Written Answers Nos. 257 to 272
257. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health when it is intended to publish the external review into the operation of the emergency department at University Hospital Galway; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3600/16]
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 please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow up the matter.
258. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a medical appointment for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3621/16]
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 he has 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.
259. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will examine the referral of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry to Kerry General Hospital for a diagnosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3640/16]
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 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.
260. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the status of an application for a medical card for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; the information received to date, the information outstanding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3643/16]
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, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
261. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the status of an application for a medical card by a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3645/16]
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, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
262. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (detail supplied) regarding the diagnosis of mental illness; the progress on implementing this approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3646/16]
View answerWhere a person is referred to an appropriate health professional, and has been assessed and diagnosed as having a mental health condition, the diagnosis will inform the treatment plan for each individual. A range of interventions may be indicated in line with the agreed care plan and can include counselling, psychotherapeutic interventions, occupational therapy, social work input, or behavioural therapies. Other forms of support and intervention, including medication, are also designed to address identified biological, psychological or social needs and improve a person’s mental health.
West Cork Mental Health Services provide a range of therapeutic programmes including the Open Dialogue Approach which offers a series of meetings between service users, their support network & mental health professionals which promotes shared communication, reflection on current issues & developing collaborative solutions.
As this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If the Deputy has not received a letter within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
263. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of extended waiting times for discectomies and his views on the provision and availability of such procedures for patients in Dublin Central; if he is aware that a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7 has been waiting for almost two years for a discectomy and that the delay in having the procedure is severely impacting on the person's quality of life; how he will ensure such procedures are made available more quickly; if he will provide the details of each hospital that provides discectomies, and the number of persons waiting up to three, from three plus to six, six plus to nine, nine plus to 12, 12 plus to 15, and 18 months plus, in tabular form. [3652/16]
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 please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow up the matter.
264. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the extended waiting times for children in need of orthodontic treatment and the provision and availability of orthodontic treatment for children and adults in Dublin Central, by the length and time of waiting lists in the local health area; if he is aware that a person (details supplied) has been advised of having to wait six years for essential orthodontic treatment and if it is acceptable that the person should have to spend the entire secondary school experience waiting for orthodontic treatment [3653/16]
View answerThe 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, until after 16-18 years of age, before treatment commences. Patients are assessed by the HSE Orthodontic Service under the modified Index of Treatment Need. Patients with the greatest level of need are provided with treatment by the HSE.
Following a national procurement process, a panel of independent practitioners will be contracted by the HSE in the coming weeks to provide treatment for certain categories of misalignment. The practitioners will be under contract 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 who are generally 16 years and over. The majority of patients to be treated will come from the Dublin area. It is expected that this initiative will have a positive impact on waiting times.
In addition, a pilot scheme in the Dublin North East area (DNE), which involves up-skilling staff to work as orthodontic therapists is currently underway. A dental hygienist and a dental nurse qualified as orthodontic therapists in September 2015 and are now working in the HSE under the supervision of specialist orthodontists. The scheme is currently undergoing an evaluation, which includes consideration of how the scheme is affecting waiting lists. Figures are currently being collated and early indications are positive. It is planned to extend the scheme nationally after the evaluation has been completed.
The case (details supplied) is a service matter and it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy. If he has 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.
265. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the number of senior citizens in Dublin Central who have been denied a medical card or had their medical card renewals refused, and the number of applications, refusals and rejections for medical cards in the relevant local health offices for Dublin Central for persons over 65 years of age in the past five years; why a person in (details supplied) in Dublin 7 was refused a medical card; and if the application will be reviewed. [3654/16]
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, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
266. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of medical card holders resident in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3657/16]
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, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
268. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of a primary care centre for Laytown and Bettystown in east County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3675/16]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has responsibility for the provision, maintenance and operation of Primary Care centres. Therefore, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this issue. If he has 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.
269. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of a primary care centre for Drogheda in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3676/16]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has responsibility for the provision, maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres. Therefore, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this issue. If he has not received a reply within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
270. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the status of the sale of a former health facility (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3678/16]
View answerThe Health Service Executive (HSE) operates a protocol for the disposal of surplus property assets. This protocol sets out three options.
- Does a State Agency require the property?
- Open market sale, subject to favourable market conditions.
- Community / voluntary use will be considered only if points 1 and 2 above do not materialise.
The Health Service Executive is required to obtain value for money when disposing of surplus property assets. These proceeds will be re-invested in delivering much needed health care infrastructure.
As it is responsible for the management of the health care estate the HSE has been requested to reply directly to the Deputy on this matter. If he 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.
271. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the number of students who have graduated from general practitioner schemes in the years 2014 and 2015 and the percentage of those students who have remained in the locality of the training scheme from which they have graduated, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3692/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy. If he has 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.
272. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to improve the conditions at the accident and emergency department at St. Vincent's hospital in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3694/16]
View answerA range of initiatives have been implemented to address ED overcrowding and waiting times in Emergency Departments over the last number of months. Significant additional resources, €117m, additional beds and staffing have been put in place to address these problems consisting of measures to reduce numbers coming into hospital, measures to expand capacity and change work practices in hospitals and measures to support timely patient discharge from hospital. Work on these initiatives will continue to be a priority for the rest of 2016.
In relation to the Deputy's specific query in relation to St. Vincent's Hospital, 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 please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow up the matter.
