Written Answers Nos. 360-369
360. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health when the teledoc machine purchased under the TRASNA stroke programme will become operational in the Midlands Regional Hospital in Mullingar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39047/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
361. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the programmes and supports available to persons suffering from alcohol addiction; the amounts spent on providing these programmes for each of the years from 2008 to 2015 to date in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39048/15]
View answerIndividuals with an addiction to drugs and alcohol access the full range of general health services including primary care, secondary care, social care and mental health services. There are also specific services for addiction. Health Service Executive funding of €109 million is provided for alcohol and drug addiction services in 2015.
People who present for alcohol addiction treatment are offered a range of interventions based on the Four Tier Model of treatment intervention. The quality of client care remains a central focus of the addiction service. The HSE is aware of the growing need for interventions to address those addicted to drugs and alcohol. The issue of support for those with alcohol addiction will also be considered as part of national strategy development; most particularly in developing the new drugs strategy and in the forthcoming review of 'A Vision for Change.' The resources available to address substance misuse will be kept under review in the context of the overall resources available to the health services.
It is also essential to have a public health policy response which seeks to reduce the number of people engaged in harmful use of alcohol. The Government approved the General Scheme of a Public Health (Alcohol) Bill in February. The Scheme includes provisions for minimum unit pricing, health labelling on products that contain alcohol, restrictions on the advertising and marketing of alcohol and the regulation of sports sponsorship. Work is continuing on the preparation of the legislation and it is expected that the Bill will be published shortly. The other measures set out in the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy, were endorsed by Government. The First Annual Report on the National Substance Misuse Strategy is due later this year.
The HSE has recently advised of the expenditure attributed to HSE Addiction Services within Social Inclusion/Primary Care. This includes funding provided to a number of voluntary service providers who treat drug and alcohol addictions.
|
Services |
2012 Expenditure |
2013 Expenditure |
2014 Expenditure |
2015 Allocation |
|
HSE Addiction Services |
€90,751,786 |
€90,391,525 |
€107,691,991 |
€108,871,877 |
The provision of services to prevent and treat addiction to alcohol is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive and as such, I have also referred this question to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he should contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
362. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health his plans to provide 80 to 100 extra beds in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin 9 as a matter of urgency which will address the current trolley situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39056/15]
View answerED overcrowding is a key priority issue for the Government. Significant progress has been made to date on the overall ED Taskforce plan, with reductions in delayed discharges and waiting times for NHSS funding, allied with increased provision for transitional care funding, home care packages and nursing home beds.
The provision of additional acute hospital bed capacity is dependent on the availability of both suitable infrastructure and adequate staffing to ensure the provision of safe and quality care. As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
363. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Health the reason there is a continuous delay in the processing of a medical card application for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; if the application will be expedited due to the financial and medical hardship the person is suffering; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39057/15]
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 she should contact my Private Office which will follow up the matter with them.
364. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry who is being billed for medication despite being a medical card holder; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39058/15]
View answerAs the particular issue raised relates to an individual case, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
365. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a cataract operation in the South Infirmary in County Cork for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39066/15]
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 the Deputy directly. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
366. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health his legislative plans in respect of the issue of the "do not resuscitate" code, particularly in cases where a person is at end-of-life and there are no written instructions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39067/15]
View answerIn July 2015, legislative provisions relating to advance healthcare directives were incorporated into the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill 2013. An advance healthcare directive (AHD) is a statement made by an individual with capacity setting out his or her will and preferences regarding treatment decisions that may arise in the future when he or she no longer has capacity. The guiding principle underpinning the AHD provisions is that an adult with capacity is entitled to refuse treatment, including resuscitation, for any reason. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill was passed by the Dáil in October and has been referred to the Seanad for consideration. It is anticipated that the Bill will be enacted during the current Oireachtas term.
The HSE National Consent Policy was launched with immediate effect in May 2013. The policy deals specifically with the issues of Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) orders (Part 4). This document discusses issues pertaining to cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and DNAR orders within the context of consent. The aim of the national policy is to provide a decision-making framework that will facilitate the advance discussion of personal preferences regarding CPR and DNAR orders and to ensure that decisions relating to CPR and DNAR orders are made consistently, transparently and in line with best practice.
The policy states that decisions about CPR must always be made on a case-by-case basis and not, for example, on the basis of age, disability, the subjective views of healthcare professionals regarding the individual’s quality of life or whether he/she lives in the community or in long-term care. In addition, it states that such decisions should be made in the context of the individual’s overall goals and preferences for his/her treatment and care as well as the likelihood of success and potential risks.
