Written Answers Nos. 249-266
249. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health if he will instruct the Health Service Executive to engage with representatives of home helps, with a view to improving conditions of employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16331/15]
View answerIn September 2013 the Labour Court issued a binding recommendation to the HSE, SIPTU and IMPACT stipulating that Home Helps receive a guaranteed minimum number of working hours per week. The recommendation provided for Home Helps being guaranteed 80% of the hours they worked in the period between 1 October 2011 and 31 March 2012 per week in new contracts. Following this engagement a new contract was agreed and implemented.
I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy 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.
250. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if and when a medical card will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare, who has special needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16343/15]
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.
251. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health in view of a recent report on cancer survival rates (details supplied), the measures he will take to improve these rates; to improve the cancer survival rates specifically in breast, cervix, ovarian and rectum cancers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16347/15]
View answerThe study to which the Deputy refers, the Concord 2 global study, looked at survival rates in 67 countries for various cancers in 1995-1999 and compared these with survival levels in 2005-2009. The study acknowledged that Ireland's survival rates have improved consistently in recent years. However, the period under review largely pre-dates the National Cancer Strategy 2006-2015, the establishment of the National Cancer Control Programme in 2007 and full national coverage by the BreastCheck Screening Programme which commenced in 2007 and CervicalCheck screening programmes which started in 2008. It is expected that future studies will confirm that survival rates have improved further as a result of these initiatives. The latest available data from the National Cancer Registry indicates that net survival at five years from diagnosis has increased from 45% for Irish patients diagnosed during 1994-1999 to 59% for patients diagnosed during 2006-2011.
In recent years my Department and the National Cancer Control Programme in the HSE have focused on improving the quality of cancer services through reorganisation and expansion. We have moved from a fragmented system of care to one that consolidates cancer treatment in larger centres. Symptomatic Breast Disease Clinics and Rapid Access Clinics for Lung and Prostate Cancer have been set up in eight designated centres, with a satellite breast unit in Letterkenny. The HSE has developed early detection and cancer prevention programmes, such as the national hereditary cancer programme for patients and families whose cancer may have a hereditary component. In addition the HSE provides free screening for Breast, Cervical and Bowel cancer, as well as a HPV vaccination programme which provides protection against cervical cancer.
I am about to establish a Steering Group to provide guidance and advice in the development of the next National Cancer Strategy which will be implemented from 2016. The Strategy will set out the strategic direction for our cancer services for the next decade and I am sure that it will have a further positive impact on the number of people surviving cancer in Ireland.
252. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health when a general practitioner will be appointed under the general medical services scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16348/15]
View answerAs 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.
253. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Health his plans to include Crohn's disease on the long-term illness list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16352/15]
View answerThe Long Term Illness (LTI) Scheme was established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act, 1970 (as amended). Regulations were made in 1971, 1973 and 1975 specifying the conditions covered by the LTI Scheme, which are as follows: Acute Leukaemia; Mental handicap; Cerebral Palsy; Mental Illness (in a person under 16); Cystic Fibrosis; Multiple Sclerosis; Diabetes Insipidus; Muscular Dystrophies; Diabetes Mellitus; Parkinsonism; Epilepsy; Phenylketonuria; Haemophilia; Spina Bifida; Hydrocephalus; and conditions arising from the use of Thalidomide. There are no plans to extend the list of conditions covered by the LTI Scheme.
254. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding new equipment and extra hours with home help in respect of a person (details supplied) with mobility impairment in Dublin 3; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16355/15]
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.
255. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding physiotherapy in respect of a person (details supplied) who needs continuous rehabilitation in County Dublin ; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16356/15]
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.
256. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the Link programme in St. Michael’s House in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 13; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16357/15]
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 Coolock Health Centre, Cromcastle Road, Coolock, Dublin 5, telephone 01-8164292.
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.
257. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if a decision has been made on an application for a primary medical certificate in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16358/15]
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.
258. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive an appointment for a check up in Letterkenny General Hospital, County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16361/15]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
The Deputy's question relates to service delivery matters and accordingly I have asked the HSE to respond directly to him.
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.
259. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 663 of 14 January 2015, when the information requested will be provided by the Health Service Executive. [16362/15]
View answerI understand that a reply to your Parliamentary Question of 14 January 2015 was issued to you by the HSE on 19 January 2015 but you are now looking for further clarification.
