Tuesday, 24 Feb 2015

Written Answers Nos. 388-403

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Data

Questions (388, 389, 393)

Gerry Adams

Question:

388. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of fair deal beds across the State, by county and by year, since the scheme began. [7655/15]

Gerry Adams

Question:

389. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the fair deal waiting list across the State, by county and by year, since the scheme began. [7656/15]

Gerry Adams

Question:

393. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the budget allocated for the fair deal scheme across the State, and by Health Service Executive region, since 2009. [7660/15]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 388, 389 and 393 together.

As these are service matters they have 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.

Questions Nos. 390 and 391 answered with Question No. 382.

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Expenditure

Questions (392)

Gerry Adams

Question:

392. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the budget allocated for the fair deal scheme across the State since 2009. [7659/15]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The budget that was allocated to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme for the years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 is set out in the table.

2009	€909m
2010	€979m
2011	€963m
2012	€994m
2013	€974m
2014	€939m
2015	€949m

Question No. 393 answered with Question No. 388.

Primary Care Reimbursement Service Payments

Questions (394, 395)

Timmy Dooley

Question:

394. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health the number of general practitioners who have been subject to the removal of the rural practice allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7661/15]

Timmy Dooley

Question:

395. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health the number of general practitioners who avail of the rural practice allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7662/15]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 394 and 395 together.

As this is a service matter, it has been 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.

Cancer Screening Programmes

Questions (396)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

396. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of patients referred to Letterkenny General Hospital from BreastCheck in County Donegal for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014. [7664/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

BreastCheck, the National Breast Screening Service, does not refer women to Letterkenny General Hospital.

Hospital Procedures

Questions (397)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

397. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the numbers of breast cancer-related surgeries carried out in Letterkenny General Hospital, County Donegal in the years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. [7665/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The number of breast cancer related surgeries undertaken at Letterkenny General Hospital is as follows:

	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014 *
(a) Discharges following surgery for breast cancer	49	68	60	51	52	21
(b) All related procedures	76	103	97	77	78	37

(* data for 2014 is available up to 30 June).

With regard to the data at row (b), this refers to all discharges for surgical procedures associated with breast cancer or its secondary manifestations, including matters such as biopsy of bone, excision of skin and removal of prosthesis.

Hospital Staff

Questions (398)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

398. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the cross-Border options that have been examined to enable the appointment of a second breast cancer surgeon at Letterkenny General Hospital, County Donegal, to ensure the long-term sustainability of the service. [7666/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

A backlog of referrals to the Symptomatic Breast Service at Letterkenny General Hospital is being addressed at present through engaging a locum consultant who is providing three days of clinics and through the consultant breast surgeon who is based in Letterkenny General Hospital arranging to see additional patients by adding extra appointments at existing clinics and by arranging a number of additional clinics. Steps are also being taken by the Saolta University Health Care Group to recruit a General Practitioner, who will work with the consultant breast surgeon, and to develop the role of Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Letterkenny over a period of time.

While we are working with the Health Services in Northern Ireland in regard to the provision of radiotherapy services for people from the North West, at this point cross border options have not been pursued in relation to breast cancer services in Letterkenny General Hospital.

Hospital Consultant Recruitment

Questions (399)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

399. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the measures he will take to ensure a permanent consultant urologist is appointed to Letterkenny General Hospital, County Donegal as soon as possible; and if he will revisit the offer from Co-operation and Working Together to fund a second consultant urologist at Letterkenny General Hospital. [7667/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

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.

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Applications

Questions (400)

Dan Neville

Question:

400. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite an application under the fair deal scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7673/15]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As 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.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Questions (401)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

401. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of public and voluntary hospitals that have single or common waiting lists, a combination of public and private patients combined; if such waiting lists in any of the hospitals are confined to certain specialties; if so, if he will provide details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7675/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

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.

Hospital Appointments Status

Questions (402)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

402. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if an appointment for a hip replacement surgery in Saint James's Hospital in Dublin 8 will be arranged as soon as possible in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12. [7683/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The 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.

Medicinal Products Prices

Questions (403)

Peter Fitzpatrick

Question:

403. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Health the reason cancer patients who attend public hospitals for treatment have their intravenous treatment undertaken free of charge whereas patients who are on the same treatment in tablet form must pay the pharmacy for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7703/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Health Act 1970 (as amended) provides that all persons ordinarily resident in the country are entitled, subject to certain charges, to all in-patient public hospital services in public wards including consultant services and out-patient pubic hospital services including consultants services. For persons availing of public in-patient services, such as the treatment described, the current public hospital statutory in-patient charge is €75 per night, to a maximum of €750 in any twelve consecutive months. Medical card holders are exempt from public hospital charges. In addition, the HSE, under Section 55 of the Health Act, may provide private in-patient services to persons who are not entitled to, or who do not have or have waived eligibility to public in-patient services.

As for those patients receiving treatment by medication outside of hospital care, under the Drugs Payment Scheme, an individual or family in Ireland only has to pay €144 for all their prescribed approved medication each calendar month.