An implementation guide to support Part Four of the HSE National Consent Policy is in the final stages of development and will be aligned with recent and forthcoming legislation and will be rolled out to the system when finalised.
367. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite the provision by the Health Service Executive of a piece of equipment for a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39074/15]
View answerUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the primary care schemes. Therefore the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
368. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the reason there is no database for persons with disabilities such as autism in operation; how it is possible to forward-plan the provision of services in the absence of such data. [39082/15]
View answerSpecialist Disability services are provided by or on behalf of the Health Service Executive ( HSE) to enable children and adults with a disability to achieve their full potential and maximise independence, including living as independently as possible in the community. Disability services are provided in a variety of community and residential settings in partnership with service users, their families and carers and a range of statutory, non-statutory, voluntary and community groups. Voluntary agencies provide the majority of services in partnership with or on behalf of the HSE.
In planning for the delivery of intellectual disability services, the HSE and disability service providers maintain the National Intellectual Disability Database (NIDD). The NIDD, established in 1995, provides a comprehensive database for decision-making in relation to the planning, funding and management of services for people with an intellectual disability. It provides a set of information which outlines the specialised health services currently used or needed by people with an intellectual disability. Participation in the database is voluntary and not every individual in Ireland with an intellectual disability is availing of or requiring a specialised disability health and personal social service.
A key recommendation of the report of the Value for Money and Policy Review of Disability Services related to the need for integrated management and information systems to support the business and service needs of the disability sector and service users. A Working Group established under this programme of reform is involved in the development of a new information system which seeks to build on existing databases, with a view to overcoming their limitations. The experience of stakeholders and their contribution to the consultation process, will be vital to the development of a robust information system, to support those business and service needs into the future.
I have no plans to establish a database for children born with any specific condition, as services are provided based on identified needs, not on the basis of a diagnosed condition.
369. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health how his Department and the Health Service Executive forward-plans the provision of services for children with special needs such as autism; and how his Department shares the necessary information to facilitate the Department of Education and Skills and other Departments in forward-planning to meet the needs of these children. [39083/15]
View answerSpecialist Disability services are provided by or on behalf of the Health Service Executive ( HSE) to enable children with a disability, including those with autism, to achieve their full potential and maximise independence, including living as independently as possible in the community. Disability services are provided in a variety of community and residential settings in partnership with service users, their families and carers and a range of statutory, non-statutory, voluntary and community groups. Voluntary agencies provide the majority of services in partnership with or on behalf of the HSE.
The Health Service Executive has recognised the need to increase the level of consistency and standardisation in the way both early intervention services and services for school-aged children with disabilities, including autism, are delivered.
The HSE is currently engaged in a major reconfiguration of its existing therapy resources for children with disabilities into multi-disciplinary geographically based teams, as part of its National Programme on Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People (0-18 years).
The key objective of this Programme is to bring about equity of access to disability services and consistency of service delivery, with a clear pathway for children with disabilities and their families to services, regardless of where they live, what school they go to or the nature of the individual child’s difficulties (with effective service teams working in partnership with parents and the Education sector to support children in achieving their potential). The implementation of the Programme has been supported not only by my Department but also by the Department of Education and Skills and the education sector.
An additional €4m was allocated in 2014 to assist in implementing the Progressing Disability Services Programme, equating to approximately 80 additional therapy posts. Further investment of €4 million (equating to €6 million in a full year) has been provided this year to support its ongoing implementation. Improving access to therapy services for children in primary care and in disability services is a particular priority for the Government. Within this context, funding is being provided in 2016 to support, inter alia, the implementation of the Progressing Disability Services Programme.
The Progressing Disabilities Services Programme is a key part of the implementation of the Value for Money (VFM) and Policy Review of Disability Services in Ireland, which emphasised the importance of the collection and analysis of information to underpin the planning, monitoring and delivery of services to children and adults with disabilities. Working Groups established to progress the implementation of the recommendations in the Review are addressing relevant issues including the development of an information framework to support service planning, the development of a quality and outcome measurement framework, and the assessment of future need. These measures will support planning for the provision of person-centred supports and services for children and adults with disabilities.
Finally, while the planning and provision of services in the education sector, referred to by the Deputy, is a matter for the Department of Education and Skills and bodies such as the National Council for Special Education, intersectoral collaboration at national level on children's disability issues is facilitated by a Cross Sectoral Team structure comprising representatives of the Departments of Health, Education and Skills and Children and Youth Affairs and of the HSE and other agencies that is in place.
