Written Answers Nos. 217-27
217. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the way Kerry General Hospital's accident and emergency department is performing in comparison to other hospitals nationwide in relation to trolley figures and waiting times; his views on the figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5249/15]
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.
218. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the annual budget for wheelchair provision in County Wicklow from 2011 to 2014; the number of wheelchairs supplied to County Wicklow in 2012 and 2014; if he will provide a breakdown of the number of new wheelchair models and re-used wheelchair models supplied; and the number of clients that were referred to Seattech or the Central Remedial Clinic for specialised wheelchair or seating assessment. [5251/15]
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.
219. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health his plans for the reduction of the age of consent for blood donations to 16 or 17 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5252/15]
View answerThe remit of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) is to provide a safe, reliable and robust blood service to the Irish health system. Blood, and the products derived from it, are an integral facet of healthcare delivery. A major objective of the IBTS is to ensure that it always has the necessary programmes and procedures in place to protect both the donors of blood and the recipients of blood and blood products.
The IBTS have no plans to reduce the age of consent for blood donations to 16 or 17 years due to a higher rate of adverse reactions, such as fainting, in younger donors.
220. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health his plans for an information campaign on blood donation among secondary school students in order to increase awareness and support for blood donations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5253/15]
View answerThe IBTS has a schools information pack with leaflets, videos and CD content which it distributes to secondary schools to promote blood donation. The IBTS is currently reviewing this material with several parties, including input from Transition Year students. It is envisaged that this material will form part of a proposal to the Department of Education and Skills to include blood donation as part of the secondary school SPHE curriculum.
The IBTS also promotes awareness of blood donation through their presence at youth activities, such as the GAA and other sports clubs.
221. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding surgery in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5264/15]
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.
222. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding breast cancer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5265/15]
View answerPlanning for the age extension of BreastCheck to 65 - 69 year olds is underway and screening of the extended cohort will commence in Quarter 4 of 2015. The additional eligible population is approximately 100,000 and, when fully implemented, 540,000 women will be included in the BreastCheck Programme.
The age extension will be implemented on an incremental basis, in line with the capacity of the system to manage the additional screening and follow up workload. The National Screening Service will need to recruit and train additional radiographers, medical consultants and administration support to accommodate the increased demand for the BreastCheck programme. Funding for this and for additional mobile units and medical equipment will be made available across the implementation period. The age extension will be fully rolled out by 2021.
Women of any age who have concerns about breast cancer should seek the advice of their GP who will, if appropriate, refer them to the symptomatic breast services in one of the eight designated cancer centres.
223. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health when specialised equipment will be provided in respect of a child (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5279/15]
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.
224. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number and age of persons diagnosed with autism, on varying levels of the spectrum, in 2013, 2014 and to date in 2015; and his plans to address access to appropriate support and medical services, as young persons with autism move into adulthood. [5281/15]
View answerAs the Deputy's question 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 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.
225. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the establishment of a travel subsidy scheme to replace the motorised transport grant and the mobility allowance scheme; when the new scheme will be put in place; his views on whether it is acceptable that a new scheme has yet to be put in place a full two years since the schemes were closed to new applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5295/15]
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.
226. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if recent newspaper reports that he is to use the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 to reduce the price of patented drugs are accurate; if so, the section of the legislation he will use to achieve the reductions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5300/15]
View answerIn 2012 my Department and the HSE entered into an Agreement with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association to deliver savings of over €400m. Over half of the savings to be delivered - €210m - were to be reinvested by the State into the provision of new and innovative drugs.
The State's investment in new drugs over the three-year lifetime of the Agreement is likely to exceed the €210m earmarked. Therefore in order to ensure that funding is available to enable patients to have access to new and innovative drugs, additional savings in expenditure on drugs and medicines must be achieved.
My Department and the HSE have been engaging with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association on this issue as part of the Mid-Term Review of the 2012 Agreement.
Whilst the Government's preference would be for these additional savings to be delivered in co-operation with the pharmaceutical industry, agreement has not been reached in discussions to date.
Section 21 of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 affords the HSE powers to review and alter prices. This is an option which the Executive is examining at present, having regard to all relevant factors, including the funding pressures that it faces in relation to new and innovative drugs.
227. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if full year savings of €330 million and 2013 savings of €160 million from reductions in the cost of drugs and other prescribed items as projected in the 2013 expenditure report have been realised; if not, the savings realised in 2013 and the full year savings realised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5301/15]
View answerProjected savings and the outturn for 2013 are as set out in the following table:
|
Measure |
Projected savings in 2013 €million |
2013 outturn €million |
|
IPHA/APMI Agreements |
120 |
125 |
|
Quality Prescribing Initiative |
20 |
- |
|
Delisting of Drugs from the GMS reimbursable drugs |
15 |
11 |
|
Oral Nutritional Supplements price reductions |
5 |
5.5 |
|
Total |
160 |
141.5 |
The Medicines Management Programme of the HSE brought forward a series of measures in 2013 to promote more cost effective prescribing practices. Preferred medicines were recommended for statins and PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) in April 2013 and for Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs) in September 2013. The evidence suggested increased prescribing rates for the preferred statin and PPI by the end of 2013 but this did not have a measurable financial effect in 2013. The final outturn for 2014 is not yet available.
