Written Answers Nos. 686-700
686. Deputy Michael Conaghan asked the Minister for Health the number and which of the 43 recommendations (details supplied) submitted to the Health Service Executive in 2009 have been implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11865/15]
View answerThe HSE commissioned Prospectus management consultancy in 2008 to undertake an independent review of the existing adult critical care provision and an assessment of the future requirements to the year 2020 thus enabling planning for a future model of critical care based on evidence. This review placed significant emphasis on international best practice and the application of these practices to existing service provision in Ireland.
The major deliverable of the review was a detailed report based on three key components: capacity and data, work practices, admission polices & related clinical issues. The report recommended that the number of critical care beds should increase from 289 to 579 over the period 2010 to 2020. It also recommended a model for the delivery of adult critical care that is underpinned by a network approach, whereby 'hub', 'spoke', and 'local' hospitals work together to provide the patient with safe and high quality critical care, in a timely manner. At the time of the 2008 report adult critical care services were provided in 37 hospitals (52 units) across the country including in a number of the smaller hospitals where beds were described as critical care beds but in practice treated low volumes of critical care patients.
The report recommendations have informed the work of the HSE critical care clinical programme which was subsequently established. In 2014 the National Clinical Programme for Critical Care designed and launched a 'hub-and-spoke' Model of Care for Adult Critical Care, which is a centralised critical care delivery model, designed to meet the complex needs of critically ill patients across the acute healthcare system. The Annual National Clinical Programme for Critical Care Capacity Census records adult critical care capacity i.e. the commissioned and actual critical care bed stock and critical care staff provided in critical care services in hospitals, and available to care for critically ill adult patients. There is now a more a co-ordinated approach to the planning and delivery of critical care, within and across hospital groups, with a focus on small hospitals managing routine urgent or planned care locally and more complex critical care managed in the larger hub hospitals where the relevant clinical critical care expertise can be provided.
In relation to the particular query regarding the implementation of the report recommendations, 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.
687. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health his plans to appoint dedicated Parkinson's disease nurses for Cork city and county (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11866/15]
View answerI 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.
688. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding home help in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and the reason for the delay in same [11880/15]
View answerI 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.
689. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of maintenance and construction contracts (details supplied) in counties Cork and Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11886/15]
View answerThe management of the construction and maintenance of health property is a service matter. Therefore your question 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 who will follow up.
690. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce legislation compelling the Health Service Executive to have open disclosure when something goes wrong with patient care [11900/15]
View answerAs I said in the Dáil recently, measures 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.
691. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 445 of 24 February 2015, the reason no response has issued from the Health Service Executive [11918/15]
View answerI understand from speaking to my colleagues in the Health Service Executive that a response issued to the Deputy on March 19 2015.
692. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health if a person is ineligible for treatment or a procedure through the National Treatment Purchase Fund by reason of the fact that the person is covered by a private health insurance policy, notwithstanding the fact that the person's private health insurance does not provide cover in respect of the treatment or procedure in question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11919/15]
View answerThe National Treatment Purchase Fund ceased direct treatment provision in 2013, focussing instead on data and analytics, audit and quality assurance to assist hospitals and the SDU in addressing waiting list and scheduled care issues.
In instances where a clinical decision is made that a particular course of treatment or procedure is required, and where this treatment/procedure is available in Ireland, normal eligibility criteria will apply, regardless of an individuals insurance status.
I hope that the above response clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
693. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Health when the review of the nursing home support scheme will be completed [11926/15]
View answerThe Review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme is broader than was first envisaged and the various issues arising are now being systematically considered with a view to completion and publication as early as possible. It is expected that the Review will be completed very shortly after which a report will then be made publicly available.
695. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 471 of 3 February 2015, in relation to a person (details supplied), if a deduction of €31 per week under the nursing home support scheme, as per allowable deductions regulations 2014, adequately reflects the cost of maintaining a child; his views on the inherent unfairness, discriminatory nature and unsustainability of the scheme in allowing a deduction for the cost of maintaining a child only where a court order is in place, thus effectively encouraging the dissolution of the family unit in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11930/15]
View answerThe Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) provides financial support towards the cost of long-term residential care services in nursing homes. Under the Scheme, nursing home residents contribute towards the cost of their nursing home care based on their means, and the HSE pays the balance. In 2015 a total amount of €948m is available for the Scheme. As of the end of January 2015 (latest figures available) 22,324 people were being supported by the Scheme.
Participants in the Scheme contribute up to 80% of their assessable income (which includes any rental income) and a maximum of 7.5% per annum of the value of assets held. The first €36,000 of an individual's assets, or €72,000 in the case of a couple, is not counted at all in the financial assessment. The capital value of an individual's principal private residence is only included in the financial assessment for the first three years of their time in care.
The Nursing Homes Support Scheme has incorporated a number of safeguards to ensure that:
- Nobody will pay more than the actual cost of care
- An applicant will keep a personal allowance of 20% of their income or 20% of the maximum rate of the State Pension (non-Contributory), whichever is the greater
- If an applicant has a spouse/partner remaining at home, he/she will be left with 50% of the couple's income or the maximum rate of the State Pension (non-Contributory), whichever is the greater
- If both members of a couple enter nursing home care, they each retain at least 20% of their income, or 20% of the maximum rate of the State Pension (Non-Contributory), whichever is the greater.
In addition to the safeguards, an applicant has the option to opt for the loan element of the Scheme known as Ancillary State Support. An applicant can opt for this loan where their assets include land and property held in the State. By availing of the loan, the portion of the contribution based on an applicant's assets may be deferred and collected from their estate. A nursing home resident can apply for the loan at any stage.
The Nursing Homes Support Scheme (Allowable Deductions) Regulations 2014, which came into effect on the 1st September 2014, expanded the definition of "Allowable Deductions" in the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009 to allow the HSE to make allowance for dependent children.
The Regulations are not arbitrary but are based on rates applied elsewhere by the Department of Social Protection. Under the Regulations, the HSE may deduct from the means assessed for the Scheme the equivalent of Child Benefit, plus the full rate of the Increase for a Qualified Child in respect of each dependent child. (Individuals in receipt of certain Social Welfare payments may claim an Increase for a Qualified Child for each qualified child under the age of 18 who lives with, and is being maintained by, the claimant. The increase may also be paid in respect of a child between 18-22 if s/he is in full-time education at a recognised school/college. The full rate of the Increase for a Qualified Child is €29.80 per week (€119.20 ever 4 weeks).)
The costs of caring for children, where it is relevant, will also be taken into account by deducting a fixed amount from declared means equivalent to the amounts allowed for dependent children for the purposes of medical card income assessments.
696. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the reason the Health Service Executive is refusing to implement a Labour Court direction to pay 400 social care workers twilight premium payment arrears in Counties Galway and Roscommon; if he will confirm that such back-payments have been paid by the Health Service Executive in other primary community continuing care areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11933/15]
View answerI 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.
697. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the amount the Health Service Executive spent on agency staff in February 2015; the proportion of the executive’s anticipated expenditure on agency staff for 2015 that was incurred in February 2015; the way the February 2015 expenditure on agency staff compares to February 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11936/15]
View answerI 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.
698. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive South has any vacancies for social workers at present; when it last took on social workers working in the Health Service Executive South; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11937/15]
View answerI 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.
699. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health if specific units (details supplied) and any or all of the other mental health facilities in the Castlerea area, County Roscommon, providing psychiatric, geriatric and Alzheimer's services are to be closed down, have their services curtailed or their functions changed in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11943/15]
View answerAs this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If you have not received a reply within 15 working days, please contact my private office and they will follow up the matter with them.
700. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 452 and 454 of 3 March 2015, (details supplied) the number of persons the Health Service Executive received data on from the Department of Social Protection in 2014; and the number of persons that the executive has received data on from the same Department in 2015 to date. [11953/15]
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.
