Written Answers Nos. 1109 - 1129
1109. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Health the number of patients at the Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin, who have had procedures postponed or cancelled as a result of the non-availability of a new microscope for which the hospital is currently tendering; where else in the health system this type of equipment is located; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32072/15]
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.
1110. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form and on a county basis, the number of calls placed in each month in 2014 and to the end of June 2015 to the national ambulance service; the number of occasions that an ambulance was dispatched; the average time taken in each month in each county for the ambulance to reach the destination requested; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32075/15]
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.
1111. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding an ambulance call-out in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32076/15]
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.
1112. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the number of call-outs from each ambulance base in County Mayo on a monthly basis to date in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32077/15]
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.
1113. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if he has full confidence in the operation of the national ambulance service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32078/15]
View answerThe National Ambulance Service (NAS) has undergone significant reform and modernisation in recent years, a process which is continuing in 2015. The rationalisation of control rooms to one national centre on two sites, Tallaght and Ballyshannon, has now been completed. On 2 September , the last remaining regional NAS control centre, Wexford, was successfully integrated into the new National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), the accredited centre of excellence in Tallaght. The NEOC also houses the National Aeromedical Coordination Centre and the National Ambulance Service Training College.
This project is delivering improved technology, to improve response times. Developments such as national digital radio, computer-aided dispatch, mobile data and electronic patient care reporting will allow the NAS to deploy its resources more effectively and efficiently, and on a national basis rather than within small geographic areas. The new single computer-aided dispatch system has now gone live. This will transform the way the ambulance service is operated and emergency vehicles are deployed.
Work is also underway with Dublin Fire Brigade on addressing the integration of ambulance call-taking and dispatch for the Dublin area and make best use of HSE and Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance resources in the region.
A €5.4m budget increase in 2015 is helping to address service gaps, particularly in the west, by reforming rostering and staffing additional stations. Tuam and Mulranny ambulance stations are now operating on a 24/7 basis and discussions are underway concerning staffing of a newly refurbished facility at Loughglynn. The number of community first response teams is expanding, with 132 teams now operating nationally. On 14 July 2015, the Government agreed to establish the Emergency Aeromedical Support (EAS) Service on a permanent basis. The EAS continues to provide rapid access to appropriate treatment for very high acuity patients.
I am confident that all of these measures will further improve our ambulance service in 2015.
1114. Deputy Ray Butler asked the Minister for Health his views on increasing the current 3% funding invested into general practice in next year's health budget as it provides same day access to a doctor for millions of patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32082/15]
View answerPrimary Care funding requirements for 2016 are currently being considered in the context of the estimates process and the HSE's National Service Planning process. In the context of overall competing demands for health service funding, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this stage.
1115. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will urgently examine and expedite a medical appointment for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32085/15]
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 scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she should take the matter up with the consultant and the hospital involved. In relation to the specific case raised, 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.
1116. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will examine and appoint a special needs assistant to a child (details supplied) in County Kerry who cannot commence playschool without one; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32090/15]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, which is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, provides for a free pre-school year to eligible children in the year before they commence primary school. The objective of this scheme is to support early learning in a formal setting in advance of starting school. I understand that certain flexibilities are built into the scheme in an effort to accommodate children with special needs, such as an overage exemption, or waiver, for children with special needs who do not meet the age criteria and the option to avail of the free pre-school year over two years.
The Health Service Executive has no statutory obligation to provide assistant supports for children with special needs wishing to avail of the free pre-school year. However, the HSE does work at local level and in partnership with the relevant disability service providers to address individual needs as they arise. This is done, for example, by funding special pre-schools that cater specifically for children with disabilities. In some limited cases at local level, disability services have also facilitated children with a disability to attend mainstream pre-schools by providing assistant supports where possible and where resources are available. The provision of such pre-school assistant supports should not be confused with Special Needs Assistants who are funded by the Department of Education and Skills to support children with special educational needs in primary and post-primary school settings.
The Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures children and young people's policy framework that has been developed by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs contains a commitment to develop a plan for the inclusion of children with a disability in mainstream pre-school and early years settings. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has lead responsibility for the implementation of this commitment and has recently concluded an intensive process of deliberation and consultation on the matter in conjunction with my Department and the Department of Education and Skills. Work is ongoing to develop an appropriate model of supports to facilitate the full participation of children with special needs in the ECCE Programme.
Within this context, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the individual case he has highlighted. 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.
1117. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health his views on recent research (details supplied) regarding mental health services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32094/15]
View answerI presume the Deputy is referring to the recent online survey conduced by St Patrick's Hospital with 507 adults aged 18 - 70 years. The survey findings indicate that
- Only 53% of respondents agree that people with a mental health difficulty are trustworthy.
- 67% agree that Irish people view people being treated for a mental health difficulty as a sign of personal failure.
- Approximately 1 in 4 do not believe that Irish people would be willing to accept someone with a mental health issue as a close friend.
- Only 21% believe that Irish employers would be comfortable employing someone with a mental health problem.
- 29% of respondents would not trust someone with a previous mental health difficulty to babysit.
