struggled to accept the price put forward by the pharmaceutical company. The HSE has been engaging with Alexion Pharma for some time to arrive at a price that would assist it in its desire to fund this medicine for as many patients as possible, within agreed resources. The HSE's engagement with the company has now been concluded and the Executive is considering the outcome of that engagement. It is regrettable that to date the company has not been able to provide this drug at a more sustainable price to the HSE to reflect the clinical evidence.
I would like to assure the Deputy that I fully understand the concerns of patients regarding the availability of this drug and every effort is being made to achieve a satisfactory outcome to this issue. While I appreciate that some may take the view that the taxpayer should reimburse every licensed medicine for whatever the price the drug company demands, I hope it is appreciated that the better interests of the health service require that we only reimburse the most effective medicines and only at a fair price.
452. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health to outline the budget allocation and actual costs incurred in developing a new psychiatric ward at Cork University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2725/15]
View answer453. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health when the recently completed new psychiatric ward at Cork University Hospital will be opened; the number of staff that will be allocated to the ward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2726/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 452 and 453 together.
As this is a service issue these questions have been referred to the HSE for 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.
454. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health to set out the total amount allocated each year from 2011 to date in 2015 to mental health services; if he will provide details of the intended development of mental health services over the next three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2727/15]
View answerIn line with the Programme for Government, my priority as Minister has been to modernise our mental health services, notwithstanding the severe resource constraints overall in recent years, and to prioritise new resources to underpin implementation of A Vision for Change. In that regard, the Government has provided an additional €125 million and some 1,150 posts for mental health comprising €35m with 416 posts in 2012, €35m with 477 posts in 2013, €20m for the recruitment of approximately 200 - 250 posts in 2014 and a further €35 million in 2015. The funding is being used to continue to strengthen Community Mental Health Teams for both adults and children, to enhance specialist community mental health services for older people with a mental illness, those with an intellectual disability and mental illness, forensic mental health services, and to enhance access counselling and psychotherapy in primary care and investment in suicide prevention measures.
Details of the overall gross non-capital mental health budget are published annually in the Revised Book of Estimates. Based on that information, the following table details the mental health budget for each of the years 2011 - 2015 inclusive:
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
Estimated Provision 2015 |
|
€712 million |
€711 million |
€737 million |
€766 million |
€791.8 million |
The HSE will, over the next number of years, continue to develop our Child and Adolescent, Adult, Forensic and Specialist mental health services, in line with A Vision for Change. Key priorities identified in the HSE 2015 Service Plan for this year and beyond include:
- Improve the performance of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS);
- Build on the investment in mental health services for General Adult, CAMHS, Psychiatry of Old Age, Liaison and Rehabilitation and Recovery, including appropriate 24/7 contact and response;
- Continue to build on the investment in community based mental health services in Mental Health Intellectual Disability and services for homeless mentally ill;
- Develop and implement a process to maximise the allocation of resources on an equitable basis aligned to population and deprivation.
455. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Health if the issue of the upgrade of a health centre at a location (details supplied) in County Galway has been addressed by the property and estates management committee of the Health Service Executive; and when it is likely that the redevelopment project will commence. [2737/15]
View answerThe HSE has responsibility for the provision, maintenance and operation of Health Centres. Therefore, this 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.
456. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Health to set down the arrangements at present for public health nurses to serve the health care needs of communities on offshore islands such as the Aran Islands and Inishbofin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2738/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been 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.
457. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health to set out the number of fair deal scheme applications awaiting funding in the Kildare and west Wicklow area of the Health Service Executive; when such funding will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2751/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for 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.
458. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health to outline the consultant and doctor structure in Naas General Hospital, County Kildare; the number of positions unfilled; his plans to advertise or interview for such positions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2752/15]
View answer460. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health to outline the nursing structure at Naas General Hospital, County Kildare; the number of posts unfilled; the number of nurses on sick leave for each of the past 20 weeks; the number of agency nurses employed in the hospital for each of the past 20 weeks; the cost of the employment of agency nurses over this period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2754/15]
View answer465. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health to outline the number of nurses in Naas General Hospital on short-term or temporary contracts; the number of nurses determined by management to be the total number needed for the hospital to function to its full capacity; if the Health Service Executive is in the process of interviewing for new nursing positions within the hospital; if such interviews are to create full-time posts in regard to nurses currently employed on short-term or temporary contracts or if such positions have been advertised nationally or internationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2774/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 458, 460 and 465 together.
I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. 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.
459. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health to detail the number of patients awaiting step-down beds in Naas General Hospital for each of the past 20 weeks; the number of such patients facilitated in nursing homes in the Kildare area over the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2753/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for 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.
