Written Answers Nos. 146-153
146. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the action being taken to address the shortage of kidney transplant surgeons; when it is anticipated that the situation will be remedied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4214/15]
View answerThe national kidney transplant programme is provided at Beaumont Hospital. In 2014 a total of 192 kidney transplants were carried out, 152 involved deceased donors and 40 were from living donors. Six pancreas transplants were also carried out in Beaumont last year.
Beaumont Hospital is currently facing some challenges in the recruitment of transplant surgeons to fill current vacancies. Highly trained transplant surgeons can be difficult to find and the Hospital continues to carry out an international recruitment campaign for consultant posts.
Meanwhile, my Department and the HSE are working in collaboration with Beaumont Hospital to ensure that measures are put in place to alleviate current pressures and to address the challenges facing the transplant personnel and the hospital management.
147. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of medical cards as of 1 January 2014; the number of general practitioner cards on the same date; and the number for each type of card issued on a discretionary basis on that date. [4215/15]
View answerThe medical card figures, as requested by the Deputy, are provided as follows for 1 January 2014. For comparison purposes, I have also included the most current figures of 1 January 2015.
Number of Cards
|
Card Type |
1st January 2014 |
1st January 2015 |
|
Medical cards |
1,849,380 |
1,768,700 |
|
of which granted involving discretion |
50,294 |
76,665 |
|
GP visit cards |
125,426 |
159,576 |
|
of which granted involving discretion |
25,793 |
34,605 |
148. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Health if progress has been made on establishing a transfer system for environmental health officers working in the Health Service Executive, whereby they can transfer to another county when they have a change in circumstances; the steps being taken to allow them to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4217/15]
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.
149. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 receiving a hearing test in a Dublin hospital; the average waiting time and current longest waiting time, for both routine and urgent cases to receive an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4218/15]
View answerThe scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved. In relation to the specific case 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.
150. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will provide data on the number of drug users who are still drug free one year, two years, three years, fours year and five years, respectively, after completing a drug recovery programme. [4224/15]
View answerA core objective of the National Drugs Strategy is to develop a national treatment and rehabilitation service that provides drug free and harm reduction approaches for problem substance users and to encourage problem substance users to engage with, and avail of, such services. In the area of treatment and rehabilitation, the focus is on providing opportunities for people to progress from drug dependence to a drug-free life where that is achievable.
The HSE Central Treatment List of persons on methadone substitution treatment and the National Drug Treatment Reporting System, which is administered by the Health Research Board, record certain information when a person ceases treatment, including the reason for leaving treatment.
The information sought by the Deputy is not generally collected by drug treatment services, primarily due to difficulties in tracking people once they leave treatment. In addition, it would be necessary for a person to provide consent at the time of leaving treatment in order to be followed up for the purposes of monitoring progression after completing a drug recovery programme.
151. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Health if the drug Fampyra, used to treat multiple sclerosis sufferers, will be made available to a person (details supplied) in County Cork under the medical card scheme, or the drugs payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4227/15]
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.
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 Fampridine in the GMS and community drugs schemes. The application was 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 these procedures, the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics conducted a pharmacoeconomic evaluation of Fampridine and concluded that, as the manufacturer was unable to demonstrate sufficient effectiveness and a fair price for Fampridine in the Irish healthcare setting, it was unable to recommend the reimbursement of the product.
On foot of this, the HSE decided that it was not in a position to add the drug to the List of Reimbursable Items supplied under the GMS and other community drug schemes.
It is open to the supplier, at any time, to submit a new application to the HSE for the inclusion of Fampridine on the community drugs schemes incorporating new evidence which demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of the drug, by offering a reduced price or both. A revised application was received by the HSE on 25th July 2014. The HSE has since been engaging with the company seeking an improved commercial offering. These engagements have been completed and the HSE is now considering the outcome of those commercial engagements. Fampridine will be assessed along with a range of other applications for reimbursement of medicines for multiple sclerosis and other diseases.
152. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health his plans for the replacement for the position of director of the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council; his views that the selection panel for that position should not include current or past members of that council, including current or past chairpersons, that the selection process itself should come under the remit of the Public Appointments Commission in order to ensure that no bias or perceived bias could be attributable to the appointment of the new director; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4241/15]
View answerApproval for the appointment of a Director of the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) was conveyed to PHECC in December 2014. Section 27 (2) of S.I. No. 109 of 2000: the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (Establishment) Order, 2000 provides that the Director shall be appointed by the Council. In these circumstances, the recruitment process in relation to this position is an operational matter for the Council.
153. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Health the total number of representations in written or oral form he or his officials or advisers have received from a person (details supplied) seeking persons to be appointed to positions that fall under his remit since March 2011; if he will provide the details of these persons for whom the Member made representations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4276/15]
View answerA review of the correspondence tracking system in my Private Office shows no such written correspondence since 2011. Neither my advisors nor I have received any such oral representations since my appointment as Minister for Health.
