Written Answers Nos. 171-179
171. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a breakdown of the allocations by the Health Service Executive to services under each of the funding bands in 2015; the amount of money allocated to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35140/15]
View answerThe following table provides a breakdown of the allocations by the HSE to its Divisions and Programme areas in 2015. The budget shown relates to current expenditure, is reported in Income and Expenditure terms, and is shown net of income.
|
Description |
Full Year Budget 2015 €000s |
|
Acute Division |
4,004,490 |
|
Ambulance |
144,139 |
|
Health and Well-being |
197,610 |
|
Primary Care Division |
3,437,429 |
|
Mental Health Division |
757,267 |
|
Social Care Division |
2,991,007 |
|
National Cancer Control Programme |
9,328 |
|
Clinical Strategy & Programmes |
33,583 |
|
Quality Improvement Division |
7,631 |
|
Statutory Pensions |
212,034 |
|
Other (including CHO Corporate, National Divisions/Services, State Claims Agency etc) |
340,362 |
|
Grand Total |
12,134,880 |
Notes: As per July, 2015 HSE Performance Report
Primary Care includes Social Inclusion, Palliative Care, PCRS and Demand Led Schemes
Social Care includes Disability Services and Older Persons Services
Further detail is contained in the HSE's latest published Performance Report (July, 2015) which is available on the HSE website at the following link:- http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/publications/corporate/performancereports/.
172. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a breakdown of agencies allocated funding to provide day services in 2015; the amount of money allocated to them (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35141/15]
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.
173. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in notifying a person (details supplied) in County Dublin that the documents she submitted in support of a review and re-assessment in regard to a medical card had been scanned incorrectly to the application, and that the person is now required to submit a new application to the medical card unit. [35142/15]
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.
174. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health given the Irish Cancer Society report on the cost of cancer, if he will firstly ensure that primary care reimbursement service revises its means assessment to take the real costs into consideration; if he will ensure that all persons diagnosed with cancer, regardless of age, will be granted a medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35150/15]
View answerUnder the Health Act, 1970, eligibility for a medical card is founded primarily on the undue financial hardship test and every application must be assessed on that basis. In accordance with the Act, the assessment for a medical card is determined primarily by reference to the means, including the income and expenditure, of the applicant and his or her partner and dependants. Where deemed appropriate in particular circumstances, the HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card even though an applicant exceeds the income guidelines where they face difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from an illness.
Where a person does not qualify for a medical card, they may be provided with a GP Visit Card, appropriate therapy or other community supports or drugs and appliances under the Long Term Illness scheme, where the qualification criteria are met.
The Report of the Expert Panel on Medical Need for Medical Card Eligibility was published by the HSE on 25 November 2014. A key recommendation of the "Keane" Expert Panel was that a person’s means should remain the main qualifier for a medical card. It also recommended that it is neither feasible nor desirable to list conditions in priority order for medical card eligibility. On foot of the Keane Report, the HSE has also established a Clinical Advisory Group (CAG). The CAG's interim report included a recommendation to extend medical card eligibility to all children under the age of 18 years with a diagnosis of cancer, for a period of five years in each case. The Director General of the HSE accepted this interim recommendation and agreed to it being incorporated in the guidelines for deciding officers in respect of discretionary awarding of eligibility. The CAG is continuing its work to develop clinical oversight and guidance for the operation of a more compassionate and trusted medical card system.
It is clear that there are people with medical needs and it is important that they should be able to access necessary assistance in a straight forward manner. Greater discretion is being exercised by the HSE because the number of discretionary medical cards in circulation has increased from about 52,000 in mid-2014 to nearly 93,000 at the beginning of September this year. While the HSE makes every effort to apply discretion whenever possible, in a small number of cases, given the financial means assessment, it is not always possible for those in higher income brackets to qualify for a medical card.
Every effort is made by the HSE, within the framework of the legislation, to support applicants in applying for a medical card and, in particular, to take full account of the difficult circumstances in the case of applicants who may be in excess of the income guidelines. Social and medical issues are considered when determining whether undue hardship exists for an individual accessing general practitioner or other medical services. The HSE affords applicants the opportunity to furnish supporting information and documentation to fully take account of all the relevant circumstances that may benefit them in the assessment, including medical evidence of cost and necessary expenses.
175. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has not yet received a decision on an application for a medical card; if a decision will be made on this application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35153/15]
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.
176. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to ensure that the Irish Dental Council will review a decision to refuse a person (details supplied) in County Dublin a licence to practise as a dentist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35154/15]
View answerThe Minister has no role in the registration of dental professionals. In this case I understand that the Deputy has written to the Dental Council, who will respond in due course.
177. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on ambulance services in the north-west Kildare and Edenderry areas; his plans to have the Edenderry ambulance station open 24 hours a day, and to provide more personnel at the station; if he is aware that there is no defibrillator available in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35156/15]
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.
178. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the reason that there was no commitment to building a new regional hospital in Navan in County Meath to serve the north east in the recently published capital plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35157/15]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, Our Lady’s Hospital Navan is now a constituent hospital within the Ireland East Hospital Group. The initial focus is on getting the Hospital Group up and running as a single cohesive entity. A structured integration of acute services in Navan into the Ireland East Group is under way in 2015 which will provide further support for the hospital in delivering high-quality safe patient care. The Hospital Group is required to develop a plan to describe how they will reorganise services across the Group to provide the best care to the population they serve.
In order to ensure that the hospital continues to play a significant role in its Group in providing sustainable, safe and effective care at the appropriate level of complexity, a number of developments have already been funded in recent years. These include the refurbishment of the Emergency Department, an upgrade of general theatres, an upgrade of the CSSD (Sterile Services Unit), the addition of new end of life care family rooms and garden within the Hospital and an allocation of capital funding of €750,000 for the replacement of various equipment.
Furthermore, a Phase 2 Build at Our Lady’s Hospital Navan will provide enhanced capacity including a Clinical Decision Unit, Rapid Assessment Triage, and larger Minor Injuries Unit. This Phase 2 Build will also incorporate 3 floors of 22 single, en-suite rooms and a new theatre suite. It is anticipated that this additional capacity will be available in 2016. In this context, the building of a new hospital in Navan is not provided for in the Capital Plan.
179. Deputy Gabrielle McFadden asked the Minister for Health the number of administrative staff working in the medical card processing section of the Health Service Executive, at present and in each year from 2010 to 2014, inclusive; the number of applications for medical card dealt with and approved, in each of these years and in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35158/15]
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.
