Written Answers Nos. 460-82
460. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Longford will receive an appointment for a surgical procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40633/15]
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.
461. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40640/15]
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.
462. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a cataract operation for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40649/15]
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.
463. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health his plans to provide accommodation at a facility (details supplied) in Cork city for additional community care and long-stay beds; the status of any impending project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40650/15]
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.
464. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the long-term illness scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40653/15]
View answerThe Long Term Illness (LTI) Scheme was established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act, 1970 (as amended). Regulations were made in 1971, 1973 and 1975 specifying the conditions covered by the LTI Scheme. The conditions covered by the LTI Scheme are as follows: Acute Leukaemia; Mental handicap; Cerebral Palsy; Mental Illness (in a person under 16); Cystic Fibrosis; Multiple Sclerosis; Diabetes Insipidus; Muscular Dystrophies; Diabetes Mellitus; Parkinsonism; Epilepsy; Phenylketonuria; Haemophilia; Spina Bifida; Hydrocephalus; and conditions arising from the use of Thalidomide. There are no plans to extend the list of conditions covered by the LTI Scheme.
Under the Drug Payment Scheme, no individual or family pays more than €144 per calendar month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The scheme significantly reduces the cost burden for families and individuals incurring ongoing expenditure on medicines.
Under the provisions of the Health Acts, medical cards are provided to persons who are, in the opinion of the Health Service Executive (HSE), unable without undue hardship to arrange GP services for themselves and their dependants. In the assessment process, the HSE can take into account medical costs incurred by an individual or a family.
465. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health his views on the waiting list for surgery for scoliosis patients in Galway University Hospital. [40656/15]
View answerThe Saolta University Healthcare Group has assured my Department that the waiting list for such surgery is a high priority and that Galway University Hospital has been actively working to ensure that the necessary arrangements are in place in order to facilitate the level of complexity involved. In particular, significant progress is being made in relation to ensuring the required resources are in place in the context of bed availability, access to diagnostics, purchase of specialist spinal equipment and access to theatre. My Department is informed that the waiting list for spinal surgery at Galway University Hospital currently comprises thirteen patients, that one scoliosis patient was treated between January and May 2015 and that 3 scoliosis patients have been treated since May 2015.
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.
466. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence from a person (details supplied) in County Cork; if he will provide an update in relation to the fluoridation of water; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40663/15]
View answerWater fluoridation is the adjustment of a naturally occurring element found in water in order to prevent tooth decay. Dental fluorosis, the only known side effect of water fluoridation, is not a "birth defect", as claimed in the correspondence referred to by the Deputy, but a cosmetic or aesthetic condition which refers to the way teeth look. It is not considered to be an adverse health effect. The Department of Health keeps the policy of water fluoridation under constant review. As part of this ongoing work, a review of evidence on the impact of water fluoridation at its current level on the health of the population was conducted by the Health Research Board (HRB) on behalf of the Department. This review was published by the HRB in June 2015. The HRB has found no definitive evidence that community water fluoridation is associated with negative health effects.
467. Deputy Emmet Stagg asked the Minister for Health the reason positions for temporary grade IV and grade V posts in Kildare and west Wicklow are restricted to Health Service Executive staff working in this existing area; and the reason staff working in Dublin, but living in Kildare, are excluded from applying for these positions. [40675/15]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. 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.
468. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the action taken by his Department or the Health Service Executive in dealing with the breach of the no-smoking policy in the wards of St. Luke's Hospital in County Kilkenny; if the policy is now restored; if the patient and family who made the complaint have been satisfied by the explanation; and if an apology has been issued to all patients affected. [40685/15]
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.
469. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the status of domestic dwelling houses (details supplied) subject to certain charging orders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40692/15]
View answer470. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the status of domestic dwelling houses (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40693/15]
View answer471. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the status of ancillary State support (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40694/15]
View answer472. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the status of ancillary State support that has been repaid (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40695/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 469 to 472, 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.
473. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health his plans to address orthodontic waiting lists, given that a three-year waiting list exists in Galway University Hospital alone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40697/15]
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.
474. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the number of children on a waiting list to receive orthodontic treatment; the number of children who were on a public waiting list, and who have had their treatment paid for privately by the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40698/15]
View answer475. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the number of children on a waiting list to receive orthodontic treatment in Galway University Hospital; the number who were on a public waiting list, and who have had their treatment paid for privately by the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40699/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 474 and 475 together.
The HSE provides orthodontic treatment to those who have been assessed and referred for treatment before their 16th birthday. It should be noted that the nature of orthodontic care means that immediate treatment is not always desirable. It is estimated that in up to 5% of cases it is necessary to wait for further growth to take place before treatment commences. Patients are assessed by the HSE Orthodontic Service under the modified Index of Treatment Need (IOTN). Patients with the greatest level of need i.e. Grade 5 or Grade 4 are provided with treatment by the HSE. The number of patients on the orthodontic treatment waiting list at the end of Q2 of 2015 was 18,206 nationally. There are currently 2,663 patients awaiting commencement of treatment in Galway University Hospitals.
A national procurement process is currently underway to provide treatment for certain categories of misalignment by a panel of independent practitioners under contract to the HSE over the next three years, with consideration of an extension to four years. This initiative will especially focus on those waiting for four years or longer. Tenders are currently being evaluated and it is expected that contracts will be awarded by the end of 2015. It is expected that this initiative will have a positive impact on waiting times.
Under EU Directive 201/24/EU, now commonly referred to as the Cross Border Directive (CBD), it is open to persons entitled to public patient healthcare in Ireland to choose to avail of that healthcare in another EU or EEA country or Switzerland. Such patients are reimbursed to a maximum of the level of cost that would have been assumed if this healthcare had been provided in this jurisdiction. The care must be provided outside the State and may be availed of in the public or private sector.
I have asked the HSE to investigate the extent to which it has funded CBD or any private orthodontic treatment and to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter. 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.
476. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if and when early intervention support will be available to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40706/15]
View answerAs the particular issue raised by the Deputy relates to an individual case, this is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy. 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.
477. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the number of X-rays carried out at the Dublin Dental Hospital in 2014 and in 2015 to date; the number of patients of the Dublin Dental Hospital being referred to Beaumont Hospital for X-rays, during each of these years; the numbers on waiting lists for dental X-rays of up to three months, from three months plus to six months, from six months plus to nine months, and from nine months plus; the reasons for these wait times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40708/15]
View answerThe number of x-rays carried out in the Dublin Dental Hospital (DDH) from the start of 2015 until the end of September was 17,020. The figure for 2014 is 22,316. In rare cases the DDH may refer patients to other hospitals where a scan such as an MRI is required or if there is a suspicion of a serious head injury. There have been no such cases in the timeframe outlined. DDH does not operate a separate waiting list for x-rays as they are carried out in conjunction with the patient’s assessment for treatment or during their treatment to gauge progress. Patients are occasionally referred to the DDH from the community for x-rays by private general dental practitioners. They are normally given an appointment within a week.
478. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of early intervention teams for children, by local health area, in tabular form; the number of persons on each team; the number of children in each area waiting for a first appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40718/15]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy. 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.
479. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive an appointment in Letterkenny General Hospital to have a computed tomography, CT, scan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40719/15]
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.
480. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive a date for an operation in Letterkenny General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40720/15]
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.
481. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive an appointment for a hip replacement in Letterkenny General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40721/15]
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.
482. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if the promised additional nurses and midwives at Mullingar Regional Hospital in County Westmeath have been appointed; if the reconstituted embargo has had an effect on the additional positions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40730/15]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. 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.
