Written Answers Nos. 200 - 209
200. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Health if pay rates for fourth year student nurses on placement form part of the recent agreement at the Workplace Relations Commission with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation; the pay rates to be paid to these student nurses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1579/16]
View answerThe agreement at the Workplace Relations Commission with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation on 14 December, 2015 provided for consideration of pay rates for fourth year student nurses undertaking the 36 week clinical placement. Consideration was to be progressed under the terms of a 'Chairman's Note' to the Lansdowne Road Agreement, these terms extended to include broader potential savings and service impacts pursuant to related engagement under the auspices of the Commission. The agreement provided that the process would be progressed as a priority.
Following engagement between the relevant parties, the HSE, the nursing unions and my Department, a Joint Document encompassing proposals on the rate of pay for the placement and on granting incremental credit for the placement was finalised on 23 December. The Joint Document was submitted to my Department for consideration, in the first instance. Any change to the rate of pay will be subject to the approval of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
201. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of the refusal of a medical card to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1591/16]
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, he should please contact my Private Office which will follow up the matter with him.
202. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the status of home help service provision for a person (details supplied) in County Cork and if extra hours will be provided. [1592/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he should please contact my Private Office and it will follow up the matter with him.
203. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health to support a matter regarding hospital treatment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1602/16]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that it would be inappropriate for me to comment other than to acknowledge with regret the distress and upset the family have experienced throughout this difficult time.
With regard to specific complaints in relation to experiences of individuals in our hospitals, there is a formal complaints policy, entitled “Your Service Your Say”, details of which are on the HSE website, at: http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/yourhealthservice/feedback/complaints/. In accordance with this procedure, a complaint must be made in the first instance to the hospital in which the incident causing the complaint occurred.
If an individual is not satisfied with the response from the hospital, a review can be sought from the HSE Director of Advocacy and the Ombudsman, whose details are set out as follows.
HSE Director of Advocacy
Oak House
Millennium Park
Naas
Co Kildare
Tel 1890 424 555.
Office of the Ombudsman
18, Lower Leeson Street
Dublin 2
Tel 1890 223 030
Email: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie.
In relation to the matter raised by the Deputy, this is a matter for the Health Service Executive; therefore I have asked it to respond to him directly. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he should please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
204. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health to support a matter regarding hospital treatment for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1605/16]
View answerWith regard to specific complaints in relation to experiences of individuals in our hospitals, there is a formal complaints policy, entitled “Your Service Your Say”, details of which are on the HSE website, at: http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/yourhealthservice/feedback/complaints/. In accordance with this procedure, a complaint must be made in the first instance to the hospital in which the incident causing the complaint occurred.
If an individual is not satisfied with the response from the hospital, a review can be sought from the HSE Director of Advocacy and the Ombudsman, whose details are set out as follows.
HSE Director of Advocacy
Oak House
Millennium Park
Naas
Co Kildare
Tel 1890 424 555.
Office of the Ombudsman
18, Lower Leeson Street
Dublin 2
Tel 1890 223 030
Email: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie.
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 please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
205. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the plans being put in place by the Health Service Executive for the 41 school leavers from St. Michael’s House Services in Dublin in June 2016; if Saint Michael's House will be notified of the budget for its transition into adult services; if he will guarantee those students a service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1608/16]
View answerThe HSE has already commenced the process of planning for the needs of young people with disabilities who will leave school in June 2016, including those from St. Michael’s House. To ensure that these needs are met, additional funding of €7.25 million is being allocated by the HSE to provide placements for around 1,500 young people who will require continuing health-funded supports on leaving school or rehabilitative (life-skills) training this year.
A meeting of the HSE’s National Project Group which took place in November 2015 has agreed the process for 2016. The approach will be to identify the needs of school-leavers at an early stage of the year, and where service developments are required to meet these needs, the HSE aims to make decisions on the allocation of budgets in enough time to facilitate a September commencement date for the young people concerned.
The HSE has now initiated the process of identifying all those that will require a placement in 2016 and the physical capacity within existing services to accommodate these young people. Once the identification process is complete, a profiling exercise to determine the support needs of these young people will be completed. In addition, as part of the 2016 process, the HSE will also carry out strategic planning for 2017 and 2018.
206. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health to support Arthritis Ireland's 100 day plan for six consultant rheumatologists, 29 clinical nurse specialists, 12 advanced nurse practitioners, 21 physiotherapists and 32 occupational therapists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1610/16]
View answerA model of care is being developed by the National Clinical Programme for Rheumatology and this will determine the service developments and associated personnel requirements which will best support the needs of patients requiring Rheumatology treatments.
As the specific questions raised by the Deputy are matters for the Health Service Executive; I have therefore asked the HSE to respond to him directly. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he should please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
207. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the emergency services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1615/16]
View answerThe HSE and Dublin City Council jointly commissioned an independent review of pre-hospital emergency care services in the greater Dublin area. The purpose of this review is to determine the optimal and most cost effective model of ambulance provision for the city. The review is expected to be completed shortly and its recommendations will be considered in the context of the ongoing reform and modernisation of our pre-hospital emergency care services.
208. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the status of an appointment in the South Infirmary Hospital for a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [1619/16]
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 the Deputy directly. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he should please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
209. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the status of an appointment for a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [1620/16]
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 please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
