Written Answers Nos. 641-655
641. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will receive a date for surgery, in view of the fact that the person is a full-time carer and is finding it difficult to carry out this function due to pain suffered on a daily basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11578/15]
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.
642. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo cannot access scoliosis surgery in Galway University Hospital; if he will arrange immediate alternative surgery for this patient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11579/15]
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.
643. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health the action he is taking in order that patients, such as a person (details supplied) in Dublin 24, who has gastrointestinal stromal tumours, can have access to the drug Regorafenib Stivarga; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11588/15]
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 HSE 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 Regorafenib in the GMS and community drugs schemes. The application is being 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 Regorafenib. The HSE is currently considering the results of that assessment and a subsequent commercial negotiation with the pharmaceutical company Bayer to seek to address some of the concerns raised in the assessment. No further comment is possible at this time.
644. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite an appointment regarding a biopsy in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11601/15]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that it is contrary to the Health Service Executive (Governance) Act 2013 for me to make a direction to the HSE or a hospital to benefit or prioritise any individual person or patient.
The 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 should take the matter up with the consultant and the hospital involved. In relation to the specific case raised, 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.
645. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health the services that are provided in County Longford in transporting patients from home and from nursing homes to hospitals in emergency situations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11605/15]
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.
646. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who died from smoking-related diseases in counties Longford and Westmeath in the years 2012 to 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11606/15]
View answerCause of Death Statistics are compiled in Ireland by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The World Health Organisation has selected the causes of death listed below as smoking related diseases and CSO statistics are compiled on this basis. They point out that this is a relatively rough indicator and is not an estimate of tobacco-attributable mortality.
Malignant neoplasms of lip, oral cavity and pharynx (C00–C14);
Malignant neoplasm of oesophagus (C15);
Malignant neoplasm of larynx, trachea, bronchus and lung (C32-C34);
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20–I25);
Cerebrovascular diseases (I60–I69); and
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40–J47).
Data from the Central Statistics Office on Selected Smoking Related Causes of Death in counties Longford and Westmeath in the years 2012 and 2013 are set out in the table below. Data for 2014 is not yet available.
|
Year |
Longford |
Westmeath |
Total |
|
2012 |
104 |
205 |
309 |
|
2013 |
128 |
242 |
370 |
It should be noted that the data relating to 2013 are based on the year of registration of death (rather than the year of occurrence) and should be treated as provisional.
648. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the number of staff currently employed by the Health Service Executive, by profession and in tabular form. [11657/15]
View answer649. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the number of healthcare staff per 1,000 citizens, by profession and in tabular form. [11658/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 648 and 649 together.
I 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.
650. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive a flexible cystoscopy in Ennis Hospital, County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11669/15]
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.
651. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 173 of 26 February 2015, when a reply will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11670/15]
View answerI understand that the HSE is liaising directly with the Department of Social Protection and with the Deputy on this matter.
652. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) will receive treatment at Ennis General Hospital in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11671/15]
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.
653. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 will be entitled to adult support services once they leave secondary school in June 2015; when the services will be made available to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11676/15]
View answerEach Local Health Office area in the Health Service Executive (HSE) has a dedicated Disability Manager to coordinate the delivery of services to people with disabilities. It is open to the individual and their family to pursue this matter with the Disability Manager for their area who can be contacted at Ground Floor, Unit 4 & 5, Nexus Building, Block 6A, Blanchardstown, Corporate Park, Dublin 15, telephone 01-8975185.
As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the 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.
654. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health his views on the current situation that so many of our current medical students are going abroad to work after graduating; and his plans to encourage them to stay here in Ireland [11714/15]
View answerThe recruitment and retention of doctors at all levels, from medical student to specialist, is key to the effective functioning of the health service. In this context, the implementation of the recommendations of the Strategic Review of Medical Training and Career Structure is a priority for my Department.
In July 2013, a Working Group, chaired by Prof. Brian MacCraith, President, Dublin City University, was established to carry out the Strategic Review. The Working Group was tasked with examining and making high-level recommendations relating to training and career pathways for doctors with a view to:
- Improving graduate retention in the public health system;
- Planning for future service needs;
- Realising maximum benefit from investment in medical education and training.
The Working Group completed its work in June 2014 and, in all, submitted three reports and made 25 recommendations. The reports address a range of barriers and issues relating to the recruitment and retention of doctors in the Irish public health system.
The Strategic Review recommendations are being implemented through a range of structures and processes across the health system. Each recommendation has an identified business owner and progress updates are sought by my Department on a regular basis. To support implementation of the recommendations, my Department has also established an Implementation Monitoring Group, comprising key stakeholders including trainee doctors. This will help drive implementation across the system and embed the recommendations in the day-to-day business practice of the health system.
The first six-monthly progress report on the implementation of the recommendations was published on 5th March last on my Department's website. The next report will be finalised and published this summer so that all stakeholders, in particular trainee doctors, can assess the progress being made across the range of Strategic Review recommendations.
655. Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for Health if all periods of health insurance cover are included when determining lifetime community rating loadings and, in view of the high number of returning emigrants, if periods of health insurance in other jurisdictions can be counted towards lifetime community rating loadings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11726/15]
View answerLifetime Community Rating (LCR) is being introduced to encourage people to take out private health insurance at a younger age. Encouraging more people to join the market at younger ages helps spread the costs of older and less healthy people across the market, helping to support affordable premiums for all. There is a nine month grace period, which expires on 30 April 2015, during which time as many people as want to can take out health insurance without incurring loadings. From 1 May 2015, late entry loadings will be applied to those who join the private health insurance market at age 35 or over.
There are exemptions available for people who previously had health insurance but cancelled it. A credited period can apply for any periods of inpatient cover from age 23 years where a full adult premium rate has been paid. The responsibility rests with the individual to prove to the insurer their credited period. When a full adult premium is paid in respect of anyone, including spouses and dependent students, such periods of cover are taken into account for the purposes of Lifetime Community Rating. In such cases, the level of loading will then be reduced by the relevant credited period(s).
These credited periods apply for periods of health insurance cover purchased with registered health insurers in this country. However, anybody who lives outside the State on 1 May 2015, and who moves to take up residence in Ireland, will have a grace period of 9 months to purchase private health insurance without incurring loadings.
