Brendan Griffin
Question:151. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the health care system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18577/16]
View answerHealth Services
Questions (151)
Written answers
In relation to the matters raised by the Deputy, a key commitment of the Programme for a Partnership Government is the establishment of the Oireachtas Committee to develop cross party consensus on the future of the health service. As I have said, I believe the health service would benefit enormously from a single unifying vision that we can all get behind and that can help to drive reform and development of the system over the next ten years. I'm pleased that the House agreed to move ahead quickly on this and get the committee up and running. We all know that the health service faces many challenges. The Programme for Partnership Government acknowledges that we have an ageing population who are living longer, whose needs will become greater and more diverse, and that we also have the highest birth rate in Europe. All of us, as citizens, at some point in our lives, will need to access our health services, and so we have a common interest in finding a common way forward in improving and developing our health services.
Medical Card Eligibility
Questions (152)
Fergus O'Dowd
Question:152. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if he will list spinal cord injuries as long-term illnesses with an automatic entitlement to a medical card in view of representation from the Spinal Injuries Ireland panel. [18579/16]
View answerWritten answers
The 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, which 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 Drugs 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 unable, without undue hardship, to arrange health services for themselves and their dependants.
I can clarify to the Deputy that the legislation does not have a provision for the HSE to award a medical card to persons by virtue of an illness or a medical condition. However, where an applicant’s means are above the qualifying financial thresholds, the HSE routinely examines for indications of medical or social circumstances which might result in undue financial hardship in arranging medical services and, exercising discretion, may grant eligibility for a medical card on this basis.
The Deputy may be aware of the "Keane" Report of the Expert Panel on Medical Need for Medical Card Eligibility, which made a recommendation that a person’s means should remain the main qualifier for a medical card. It also recommended that it is neither feasible nor desirable to list conditions in priority order for medical card eligibility.
Following the Keane report, the Clinical Advisory Group (CAG) on medical card eligibility was established by the Director General of the HSE to provide clinical oversight and guidance to the operation of a more compassionate and trusted medical card system which can strive to ensure that the relatively small percentage of cases requiring the recognition of the burden of a medical condition(s), over and above financial hardship, can be accommodated. The Group is continuing its work on the development of guidance on assessing medical card applications involving significant medical conditions.
As a result of a range of improvements on foot of the Keane Report, the HSE is exercising greater discretion, as is evident in the increase in the number of discretionary medical cards in circulation - by about 102% - from about 52,000 in mid-2014 to 106,174 at 1 June 2016.
Mental Health Services Data
Questions (153, 154, 163)
James Browne
Question:153. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of admissions under the Mental Health Acts that had their status regraded from voluntary to involuntary and the number of admissions that had their status regraded from involuntary to voluntary for each of the years 2012 to 2015, inclusive, and in 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18582/16]
View answerJames Browne
Question:154. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of patients admitted involuntarily for each of the years 2012 to 2015, inclusive, and in 2016 to date, who did not have a tribunal review their detention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18585/16]
View answerJames Browne
Question:163. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of admission orders revoked under the Mental Health Acts before a mental health tribunal was held for each of the years 2014 and 2015 and 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18649/16]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 153, 154 and 163 together.
Figures sought by the Deputy for the years 2012 to 2016 are set out in the table:
|
Year |
Numbers regraded from Voluntary to Involuntary Status |
Number of Admissions and Renewal Orders revoked before Mental Health Tribunal is held |
Number of Admissions and Renewal orders revoked at Mental Health Tribunal |
|
2012 |
567 |
1530 |
142 |
|
2013 |
541 |
1457 |
171 |
|
2014 |
507 |
1514 |
149 |
|
2015 |
608 |
1661 |
170 |
|
2016 |
188* |
428* |
72* |
* Figures to end April 2016
Section 28 of the Mental Health Act 2001 provides that the consultant psychiatrist responsible for the patient shall revoke an order where they become of the opinion that the patient is no longer suffering from a mental disorder as defined in the Act. The figures for admission and renewal orders revoked by the responsible consultant psychiatrist under the provisions of Section 28 for each year from 2012 to date are listed in the table above. Figures for the numbers of involuntary patients who, having had their admission or renewal order revoked, sought to have their Mental Health Tribunal take place are not readily available. I will pass these figures on to the Deputy when they are provided to me.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (155)
Mary Butler
Question:155. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health to expedite an appointment for a person (details supplied). [18587/16]
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 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.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (156)
Pat Deering
Question:156. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be called for an appointment. [18589/16]
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 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.
Patient Transfers
Questions (157)
Pat Deering
Question:157. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) can transfer from Waterford University Hospital to a Dublin hospital dealing with orthopaedics. [18590/16]
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.
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.
Disability Services Provision
Questions (158)
Mary Lou McDonald
Question:158. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in a person (details supplied) receiving an appointment for speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18591/16]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
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.