Thursday, 16 Jul 2015

Written Answers Nos. 518-532

Hospital Services

Questions (519)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

519. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 660 of 16 June 2015 on the 2,684 cases on the National Treatment Purchase Fund inpatient/day case list for 30 May 2013 in Cork University Hospital, the number of these cases in respect of which the scheduled treatment or procedure was provided in Cork University Hospital; the number of cases in which the scheduled treatment or procedure was outsourced; the number of cases in which no scheduled treatment or procedure actually occurred; and in view of the inability of Cork University Hospital to provide an answer (details supplied) and its view that it is a matter for the National Treatment Purchase Fund, if he will direct whoever is responsible for this matter to provide an answer to the question originally put. [29900/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The responsibility for the active management of waiting lists rests with the HSE and the acute hospital system, enabled and supported by the work of the National Treatment Purchase Fund. My officials have contacted the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the HSE requesting them to re-examine the original response provided to the Deputy, and ensure that he is provided with the information requested.

Departmental Expenditure

Questions (520)

Martin Heydon

Question:

520. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Health the amount of investment from capital spending his Department has made in County Kildare since 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29901/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

My Department has not issued any capital grants in respect of investment in health care facilities in County Kildare since 2011. Capital grants have been made to agencies under the aegis of my Department such as the Health Research Board, Health Information and Quality Authority, CORU and National Cancer Registry Ireland. These capital grants enable the agencies to delivery their national remit.

Since January 2015, my Department has provided capital grants to the HSE to enable it to delivery health care infrastructure nationally.

The HSE has been requested to provide you with the following information: capital expenditure by project in County Kildare for the period January 2011 to end June 2015.

If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office who will follow up.

Care of the Elderly Provision

Questions (521, 522, 523)

Brendan Smith

Question:

521. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the proposals to upgrade the Breffni care unit in Ballyconnell in County Cavan, as this unit is of critical importance in the delivery of services to the elderly in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29902/15]

Brendan Smith

Question:

522. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the proposals to upgrade the care unit for the elderly in Lisdaran in County Cavan, as this unit is of critical importance in the delivery of services to the elderly in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29903/15]

Brendan Smith

Question:

523. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the proposals to upgrade Oriel House care unit in Rooskey in County Monaghan, as the unit is of critical importance in the delivery of services to the elderly in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29904/15]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 521 to 523, inclusive, 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.

First-Aid Training

Questions (524)

Robert Troy

Question:

524. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if fire service staff at Mullingar fire station in County Westmeath are all trained to use the defibrillators provided by the Health Service Executive; and if not, if the executive will be providing training shortly. [29930/15]

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.

Departmental Reports

Questions (525)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

525. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the date on which his Department received the international evidence review on independent hospital trusts undertaken by the Health Research Board at his Department's request; when he will publish this report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29932/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

A literature review of Independent Hospital Trusts was requested from the Health Research Board by my Department in 2011, to inform policy development. It is regarded as best practice that academic articles and reviews undergo peer review prior to publication. The Health Research Board advised my Department that the peer review undertaken identified a requirement for some further work on this literature review.

In this regard, it was agreed that the original literature review should be supplemented by additional case studies. The case studies have been completed, with appropriate material for integration into the literature review identified. This work has also been peer reviewed and is now being finalised by the Health Research Board for submission to its Board in September, in the first instance, and then for formal submission to my Department. It is expected that the Health Research Board will publish the review thereafter.

Hospital Appointments Status

Questions (526)

Robert Troy

Question:

526. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding surgery for a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath. [29965/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

Under 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 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.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Questions (527)

Ruth Coppinger

Question:

527. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the number of patients waiting for outpatient appointments in the department of endocrinology in St. James's Hospital in Dublin 8; and the average waiting time for new patients. [29969/15]

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.

Hospital Procedures

Questions (528)

Ruth Coppinger

Question:

528. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the number of terminations carried out under the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 in 2014 that were abortions; and the number that were caesarean sections. [29970/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As the Deputy will be aware, the first annual report on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act has been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas, as required under Section 20 of the Act. The report covers the period from 1st January 2014 until 31st December 2014.

The report shows that twenty-six medical procedures were carried out under the Act. Of these, fourteen arose from a risk of physical illness, three from a risk from suicide and nine from emergencies arising from physical illness.

The information published on these procedures is restricted in order to limit the risk of identification in what is a private, confidential matter between women and their doctors.

Speech and Language Therapy

Questions (529, 530)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

529. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form and by local health area, the number of persons currently on the speech and language therapy assessment waiting list, and within that, the numbers waiting less than four months, from four to 12 months, and for more than 12 months. [29986/15]

Billy Kelleher

Question:

530. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form and by local health area, the number of persons currently on the speech and language therapy treatment waiting list, and within that, the numbers waiting less than four months, from four to 12 months, and for more than 12 months. [29987/15]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 529 and 530 together.

As the information requested by the Deputy relates to service issues and is not routinely provided to my Department, I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply directly to the Deputy on these matters. 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.

Health Insurance Regulation

Questions (531)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

531. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he has further extended the date by which the Voluntary Health Insurance Board must acquire the necessary capital reserves to make an application for authorisation by the Central Bank of Ireland. [29988/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Central Bank issued a letter of authorisation in principle to VHI in April 2015, subject to it raising the necessary capital and completing a number of legal and procedural steps. VHI is committed to self-funding this capital requirement and is working with the Central Bank to finalise matters. The final date of authorisation will be confirmed once these requirements are met.

Separately, there is a requirement to extend the date by which VHI has the capital in place in amending regulations. Statutory Instrument No. 272 of 2015 extends the date by which the Voluntary Health Insurance Board must acquire the capital reserves to 31 July 2015.

General Practitioner Services

Questions (532)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

532. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, details of the number of general practitioner vacancies by local health area. [29989/15]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As the information requested by the Deputy relates to service issues and is not routinely provided to my Department, I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply directly to the Deputy on these matters. 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.