Written Answers Nos. 211-220
211. Deputy Hildegarde Naughton asked the Minister for Health the number of ambulance call–outs to north-west Connemara in County Galway and the length of time between each call–out and arrival at the scene in each of the years from 2014 to 2015 and in 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12446/16]
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.
212. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12450/16]
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 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.
213. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health his plans to scale up the home help service; if a review will go beyond providing a service for non-medical personal care where it is necessary to keep older persons in their homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12452/16]
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.
214. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if he will publish an updated action plan on Traveller health with agreed actions by voluntary and statutory agencies and an agreed budget and timelines; if he will update the all-Ireland Traveller health survey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12456/16]
View answerMy Department does not currently have plans to update the All Ireland Traveller Health survey. The Deputy will be aware that the Department of Justice and Equality is leading on the development of a new National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy. The Strategy aims to provide a set of specific actions that need to be taken to bring about a real improvement in quality of life for Travellers and Roma. A number of cross-cutting themes have emerged in the consultation process for the Strategy such as accommodation, employment, health and education. It is intended that the Strategy will include agreed actions in relation to improving the health of travellers. The Strategy is expected to be completed in 2016 and will cover the period up to 2020.
215. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health to address immediately the lack of a care plan for a person (details supplied). [12462/16]
View answerThe Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
The HSE has also recognised that the early intervention services for school aged children with disabilities need to be standardised. To this end a major reconfiguration of therapy resources for children with disabilities aged up to 18 years is currently underway. The HSE's national programme on progressing disability services for children and young people from birth to 18 years aims 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, regardless of where they live, what school the child attends or the nature of the individual child's difficulties.
Within this context, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the specific case referred to. 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.
216. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for respiratory specialists in a hospital in Dublin 1 (details supplied) and the cover provided when staff are on extended or maternity leave, in tabular form; the options open to the parents of a person who has been waiting for an appointment with no indication of when they might receive one. [12482/16]
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.
217. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health to expedite urgently a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12484/16]
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 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.
218. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the action the Health Service Executive will take to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the death of a person (details supplied) including all aspects of the medical and nursing care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12489/16]
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.
219. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 158 of 19 May 2016, to provide grants to community groups for the provision of defibrillators and automated external defibrillators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12494/16]
View answerCommunity groups may apply for lottery funding to help with the purchase of defibrillators; but one of the means to help improve health outcomes in this area is through the expansion of the National First Response Network. Community first responder groups comprise this national network. These are people from local communities who are trained in basic life support and the use of defibrillators that attend a potentially life threatening emergency in their area. They are then able to provide an early intervention in situations such as heart attack or cardiac arrest by providing, among other things, resuscitation and defibrillation.
Cardiac First Responders (CFR) Ireland, launched in 2015, is the national umbrella organisation for Community First Responders Groups. CFR Ireland is supported by the National Ambulance Service, Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council and the Centre for Emergency Medical Science UCD. There are currently 135 Community First Responder groups linked to the National Ambulance Service National Emergency Operations Centre. If an emergency 999/112 call for cardiac arrest, choking, chest pain or breathing difficulties is made to the National Ambulance Service in an area where a CFR group is established, the on-duty CFR member gets a text from the National Ambulance Service at the same time that an ambulance is despatched with location and call details. The First Responder then goes straight to the scene and administers initial care (defibrillation if required) until the National Ambulance Service Emergency resources arrive.
220. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Health if he will fill on schedule the posts of two senior dieticians and one diabetes nurse specialist to support the diabetes community in counties Cork and Kerry, given that the 2016 Health Service Executive plan sanctioned 36 posts nationally to support the implementation of the type-2 diabetes cycle of care initiative, which commenced in October 2015. [12495/16]
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.
