Written Answers Nos. 346-359
346. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health when a replacement scheme for the motorised transport grant and mobility allowance will be finalised and introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6666/15]
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 Mobility 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.
347. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person in County Donegal (details supplied) may receive an appointment in University Hospital Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6668/15]
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 with them.
348. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health if he will consider widening the terms of reference of the inquiry into Portiuncula Hospital to include children born from the year 2012 onwards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6696/15]
View answerThe Saolta Healthcare Group is currently finalising the terms of reference for the external review of practices and processes at the maternity unit at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe. While the review will incorporate an examination into the care of 7 women who had adverse perinatal events between February and November 2014, my expectation is that the Review Team will be free to examine all relevant cases, including those that we are aware of now, or those that come to light during the course of the review.
349. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health when a reassessment of needs will be carried out in respect of a child (details supplied) in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6728/15]
View answerAs the issue raised by the Deputy relates to an individual case, this is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. I have asked the HSE to look into the particular matter raised and to reply directly 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.
350. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health the reason the drug Fampyra is not available to patients under State-funded drug schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6732/15]
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 25 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. The HSE has also engaged with clinical experts and is considering the outcome of those engagements. Fampridine will be assessed along with a range of other applications for reimbursement of medicines for multiple sclerosis and other diseases.
351. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will receive medical treatment, considering that this person was offered an appointment some months ago that has since being cancelled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6733/15]
View answerIn relation to the particular patient query raised by you, 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.
352. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if, and when, an ongoing medical card review will be completed in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; the progress made in the determination of that person's eligibility to date; when it is expected to conclude the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6736/15]
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, which will follow up the matter with them.
353. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that the deficit issue concerning a service (details supplied) in County Cork will be dealt with in a way that results in the minimum impact on the service users. [6737/15]
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 it will follow the matter up with the HSE.
354. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will grant a discretionary card, on medical grounds, in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6738/15]
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.
355. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the action he is proposing to take further to his recent meeting with Our Children's Voice, a group of mothers from County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6748/15]
View answerIn 2010, the Department of Health published "Palliative Care for Children with Life-limiting Conditions in Ireland - A National Policy". The report contains 31 recommendations which are being implemented under the aegis of the National Development Committee which is a multi-stakeholder representative group, chaired by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The national policy provides the framework for the development of services for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. The policy places significant emphasis on supporting families and health care professionals to provide care for children in their own homes.
A programme of care for children with life-limiting conditions is being jointly funded by the HSE and the Irish Hospice Foundation. The programme includes the appointment in 2011 of the first Paediatric Consultant with a Special Interest in Palliative Care based in Crumlin. As well as supporting other paediatricians, the Consultant also provides clinical support and advice to maternity hospitals and neonatologists. The programme has also provided eight Children's Outreach Nurses whose role is to ensure that children being cared for at home by their families, have access to co-ordinated and supportive services. The HSE's 2015 Service Plan provides for an additional two Children's Outreach Nurses to be recruited in 2015; one of these nursing posts will be allocated to Donegal.
356. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Health when an appointment will be scheduled for orthodontic treatment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6763/15]
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.
357. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive an appointment for an operation in Sligo General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6769/15]
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.
358. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding specialist treatment in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5. [6776/15]
View answerAs this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If you have not received a response within 15 working days, please contact my private office and they will follow up the matter with them.
359. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 693 of 14 January 2015, if when pharmacists are dispensing branded non-generic medication on the explicit instruction of a prescriber to eligible patients using State drug schemes, such as the medical card or drugs payment scheme, they will be fully refunded the extra cost of the medication by the Health Service Executive; if he will provide a composite list of any exceptions to a full refund; the timeframe to refund pharmacists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6785/15]
View answerAs was outlined my reply to your PQ of 14 January, Section 13 of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medicines) Act 2013 provides that where a branded interchangeable product is prescribed for a patient and the prescriber is satisfied that the medicinal product, should for clinical reasons, be exempted from substitution, the prescriber shall write 'Do not Substitute' on the prescription. In these cases, the pharmacist must dispense what is written on the prescription, i.e. is not permitted to substitute with any product in the same group of interchangeable products and patients will not face any additional costs if the prescribed product costs more than the reference price.
As the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the primary care schemes, the issue raised by you regarding the refund process 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.
