Written Answers Nos. 443 - 460
443. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health his proposals to expedite orthodontic treatment waiting periods in County Longford; if his attention has been drawn to a specific case (details supplied) in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4627/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
444. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the role his Department plays in the implementation of the objectives of the national positive ageing strategy; and if he will provide in tabular form the progress made in regard to each individual area for action that is the responsibility of his Department or agency under the remit of his Department. [4637/15]
View answerThe 2011-2016 Programme for Government committed to completing and implementing the National Positive Ageing Strategy (NPAS) so that older people are recognised, supported and enabled to live independent full lives. In our statement of Health priorities for 2015, the Minister for Health and I have reiterated our commitment to implementing the Strategy.
The National Positive Ageing Strategy published in 2013 provides a vision for an age-friendly society and includes four National Goals and underpinning Objectives to provide direction on the issues that need to be addressed to promote positive ageing. The Cabinet Committee on Social Policy, chaired by the Taoiseach, will oversee the implementation of the Strategy. As Minister of State with responsibility for older people, I will drive implementation at political level. As the Strategy is a cross-Departmental one, my Department has an overall coordinating and collating role and a more direct role for the health-related objectives.
The Objectives included in the Strategy are quite high level and must be followed by the identification of concrete actions which can then be implemented and measured. My Department has had on-going contacts with all relevant Government Departments and agencies in this context, and while it has been possible to identify actions and activities which are very positive for older people, it has been harder to identify new actions which have been introduced in direct response to the Strategy. This is perhaps understandable given the resource limitations and competing priorities that apply across all Departments and Agencies, but my Department is committed to bringing renewed impetus to implementation if at all possible. We are considering how this might be achieved and I will keep the Deputy informed as this process develops.
It is important to point out the many initiatives are already in train which contribute to the Strategy's goals. For example, in the health sector, in the area of older people’s services and supports, the Review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme will be completed shortly. The Single Assessment Tool, which will allow for a systematic assessment of need and allocation of services to older people, is being developed by the HSE, measures are being taken to ensure integrated care for older patients, and palliative care services are being improved. The Deputy will also be aware of the recent initiative which saw an additional €25 million provided to address the issue of delayed discharges in acute hospitals. The majority of these patients are older people, and these funds are being applied across both long term and short term residential services and at community level. As a result the waiting time for funding of approved patients under the Nursing Home Support scheme has fallen to eleven weeks now from fifteen weeks a short time ago.
A Healthy and Positive Ageing Outcomes Initiative (HPAOI) has also been established to implement the research objective of the National Positive Ageing Strategy. It is a joint initiative between the Department of Health, the HSE’s Health and Wellbeing Programme and the Atlantic Philanthropies and will run from October 2014 to December 2017, with a commitment to Department of Health funding for a further two years. The Initiative will monitor changes in older people’s health and well-being linked to the Goals and Objectives of the Positive Ageing Strategy. This will be done primarily through the development of positive ageing indicators to be published every two years. The HSE will also develop a physical activity communications campaign under the Initiative.
445. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if his Department will make a fund available for community groups to apply for grant aid to purchase and install community defibrillators; if he will pilot such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4659/15]
View answerThe applications for the Department's National Lottery Funding 2015 will be opening soon. I would encourage all organisations to complete a formal application form which along with detailed procedures will be available on the Department of Health's website at www.health.gov.ie.
As the Deputy's question about a pilot scheme 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 the Deputy has 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.
446. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health his disposition towards a legal duty of candour for health professionals as introduced in the neighbouring island in November 2014; his plans to introduce facilitating legislation to provide for a similar requirement here; if so, the stage his preparations have reached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4689/15]
View answerMeasures are now in place and more are planned to foster and support a culture of open disclosure within the health service.
A National Policy on Open Disclosure was developed jointly by the HSE and the State Claims Agency and launched by my predecessor in November 2013. The Policy is designed to ensure an open, consistent approach to communicating with patients and their families when things go wrong in the provision of their healthcare. It is important that the patients and their families are kept informed and that feedback is forthcoming on investigations. It is vital that we establish the steps that need to be taken to prevent a recurrence of adverse events. The HSE has now begun implementing the Policy across all health and social services.
In addition, I intend to bring legislation forward to give effect to recommendations made by the Commission on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance to facilitate open disclosure of adverse events to patients. The Commission recommended that legislation be enacted to provide legal protection for open disclosure and said that such legislation should ensure that open disclosure, which is undertaken in good faith in compliance with national standards, cannot be used in litigation against the person making the disclosure. These provisions will be in the Health Information Bill. Because of changes to the Bill since the general scheme was approved by Government, I will be bringing a revised general scheme to Government in the coming months, with a view to publishing the Bill this year.
447. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update regarding the new mobility allowance scheme that was promised for persons with disabilities; when it will commence; the amount it will be; the criteria for the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4721/15]
View answerConscious of the reports of the Ombudsman regarding the legal status of the Motorised Transport Grant and Mobility Allowance Scheme, in the context of the Equal Status Acts, the Government decided to close both schemes. The Government decided that the preparatory work required for a new travel subsidy scheme and associated statutory provisions should be progressed by the Minister for Health. The Department is seeking a solution which would best meet the aim of supporting people with severe disabilities who require additional income to contribute towards the costs of their mobility needs, while remaining within the available budget and satisfying all legal and equality concerns. In the meantime, monthly payments have continued to be made by the Health Service Executive to 4,700 people who were in receipt of the Monthly Allowance at the time that the scheme closed.
Work is ongoing on the policy proposals to be brought to Government for the drafting of primary legislation for a new scheme. Once policy proposals have been finalised and approved by Government, the time frame for the introduction of a new scheme will become clearer.
448. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the position regarding indemnity insurance in respect of a person (details supplied); his views on this person's insurance which has been taken away; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4722/15]
View answerI wish to thank the Deputy for the issue raised.
The HSE have advised me that there were 12 mothers contracted for home births with the self employed community midwife prior to her suspension. All but one mother has delivered their baby.
The HSE have also advised that self employed community midwives are facilitated to practice after signing a memorandum of understanding and a contract of agreement. The particular case and issue referred to by the Deputy is an operational matter and it is appropriate that it should be dealt with by the HSE. Therefore, I have referred the Deputy's question to the HSE for attention and direct reply.
If the Deputy has 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 Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the number of taxpayers who had a medical card in 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4723/15]
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.
450. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the number of stages in the medical card application process; the time each stage takes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4724/15]
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.
451. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the amount by which staffing will increase in the accident and emergency department of Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, following the recent negotiations between accident and emergency nurses and management regarding understaffing in the department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4725/15]
View answerThe Labour Court issued a recommendation on the 13th January 2015 in respect of issues of over-crowding within the Accident and Emergency Department of Beaumont Hospital. In this context management at Beaumont Hospital will increase the number of nurses on day duty to 12 and the number of nurses on night duty to 11. As part of this additional compliment the Hospital will put in place a CNM2 covering a combination of operational and practice development initiatives. Management have confirmed that they will continue with their efforts to recruit nurses using all means available to them.
The HSE has the capacity to recruit where it is necessary to deliver front-line services. This is reflected in the current recruitment campaign where the HSE is actively recruiting to fill 1,600 approved nursing posts. These are across all grades and all divisions of the register spanning acute hospitals, community, ID and mental health. Many of these posts are currently being filled on a temporary or an acting basis. Following a high profile online campaign at the end of 2014 the HSE is currently processing 3,700 applications.
452. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an overview of the current provision of State-funded home help services here; his views that more State-funded home helps are needed to provide support to the elderly and infirm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4726/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If the Deputy has 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.
453. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in Dublin North East and Dublin North Central who have availed of the fair deal scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4727/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If the Deputy has 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 Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health in view of the fact that there are five occupational therapist posts vacant in County Galway and 435 children in the early intervention services in County Galway who need this essential service, the reason the posts are still vacant; the action being taken to fill them and the timeframe for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4740/15]
View answerThe particular issue raised by the Deputy is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has 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.
455. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form details of agency staff costs expended by the Health Service Executive in 2012, 2013 and 2014; the specific staff roles and grades; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4746/15]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. If the Deputy has 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 Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if a date for a cataract operation will be provided in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4747/15]
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 the Deputy has 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.
457. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the services for cystic fibrosis patients; his plans in 2015-2016 for providing adequate care for these patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4749/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
458. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Health the position in regard to a ward in a hospital (details supplied) in County Dublin; if the decision will be re-examined and the ward reopened as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4775/15]
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.
459. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hospital (details supplied) in County Wicklow; if a full status report will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4776/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If the Deputy has 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.
460. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate who has been the Accounting Officer for the Health Service Executive as of 1 January 2015. [4786/15]
View answerThe Health Service Executive (Financial Matters) Act 2014 provides for the disestablishment of the Health Service Executive’s Vote with effect from the 31 December 2014 and the funding of the Executive through the Vote of the Office of the Minister for Health. The Act also sets out the new statutory financial governance arrangements for the Health Service Executive.
Under the new arrangements the Secretary-General of the Department of Health is the Accounting Officer for the Health Vote (Vote 38) which includes grants to the Health Service Executive. Under the new framework the Minister for Health sets a budget for the Executive, which is funded by means of grants made from the Health Vote.
Under the Act the Director-General of the HSE is an accountable person, with responsibilities to ensure that the Executive operates within its financial limits, reports to the Department if the Executive is likely to breech those limits and is accountable to the C&AG and PAC for the financial management of the HSE.