The 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, therefore, the matter 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.
260. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a scan result from a hospital consultant, and the service of the public health nurse in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16366/15]
View answerAs 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.
261. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health when a renewal of a medical card will be processed in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16368/15]
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.
262. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if eligibility for a medical card can be reviewed in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare, in view of the hardship caused in the absence of a medical card and in view of the fact that the person is a single parent with two dependent children and the person earns the minimum wage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16376/15]
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.
263. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health the reason patients who test positive for Lyme disease in other European Union countries are not given access to treatment here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16386/15]
View answer264. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health his views on a meeting on Lyme disease by the Oireachtas health committee (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16387/15]
View answer322. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health the reason patients who test positive for Lyme disease in other European Union countries are not provided with treatment here. [16676/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 263, 264 and 322 together.
Lyme disease (also known as Lyme borreliosis) is an infection transmitted to humans by bites from ticks infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The infection is generally mild affecting only the skin, but can occasionally be more severe and debilitating.
Lyme borreliosis is a notifiable infectious disease, the notifiable entity being the more severe neurological form, Lyme neuroborreliosis. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) collects and collates surveillance data on the condition. 20 cases of the condition have been provisionally notified in 2014. This number is likely to fall following validation.
Lyme borreliosis can be asymptomatic or have a range of clinical presentations. Current best advice is that diagnosis should be made only after careful examination of the patient's clinical history, physical findings, laboratory evidence and exposure risk evaluation. Exposure to ticks prior to disease manifestations is necessary for the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis. Since an awareness or recollection of a tick-bite is not always present, however, this should not exclude the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis. Later stages require the use of antibody detection tests (or advanced DNA detection techniques). Testing for Lyme Disease is undertaken in most of the larger hospitals in Ireland. In undertaking Lyme testing, it is essential that the results are interpreted in the light of the clinical condition of the patient. If the result of this initial screen is equivocal, the patient's samples are referred to the U.K.'s Public Health England Porton Down facility which uses a two-tier system recommended by American and European authorities. This involves a screening serological test followed by a confirmatory serological test. Because of the general availability of initial screening for Lyme disease in Ireland and the provision of a confirmatory testing service in the UK, there is no need for Irish citizens to travel abroad for testing.
Common antibiotics such as doxycycline or amoxicillin are effective at clearing the rash and helping to prevent the development of complications. They are generally given for up to three weeks. If complications develop, intravenous antibiotics may need to be used. Anyone who suspects they may have contracted Lyme Disease should consult their GP who will arrange appropriate testing and treatment.
The Scientific Advisory Committee of the HPSC has established a Lyme Borreliosis Sub-Committee. The aim of this Sub-Committee is to develop strategies to undertake primary prevention in order to minimise the harm caused by Lyme Borreliosis in Ireland. These strategies will be published in a Final Report. In addition to staff from the HPSC, the membership of the Sub-Committee includes specialists in Public Health Medicine, Consultants in Infectious Diseases, Clinical Microbiology, Occupational Health, an Entomologist from the Parks and Wildlife Service, a representative from the Local Government Management Agency and an Environmental Health Officer. A representative from the Patients' Association is also being sought. The Terms of Reference of the Sub-Committee are:
-To raise awareness in Ireland of Lyme Borreliosis amongst clinicians and the general public;
- To identify and highlight best international practice in raising awareness about Lyme Borreliosis for the General Public;
-To develop policies of primary prevention of Lyme Borreliosis in Ireland based on best international evidence;
-To explore ways in which to improve surveillance of neuroborreliosis in Ireland;
-To develop strategies to raise awareness among the public particularly in areas of higher tick populations;
-To produce a Final Report covering all the above areas.
The Sub-Committee will hold its inaugural meeting on May 6.
Each year the HPSC holds a Lyme Awareness Week. This involves raising awareness for clinicians and the general public as to the risks of infected biting ticks, protection against tick bites and identifying the disease. Much use is made of the media to broadcast these messages in addition to the extensive material provided on the HPSC website. This year's Lyme Awareness Week takes place from April 27 to May 1st.
265. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an application for a wheelchair in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16392/15]
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.
266. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an application for home help service in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16393/15]
View answerAs 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.
