Written Answers Nos. 133-41
133. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Health when a determination will be made on a medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3086/15]
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.
134. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Health when a determination will be made on a medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3087/15]
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.
135. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health the capital expenditure on the community hospitals in Cork South-West and Bantry General Hospital since 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3089/15]
View answerYour question in relation to capital expenditure on community hospitals in Cork South West and Bantry General Hospital between 2011 and 2014 inclusive has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply as the delivery of the health care infrastructure is a service matter.
If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office who will follow up on the matter.
136. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health the number of Health Service Executive employees who availed of the incentivised career break arrangement, broken down by division and section, including clerical, administrative, nursing, midwives and so on; the number of those applications which were declined and approved; the number that have left the service following an unsuccessful application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3090/15]
View answerI 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.
137. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if he will review the case of persons (details supplied) in County Dublin who have been refused home help but are unable to cope at home alone. [3092/15]
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.
138. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive has held a meeting with a company (details supplied) over the past three months to discuss the pricing issue of its product Eculizumab; the outcome of these discussions; if not, the efforts that the HSE is making to secure a price structure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3097/15]
View answerThe 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 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.
139. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the current number of valid under 70s medical cards; the current number of valid over 70s medical cards; the average cost to the State per medical card; the total amount rebated to general practitioners across the country for medical card services for 2013 and 2014. [3103/15]
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.
140. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath has not received a medical card and has furnished additional information requested; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3105/15]
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.
141. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive will reconsider the life saving treatment abroad application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Laois to prevent further damage to their organs owing to the delay in sanctioning the use of Eculizumab to treat their rare condition of paroxysnal nocturnal haemoglobinuria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3109/15]
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.
This requires consideration of a range of statutory criteria prior to reimbursing any medicine, including clinical need, cost-effectiveness and the resources available to the HSE.
The decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds by the HSE on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics. They are not political or ministerial decisions.
This drug Eculizumab is indicated for the treatment of patients with Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haemoglobinuria or PNH. It is considered to be one of the most expensive drugs in the world.
I understand that in 2010 the HSE entered into an interim Access with Evidence Development Agreement between the company Alexion Pharma and St James's Hospital to treat 10 patients with this drug. The interim agreement was put in place with the expectation that future evidence would emerge which would assist with the future decision making on this drug.
The HSE received an application for the inclusion of Eculizumab in the GMS and community drugs scheme. In accordance with agreed procedures the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics conducted a pharmacoeconomic evaluation of Eculizumab.
The National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics published an evaluation of the medicine in October 2013 which found that the manufacturer failed to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of this drug and reimbursement would have an estimated cumulative gross budget impact for the HSE of €33 million over 5 years. Consequently the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics was unable to recommend reimbursement of the product under the community drugs scheme.
Notwithstanding the pharmacoeconomic evaluation of this drug, in recognition of the burden of illness experienced by those with PNH, the HSE has been engaging with the manufacturer, Alexion Pharma, for some time in seeking to arrive at a price that would assist it in its desire to fund this medicine for as many patients as possible within the resources available.
The price being offered at present would involve the medicine in question costing €420,000 per annum for each additional patient treated, with treatment continuing over a person's lifetime in most cases.
The HSE's engagement with the company has now been concluded. The Executive is considering the outcome of that engagement and I expect that the HSE will shortly make its determination. 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 that every effort is being made to achieve a satisfactory outcome. 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, the better interests of the health service require that we reimburse only the most effective medicines and only at a fair price.
