Written Answers Nos. 1033-1057
1033. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will examine a hospital appointment at Cork University Hospital for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31590/15]
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 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.
1034. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form the number of outpatient appointments held in University Hospital Galway for 2012, 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31594/15]
View answerIn 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.
1035. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form the number of outpatient appointments held in Mayo General Hospital for 2012, 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31595/15]
View answerIn 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.
1036. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form the number of patients that did not attend outpatient appointments in University Hospital Galway for 2012, 2013 and 2014; the steps that are been taking to reduce this number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31596/15]
View answerIn 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.
1037. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form the number of patients who did not attend outpatient appointments in Mayo General Hospital for 2012, 2013 and 2014; the steps that are been taking to reduce this number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31597/15]
View answerIn 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.
1038. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form the number of patients who did not attend outpatient appointments in Merlin Park Hospital, Galway for 2012, 2013 and 2014; the steps that are been taking to reduce this number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31598/15]
View answerIn 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.
1039. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form the number of outpatient appointments held in Merlin Park Hospital, Galway for 2012, 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31599/15]
View answerIn 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.
1040. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will examine and expedite an appointment for a cataract operation at Cork University Hospital for a person (detail supplied) in County Cork. [31604/15]
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 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.
1041. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath will be provided an appointment at the Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore, County Offaly. [31607/15]
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 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.
1042. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health to set out the planned number of medical card and medical cards reviews for persons over 70 years of age to be carried out in each month for the next year. [31611/15]
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.
1043. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of all the funding his Department has provided to a company (details supplied) in County Kerry since its inception; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31616/15]
View answerMy Department administers a National Lottery Discretionary Fund from which once-off grants are paid to community and voluntary organisations providing a range of health related services. The company referred to by the Deputy has not received any National Lottery funding from my Department.
1044. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that the extreme delays by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland in processing new registrations of nurses is having a serious and detrimental effect on the ability of many institutions to provide even the most basic services, in particular at nursing homes; the measures that have been taken in the past year to address this problem; the number of new staff who have been recruited to handle backlogs; the commitments he can make to alleviate the long delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31625/15]
View answer1062. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health to explain the reason for the delay in finding a resolution to enable the registration of nurses to work in the health service here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31727/15]
View answer1067. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health to explain the reason it is taking approximately six months for nurses who qualified out of the State to register with An Bórd Altranais; his views on whether this delay is causing difficulties for hospitals here seeking to recruit nurses from abroad, including Irish nurses who qualified abroad; the steps he will take to reduce this processing time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31739/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1044, 1062 and 1067 together.
Almost 1,000 applicants have been registered this year, the highest in many years, of which 459 were Irish-trained applicants. The number of applications received to the end of August was up 122% on the same period in 2014.
As things stand, there are 2,313 open applications, of which:
- 1,632 have documentation outstanding (70%);
- decision letters have issued in 272 cases;
- 55 have been approved and a fee is awaited by the NMBI; and
- 205 are waiting review.
The applications that have been submitted with incomplete documentation (70%) cannot be processed until full documentation has been supplied. For this reason a new helpline is being set up to assist people with their applications and deal with registration queries. An upgraded website is also being developed. The Department has approved the filling of 16 posts.
Seven adaptation programmes have been held for the nursing home sector since 2014 with two further programmes scheduled for this year, in order to allow overseas nurses to register in Ireland. Some 405 places have been made available so far on these courses. Only 312 of these places were used by the nursing home sector. There are places available on the next course due to commence on 28 September 2015.
In addition, an alternative to the adaption programme, that has been developed by the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in the RCSI, has been approved as a pilot programme by the NMBI. The pilot programme is due to commence in the near future.
The Department continues to hold regular meetings with the NMBI on this matter in order to ensure that progress is being made. Organisations such as the NHI have been kept informed throughout and will continue to be informed of developments.
1045. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will arrange to have an application for a medical card by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31630/15]
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.
1046. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health to set out his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding digital mammography; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31636/15]
View answerDigital mammography produces enhanced image quality with improved visualisation of dense breast tissue which results in higher detection rates of breast cancer compared to film screen mammography. Furthermore, significant reductions in radiation are associated with digital mammography screening examinations and images can be got more quickly. The incidence of breast cancer has not increased due to the use of digital mammography.
1047. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health if additional surgeons have been employed to date by the Health Service Executive to carry out kidney transplants in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9; the steps taken to date by the HSE to reduce the waiting times for patients awaiting kidney transplants around the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31657/15]
View answerAt the end of 2014 two consultant transplant surgeons left the renal transplant programme, one on retirement and the second on leave of absence for professional development purposes. Given the limited number of surgeons who specialise in renal transplantation, any vacancies pose a challenge. Every effort continues to be made to fill the vacancies.
Meanwhile the renal transplant service continues at Beaumont. There is no active waiting list for the living kidney donor transplant programme. The deceased donor transplant programme is dependent on the availability of suitable donors who can be matched with recipients. My Department and the HSE continue to work to improve organ donation and transplantation rates with the aim of reducing waiting times for patients.
1048. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Health to explain the reason for the delay in sanctioning a new above-knee prosthesis for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31665/15]
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, she can contact my Private Office and they will follow the matter up with the HSE.
1049. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if a date will be offered for a medical procedure in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31669/15]
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 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.
1050. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Health to explain the reason for the delay in scheduling an operation at Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin 12, for a child (details supplied) in County Mayo, who is in need of the operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31671/15]
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.
1051. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health to set out the number of tonsillectomy operations that were carried out on children under 16 years of age through the public system in University Hospital Waterford for the years 2011 to 2014 and to date in 2015; the number of these that were carried out in this hospital on children under three years of age for the years 2011 to 2014 and to date in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31674/15]
View answer1052. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health to set out the number of tonsillectomy operations that were carried out on children under 16 years of age through the public system in Wexford Regional Hospital for the years 2011 to 2014 and to date in 2015; the number of these that were carried out in this hospital on children under three years of age for the years 2011 to 2014 and to date in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31675/15]
View answer1053. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health to set out the number of tonsillectomy operations that were carried out on children under 16 years of age through the public system in University Hospital Cork for the years 2011 to 2014 and to date in 2015; the number of these that were carried out in this hospital on children under three years of age for the years 2011 to 2014 and to date in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31676/15]
View answer1054. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health to set out the number of tonsillectomy operations that were carried out on children under 16 years of age through the public system in Temple Street Hospital, Dublin 1 for the years 2011 to 2014 and to date in 2015; the number of these that were carried out in this hospital on children under three years of age for the years 2011 to 2014 and to date in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31677/15]
View answer1055. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health to set out the number of tonsillectomy operations that were carried out on children under 16 years of age through the public system in South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, County Cork for the years 2011 to 2014 and to date in 2015; the number of these that were carried out in this hospital on children under three years of age for the years 2011 to 2014 and to date in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31678/15]
View answer1056. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health to set out the number of tonsillectomy operations that were carried out on children under 16 years of age through the public system in Galway Regional Hospital for the years 2011 to 2014 and to date in 2015; the number of these that were carried out in this hospital on children under three years of age for the years 2011 to 2014 and to date in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31679/15]
View answer1057. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health to set out the number of tonsillectomy operations that were carried out on children under 16 years of age through the public system in University Hospital Limerick for the years 2011 to 2014 and to date in 2015; the number of these that were carried out in this hospital on children under three years of age for the years 2011 to 2014 and to date in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31680/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1051 to 1057, inclusive, together.
With regard to the specific queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service matters, 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.
