Michael Healy-Rae
Question:168. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of full-time residential care for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8993/16]
View answerHealth Services Provision
Questions (168)
Written answers
As 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.
Hospital Consultant Recruitment
Questions (169)
Timmy Dooley
Question:169. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health when he will appoint a second paediatrics endocrinologist at University Hospital Limerick to cater for the growing needs of young persons with diabetes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8996/16]
View answerWritten answers
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.
Hospital Services
Questions (170)
Billy Kelleher
Question:170. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health why he removed the intermediate care vehicle for Mallow in County Cork given that it was put in place following the closure of the emergency department at Mallow General Hospital; the emergency care provision he has put in its place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8997/16]
View answerWritten answers
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.
Hospital Staff Recruitment
Questions (171)
Timmy Dooley
Question:171. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health the timeframe for the appointment at University Hospital Limerick of nine nurses, nine podiatrists and 18 dietitians to support type 2 diabetes patients, given that these appointments are contained in the 2016 Health Service Executive business plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8998/16]
View answerWritten answers
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.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (172)
Thomas Byrne
Question:172. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Health the status of an appointment for surgery for a person (details supplied). [9001/16]
View answerWritten answers
Under 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 HSE, 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.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (173)
Billy Kelleher
Question:173. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied with the bed management systems that are allowing for the cancellation of surgeries to help alleviate the trolley crisis in emergency departments, despite the fact that these beds on surgical wards cannot be used by trolley patients due to the danger posed from infection to post-operative patients on these surgical wards, thereby adding to surgical waiting lists and maintaining the trolley crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9004/16]
View answerWritten answers
The Emergency Department Taskforce Implementation Group has been overseeing initiatives to address ED performance and overcrowding. These initiatives include optimising discharges in advance of the weekends, strengthening the senior decision making presence at wards and in EDs, increased access to diagnostics and securing staff to open overflow areas.
During 2015, additional funding of €117 million was provided to the HSE to relieve ED overcrowding pressures. This funding has supported initiatives to expand hospital capacity with 364 additional beds opened or reopened, reduce the number of hospital attendances by expanding community intervention team services and increasing the availability of community hospitals, and support timely patient discharge from hospital by reducing the wait time for Fair Deal funding to no more than 4 weeks, providing additional transitional care places, public community beds and home care packages.
Since the beginning of 2016, the HSE has reported an increase of 6.9% in patient attendances in comparison with the same period last year. However, the total year to date number of patients waiting on trolleys at 8am each morning has shown a marginal increase of 1%.
This year, the HSE is focusing on a number of key activities to manage waiting lists more effectively, thereby improving patient waiting times. These include; ensuring that chronological scheduling is adhered to, putting in place validation procedures to ensure that patients are available for treatment, relocating high-volume low complexity surgeries to smaller hospitals; and designating an improvement lead for each hospital group.
With respect to possible underutilisation of surgical beds, the ED escalation framework states that reviews of elective admissions should be carried out by hospital management in consultation with the relevant consultant. It is only at Stage 3 of escalation that all admissions are to be carried out through the Emergency Department and that elective surgeries are cancelled.
Stage 3 requires that elective staff are redeployed to assist with patient flow through the ED. This can impact on staffing and bed capacity in surgical wards. Taking into account the immediate and short term predictable demand/capacity scenario, decisions on hospital admissions and bed management have to be taken with regard to the safe operating limits of the hospital as a whole and in the interests of patient care.
Hospital Services
Questions (174)
Brendan Griffin
Question:174. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health when he will make staffing resources available to make the magnetic resonance imaging scanner fully operational in University Hospital Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9008/16]
View answerWritten answers
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.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (175)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:175. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an operation for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9010/16]
View answerWritten answers
Under 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 HSE, 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.
Assisted Human Reproduction Services Provision
Questions (176)
Seán Haughey
Question:176. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Health if he will provide fertility treatment for couples free of charge on the first occasion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9012/16]
View answerWritten answers
On Monday 1 February, I announced my intention to provide public funding for assisted human reproduction (AHR) treatment in conjunction with the planned introduction of legislation in this area. It is important that consideration be given to how best to provide public funding for fertility treatment in conjunction with closing the legislative gap in this area of healthcare. To that end, my officials are currently drafting a General Scheme of legislative provisions dealing with AHR.
I have commissioned an evidence review of international public funding models. The review will inform policy regarding the ideal mechanism for any future public funding of AHR in the State. It is expected that the evidence review will be completed before the end of 2016 and that once the AHR legislation is enacted the Government will be in a position to provide fertility treatments based on the best model of funding for Ireland.
It is important to note that while in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment is not provided by the Irish public health service, there is some support available in that patients who access IVF treatment privately may claim tax relief on the costs involved under the tax relief for medical expenses scheme. In addition, a defined list of fertility medicines needed for fertility treatment is covered under the High Tech Scheme administered by the Health Service Executive (HSE). Medicines covered by the High Tech Scheme must be prescribed by a consultant/specialist and approved by the HSE ‘High Tech Liaison Officers’. The cost of the medicines is then covered, as appropriate, under the Medical Card or Drugs Payment Scheme.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (177)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:177. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an operation for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9017/16]
View answerWritten answers
Under 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 HSE, 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.