Written Answers Nos. 126-145
126. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a breakdown of the funding provided to the Galway and Roscommon autism spectrum disorder service based in Athenry for 2015 and 2016 to date in tabular form; the criteria used to assign or develop a programme for a person; and when a person (details supplied) can expect to receive some support or advocacy in a school setting. [31043/16]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
127. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if there are funds available to assist communities in healthy living initiatives, supports and infrastructure in view of the fact that there is a renewed focus on tackling the issue of obesity in general and in particular childhood obesity; if he can work with a community in an area (details supplied) where an important community facility is at risk of closure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31044/16]
View answerMy Department does not operate a grant scheme out of which such assistance could be provided.
128. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if the medical card application form can be reopened in the case of a person (details supplied) to consider additional information recently submitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31049/16]
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 was issued to Oireachtas members.
129. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); if he will resolve this case, where an Irish citizen, who is now living abroad, cannot access medical services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31056/16]
View answerI understand my colleague the Minister for Social Protection also been issued with this question and will address the issue regarding social welfare, which falls under his remit.
Entitlement to healthcare services for people who are resident in a member State other that the State that is responsible for the cost of their healthcare is established through the exchange of one of the relevant E Forms, which are used by all countries and covered under Regulation (EC) 883/04.
The person in question should contact the Health Service Executive’s Overseas Section to enquire as to her entitlement of the relevant E Form, under Regulation (EC) 883/04.
130. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for persons to receive an outpatient appointment at the rheumatology department at Our Lady's Hospital in Manorhamilton, County Leitrim, specifically for those waiting three months, six months, nine months, 12 months or greater than 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31060/16]
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 query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
131. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will have an operation performed at Sligo University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31064/16]
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.
132. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health the status of the case of a person (details supplied); and when the person can expect an appointment with the audiology department, Health Service Executive. [31069/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
133. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the average cost of providing a home care package for each CHO area, in tabular form; the total number of home care packages provided within each CHO; the number of persons currently waiting for home care package allocation within each CHO area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31073/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
134. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently waiting for a colonoscopy in the Lourdes hospital in Drogheda; the number of persons on the waiting list over one year and two years respectively; if the hospital has an adequate number of gastroenterologists to perform such procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31078/16]
View answerIn relation to the specific queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service matters, 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.
135. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to address serious concerns of parents of girls who are reporting adverse reactions to the HPV vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31111/16]
View answerThe immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). NIAC is a committee of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland comprising of experts in a number of specialties including infectious diseases, paediatrics and public health. The committee's recommendations are informed by public health advice and international best practice.
Each year in Ireland around 300 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer. The HPV vaccine protects against two high risk types of HPV (16 & 18) that cause 73% of all cervical cancers. Vaccinated women and girls will still be at risk from other high risk types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer and will therefore need to continue to have regular cervical smear tests. NIAC recommended that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine be given to all girls aged 12-13 in 2009 and in September 2010 the HPV vaccination programme was introduced for all girls in first year of second level schools.
By January 2016, over 200 million doses of Gardasil had been distributed worldwide. In Ireland over 580,000 doses of Gardasil have been administered and over 220,000 girls have been fully vaccinated against HPV since it was introduced in 2010.
No medicine, including vaccines, is entirely without risk, there is therefore on-going pharmacovigilance and monitoring of medicinal products once they are authorised for use. The safety profile of Gardasil has been continuously monitored since it was first authorised. In Ireland, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is the statutory regulatory authority for medicines in Ireland. While no medicine (including vaccines) is entirely without risk, the safety profile of Gardasil has been continuously monitored since it was first authorised both nationally and at EU level.
As part of its monitoring of the safety of medicines, the HPRA operates an adverse reaction reporting system, where healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse reactions they consider may be associated with their treatment, through the range of options in place for reporting. All reports of suspected adverse reactions submitted to the HPRA are reviewed and followed up as necessary to ensure all relevant information is available, prior to onward reporting to relevant stakeholders, including the European Medicines Agency (EMA). At EU level, regulators continuously monitor this cumulative reporting experience as part of the ongoing assessment of the safety of HPV vaccines. In addition, pharmaceutical companies are obliged, as a condition of the authorisation to market a medicine, to submit reports of adverse reactions received directly to the HPRA. In accordance with its reporting obligations, the HPRA provides anonymised details of reports received to the EMA, the WHO and to the relevant pharmaceutical companies. The fact that a suspected adverse reaction has been reported does not necessarily mean that the medicine has caused the observed effect, which may have also been caused by the condition being treated, a new condition the patient developed, or by another medicine that the patient is taking. Further data are usually needed to complete the picture.