These findings are very disappointing. We are all aware of the stigma which is associated with having a mental health problem and that stigma can be the most damaging factor in the life of anyone who has a mental illness. It is important, therefore, that we change our attitudes and our thinking about mental health and create an environment that recognises and treats people with mental health problems similarly to other health needs. We need to foster a culture where people in difficulty, do not hesitate to seek help; a culture that recognises the signs and signals of distress and is willing to offer help, and one which embraces difference and excludes stigma.
See Change, the national mental health stigma reduction programme is working to change minds about mental health. It is a community driven social movement to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with mental health problems. See Change is working with over 90 partner organisations, 200 volunteers and 60 campaign ambassadors and its work is supported by a strong evidence base.
Currently See Change activities include the Please Talk Programme – a student-focused, student-led mental health campaign in third level institutions; the Workplace Programme to address stigma in the workplace; an Outreach Programme with Rural and Farming Communities; a Community Engagement Strand (volunteer programme, First Fortnight rural tour); and a Stigma Reductions Communications (Ambassadors Programme, Online and Social Media).
In tandem with the above stigma reduction is a key feature of Connecting for Life the new National strategy to reduce suicide. I would hope that these initiatives will help to bring about real change in our society and assist in reducing the stigma that is so often associated with mental health problems.
1118. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health his views on concerns expressed regarding lack of accountability in the area of mental health (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32095/15]
View answerI am satisfied that there is not a lack of accountability within the mental health system. This reflects, for example, the governance, financial, service or Patient Safety and Quality oversights in place for the wider health and personal social care systems, as well as those specific to the mental health area such as relevant legislation in this regard or the role of the Mental Health Commission. As the details of the Deputy's Question relates to various or specific operational issues, appropriate to the HSE, I have therefore referred this question to the Executive 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.
1119. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health his plans to review the declining number of emergency medical technicians in the Kerry ambulance service which is currently understaffed by 12 personnel based on the compliment of EMTs that previously existed in view of the fact that these staff losses are detrimental to this vital service in County Kerry, allied to the continuing increase in tourist visitor numbers to the county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32097/15]
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.
1120. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details for each county of the number of new home care packages approved by the Health Service Executive in 2012, 2013, 2014 and to date in 2015; the specific national budget for home care packages in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32105/15]
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.
1121. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding treatment for a child suffering from a rare condition (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32110/15]
View answerThe Deputy’s question refers to the use of cannabis plants for medical treatment.
Under the Misuse of Drugs Acts, 1977 to 2015 and the Regulations made thereunder, the manufacture, production, preparation, sale, supply, distribution and possession of cannabis is currently unlawful except for the purposes of research.
My Department is aware that cannabis for medicinal use has been legalised in some countries and that there have been several studies internationally on the therapeutic effects of cannabinoids for a number of medical issues. Under European and Irish legislation, before a medicine can be placed on the Irish market the manufacturer has to seek an authorisation from the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) or in the case of certain medicinal products, the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A determination on an application for authorisation of a medicine is based on a rigorous scientific assessment of the application against legal and regulatory requirements.
In July 2014, the Misuse of Drugs Regulations were amended to allow for certain cannabis based medicinal products to be used in Ireland. Subsequently the HPRA granted a marketing authorisation for a cannabis based medicinal product which is indicated for the relief of certain symptoms for people with multiple sclerosis.
My Department will continue to keep developments in relation to cannabis based medical products under review. My Department will also be communicating this information to the family concerned directly.
1122. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who have been invited to take part in BowelScreen since the programme began in 2012; the number who have taken part; the number of incidences of bowel cancer detected; in the target cohort, that is, women and men aged 60 to 69 years, the take-up as a percentage of the overall number of persons in that age group; the incidence of false positives; when the programme will be expanded to cover the 55 to 74 age group; if this will be done in phases; the age cohorts concerned; and when it is expected the programme will be rolled out to each one; in each response, where appropriate, if he will provide responses that break down between women and men; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32112/15]
View answerBowelScreen commenced in November 2012 and is being introduced nationally on a phased basis to men and women aged 60-69 years. The first full round of screening for this cohort will be completed at the end of 2015. Thereafter the programme will move from the current 3 year round to screening every 2 years, in line with international best practice. It is envisaged that the programme will be expanded over time, in line with available resources, until the full 55-74 age group is covered.
Fully validated statistics will not be available until the first round of screening is complete. The provisional figures are as follows:
|
Screening |
|
|
Invitations to BowelScreen: |
422,000 (219,000 men & 203,000 women) |
|
Participation in BowelScreen: |
158,000 (74,000 men & 84,000 women) |
|
Cancers detected: |
317 |
|
Uptake rate (men): |
36% |
|
Uptake rate (women): |
44% |
1123. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if additional funding will be provided for respite beds in a care facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32113/15]
View answer1124. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the steps taken to ensure that there will be sufficient residential development in the future at a care facility (details supplied), given that no funding has been provided since 2008 for residential development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32114/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1123 and 1124 together.
As the Deputy's questions relate to service matters, I have arranged for the questions 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.
1125. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence regarding a group (details supplied), his plans to address the serious concerns raised and the serious financial implications for the group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32144/15]
View answerPrimary Care funding requirements for 2016 are currently being considered in the context of the estimates process and the HSE's National Service Planning process. In the context of overall competing demands for health service funding, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this stage.
1129. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in issuing a personal assistant in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Longford. [32151/15]
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.
