Written Answers Nos. 626-642
626. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of bed nights in a public hospital that privately insured patients used in 2015 to date; the amount of extra income that these charges will bring into the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23714/15]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. 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.
627. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an application for a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23716/15]
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.
628. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 399 of 10 March 2015, if he will confirm the action that has been taken by the Health Service Executive and his Department to fill the vacancy caused by the departure of a surgeon (details supplied) and to ensure that the person's operation is expedited; if the vacancy has been filled; if the waiting list is being handled by another hospital or surgeon; if the person's surgery can be dealt with immediately as the case is deemed to be extremely urgent; and if the Health Service Executive or his Department will provide a comprehensive response to the queries raised. [23743/15]
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. In relation to the further queries raised by the Deputy in this matter, as these are service issues, 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.
630. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the number of children and adults with special needs waiting for dental treatment under general anaesthetic, including a breakdown of the number waiting more than one month, more than three months, more than six months, more than 12 months, more than 18 months, more than two years and more than three years, respectively. [23759/15]
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.
631. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the public dental clinics that have closed since 2008; and if he will indicate this as a percentage of the total number of public dental clinics that existed at the end of 2008. [23760/15]
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.
632. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 317 of 19 May 2015, if he will indicate those Health Service Executive dental clinics that did and did not defer screening of children aged six to eight years in 2008 and in each of the past three years. [23761/15]
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.
633. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the number of six to eight year old children and the number of nine to 11 year old children on the waiting list for dental assessment or screening. [23762/15]
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.
634. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the total annual expenditure on the public dental service each year since 2008. [23763/15]
View answerThe budget for the public dental service of the HSE has been approximately €60 million per year since 2008.
635. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the 2008 and current average waiting time for orthodontic treatment, broken down by Health Service Executive area. [23764/15]
View answerThe HSE provides orthodontic treatment to those who have been assessed and referred for treatment before their 16th birthday. It should be noted that the nature of orthodontic care means that immediate treatment is not always desirable. It is estimated that in up to 5% of cases it is necessary to wait for further growth to take place before treatment commences. Patients are assessed by the HSE Orthodontic Service under the modified Index of Treatment Need. Patients with the greatest level of need i.e. Grade 5 or Grade 4 are provided with treatment by the HSE. Information on waiting times is collated by the HSE by region rather than by county and for the intervals as shown below. The information on waiting times for treatment for Quarter 1 of 2015 is as follows:
|
Waiting time from assessment to commencement of treatment |
1-6 months |
7-12 months |
13-24 months |
25-48 months |
Over 48 months |
TOTAL |
|
HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster |
1,140 |
875 |
1,432 |
1,208 |
199 |
4,854 |
|
HSE Dublin North East |
258 |
483 |
1,010 |
1,546 |
672 |
3,969 |
|
HSE South |
783 |
740 |
758 |
1,488 |
66 |
3,835 |
|
HSE West |
839 |
1,152 |
2,103 |
1,209 |
64 |
5,367 |
|
Total |
3,020 |
3,250 |
5,303 |
5,451 |
1,001 |
18,025 |
There are no comparable figures for waiting times for 2008 as the current method of collating waiting times was introduced in 2013. Waiting list figures for Quarter 4 of 2008 were as follows:
|
HSE Area |
Number of patients waiting for treatment |
|
HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster |
2,083 |
|
HSE Dublin North East |
2,361 |
|
HSE South |
5,964 |
|
HSE West |
2,570 |
|
Total |
12,978 |
636. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the current status of the vocational training scheme in dentistry, which was paused in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23765/15]
View answerA review of the undergraduate training for dentists will be conducted as part of the development by the Department of Health of a new national oral health policy. A review group will be put in place shortly to assess current undergraduate training in Ireland and best practice elsewhere. This will include consideration of vocational training.
637. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of restoring the biannual scale and polish entitlement under the dental treatment services scheme. [23772/15]
View answer638. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of restoring the extended gum cleaning entitlement under the dental treatment services scheme. [23773/15]
View answer639. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of removing the annual cap on fillings that was introduced in budget 2010 under the dental treatment services scheme. [23774/15]
View answer640. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the expenditure on the six-monthly scale and polish entitlement under the dental treatment services scheme in 2009. [23775/15]
View answer641. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the expenditure on the extended gum cleaning entitlement under the dental treatment services scheme in 2009. [23776/15]
View answer642. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the expenditure on fillings under the dental treatment services scheme in 2009. [23777/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 637 to 642, inclusive, together.
The Dental Treatment Service Scheme (DTSS) provides access to dental treatment for medical card holders over the age of 16. All medical card holders are entitled to specific dental treatments e.g., an annual dental examination, two fillings in each calendar year, extractions as necessary. Additional treatments are available to persons with specific medical conditions, including persons in receipt of care or services for a disability, persons on a register of disability and more vulnerable clients. The HSE prioritises for treatment patients with special needs, high risk patients and those who have greater clinical needs. Expenditure by the HSE on the treatments referred to by the Deputy in 2009 was as follows:
|
Treatment Type |
Expenditure (approx) |
|
Prophylaxis (scale and polish) |
€7.8 million |
|
Protracted periodontal |
€8.9 million |
|
Amalgam restoration (filling) |
€19.2 million |
|
Composite restoration (filling) |
€11.2 million |
The cost of restoring these treatments, which had been provided before 2010, to all medical card holders would depend on a number of factors, including the underlying oral health of the population and the likely level of take-up of such services. Expenditure on the DTSS since 2009 has been as follows:
|
Year |
Expenditure |
|
2009 |
€87.5 million |
|
2010 |
€79 million |
|
2011 |
€53 million |
|
2012 |
€63 million |
|
2013 |
€63 million |
|
2014 |
€70 million |
|
2015 (projected) |
€76 million |
The HSE continues to monitor the operation of the DTSS to ensure the most beneficial, effective and efficient use of available resources. Future service provision will be informed by the National Oral Health Policy, which the Department of Health is currently developing.