I am aware of claims of an association between HPV vaccination and a number of conditions experienced by a group of young women. It appears that some girls first suffered symptoms around the time they received the HPV vaccine, and understandably some parents have connected the vaccine to their daughter’s condition. It is important to reassure people that anyone who is suffering ill health is eligible to seek medical attention, and to access appropriate health and social care services, irrespective of the cause of their symptoms. The individual nature of the needs of some children may require access to specialist services. The HSE are currently working to put in place a clinical care pathway appropriate to the medical needs of this group.
In November 2015, the European Medicines Agency completed a detailed scientific review of the HPV vaccine. The review, which the HPRA participated in, specifically focused on rare reports of two conditions, complex regional pain syndrome and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome associated with heart rate increase. The outcome of the review which was carried out by the EMA Pharmacovigilance and Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) found no evidence of a causal link between the vaccine and the two conditions examined. The European Medicines Agency has advised healthcare professionals that available data does not warrant any change to the use of HPV vaccines as there are no new safety concerns regarding HPV vaccines. Healthcare professionals should therefore continue using the vaccines in accordance with the current product information.
On 12 January 2016, the European Commission endorsed the conclusion of the European Medicines Agency stating that there is no need to change the way HPV vaccines are used or to amend the product information. This final outcome by the Commission is now binding in all member states.
I encourage the parents of all eligible girls to ensure that their daughters receive this important cancer preventing vaccine.
136. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in receipt of home care packages in the Dublin South Central constituency. [31116/16]
View answer137. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in receipt of home care packages in the Dublin West constituency. [31117/16]
View answer138. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in receipt of home care packages in County Wicklow. [31118/16]
View answer139. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in receipt of home care packages in County Mayo. [31119/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 136 to 139, inclusive, together.
As these are service matters they have been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
140. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be facilitated with required surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31120/16]
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.
141. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31122/16]
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.
142. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive a hospital appointment at Galway University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31125/16]
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.
143. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an operation to be carried out at Cork University Hospital in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31126/16]
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.
144. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding funding for medication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31128/16]
View answer146. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if negotiations with the manufacturer of the drug, Orkambi, have been completed; and the outcome regarding its likely availability for cystic fibrosis patients. [31164/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 146 together.
The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. Prior to deciding whether to reimburse a medicine, the HSE considers a range of statutory criteria, including clinical need, cost-effectiveness and the resources available.
The decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds by the HSE, on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE). The NCPE conducts health technology assessments (HTAs) of pharmaceutical products for the HSE, and can make recommendations on reimbursement to assist the HSE in its decision-making process. The NCPE used a decision framework to systematically assess whether the drug is cost-effective as a health intervention.
I am informed that, following a request from the HSE, the NCPE carried out an assessment of the manufacturer's economic dossier submitted in March 2016 on the cost effectiveness of lumacaftor/ivacaftor (Orkambi). This dossier included details on all relevant costs and relevant cost offsets including hospitalisation, disease management costs, intravenous antibiotics, adverse events and any additional costs arising in patients not taking Orkambi.
The NCPE has completed its HTA and submitted it to the HSE. The NCPE determined, following an evaluation of the economic dossier, that the manufacturer failed to demonstrate cost-effectiveness or value for money from using the drug. The NCPE have confirmed that all relevant costs were included in the analysis.
A summary of the HTA has been published on the NCPE website and is available at: http://www.ncpe.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Website-summary-orkambi.pdf.
The HSE has since had further engagements with the manufacturer in an effort to secure significant price reductions for Orkambi. The HSE will consider the outcome of these engagements and any other, together with the NCPE recommendation, in making a final decision on reimbursement.
145. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an application for HSE equipment in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31131/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
