Written Answers Nos. 218-239
218. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of inpatient and outpatient did not attends at University Hospital Galway for each of the years 2013 to date in 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39007/16]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
219. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of theatres operational at University Hospital Galway for each of the years 2011 to date in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39008/16]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
220. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the capital projects agreed and funded at University Hospital Galway; the details and an overview of each project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39009/16]
View answer221. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number and the cost of each capital project funded by the HSE and his Department at University Hospital Galway for each of the years 2009 to date in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39010/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 220 and 221 together.
Details of the funding provided for a capital project at University Hospital Galway by my Department are in the following table. This funding was provided through the Health Research Board which is an agency under the aegis of my Department.
|
Hospital |
Project details |
2013 |
2014 |
Total |
|
University Hospital Galway |
Clinical Research Facility |
€2.000m |
€9.016m |
€11.016m |
A Clinical Research Facility (CRF) provides the infrastructure, the experts, the physical space, and the support facilities, such as ICT and specialist nursing services, that are needed to carry out patient-focused research in a safe manner and in an appropriate environment.
As the HSE is responsible for the delivery of health care infrastructure projects, the Executive has been requested to reply directly to you in relation to the approved projects it has funded at University Hospital Galway from 2009 and to date in 2016.
222. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of times the full capacity protocol was initiated at University Hospital Galway for each of the years 2011 to date in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39011/16]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
223. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of times the full capacity protocol was initiated at University Hospital Waterford for each of the years 2011 to date in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39012/16]
View answerFollowing the formation of Government an additional €40 million was provided to assist in the management of winter pressures. Utilising this additional funding the HSE developed the Winter Initiative Plan 2016 – 2017 which was published in September. Key aspects of this plan are being implemented at hospital and community services level across the country.
Last week the HSE convened a Winter Initiative Health Summit and I met with Hospital Group CEOs, as well as hospital and Community Health Organisation managers, to reinforce the importance of driving key performance improvements across primary, acute and social care to reduce ED overcrowding and to plan for expected surges in demand in our EDs in the New Year.
In relation to this particular query, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
224. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health when the HSE will publish two reports (details supplied). [39014/16]
View answerThe reports referred to by the Deputy relate to allegations of abuse in a former foster home in the South- East which are the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation by the Gardaí. The case regarding Grace (a pseudonym for the young woman at the centre of the alleged abuse) was raised by the Committee on Public Accounts in 2015 in the context of the procurement process for the Resilience Ireland and the Conal Devine reports and the extended period of time during which it has not been possible to publish them.
It is important to note that the HSE has always emphasised that it has not waited for the publication of the Devine report to act on its recommendations, and that it has put in place a number of changes to take account of the service and management deficiencies identified. This includes the publication, in December 2014, of its national policy: Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons at Risk of Abuse- National Policy and Procedures.
In response to the concerns raised regarding the procurement and publication of the reports, the former Minister of State, Kathleen Lynch T.D., appointed Conor Dignam S.C. to undertake a review into these matters, taking account of the ongoing Garda investigation.
In relation to the publication of the Devine and Resilience reports, Mr. Dignam found that:
The HSE’s general approach to publication of reviews and investigations is not to publish anything which Gardaí advise may adversely affect a criminal investigation, and he agreed that such an approach has very considerable merit;
However, the HSE’s decision to accept that the validity of the Gardaí’s opinions and wishes can only properly be made following an exploration of the case with the Gardaí. The documentation does not show that type of exploration;
Publication is ultimately a judgement call for the HSE, which it must make in the exercise of its statutory functions.
Mr. Dignam further advised that there is no civil law bar to publication, and in the event of a criminal prosecution, publicity is unlikely to fatally interfere with a fair trial.
In light of Mr. Dignam’s conclusions, I asked the HSE to examine again the case for publication of the Devine and Resilience Ireland reports and, if necessary, to initiate appropriate discussions with An Garda Síochána in order to reach an early decision on the matter. In reply, the HSE informed me that it has commenced a process of engagement with An Garda Síochána to enable it to make a decision regarding the potential for publication, in whole or in part, of both reports. The HSE has also reiterated its commitment to publish both reports as soon as is feasibly possible.
225. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite a procedure for a person (details supplied). [39019/16]
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.
226. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on the case of a person (details supplied) with regard to their experience in the accident and emergency department at UL Hospital, Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39020/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
227. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that outpatient appointments for gastroenterology at Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin have been cut by 50% since October 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39023/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
228. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health if any investments, either directly or indirectly through pension or other investment funds, are held in tobacco companies by his Department, any agency within the remit of his Department, or any agency or entity in receipt of departmental funding; if his Department has any guidelines on such investment; if his Department intend to introduce any policies or guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39033/16]
View answerThe Department of Health does not undertake investments of any sort, either pension or other investment funds. In relation to other agencies, I have requested the HSE and the agencies under the auspices of my Department to reply directly to the Deputy with information sought by the Deputy.
In relation to guidelines on investing in the tobacco industry, Ireland has ratified and is a party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The FCTC is the first global public health treaty. It is an evidence -based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health and was developed by countries in response to the globalisation of the tobacco epidemic. It aims to tackle some of the causes of that epidemic and Ireland has made very good progress in implementing the FCTC to date.
Article 5.3 of that legally binding Convention states the following:
“In setting and implementing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, Parties shall act to protect these policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance with national law”.
Guidelines for the implementation of the above-mention Article 5.3 were developed to assist parties. Paragraphs 4.7 and 7.2 of the guidelines state the following:
“4.7 Government institutions and their bodies should not have any financial interest in the tobacco industry, unless they are responsible for managing a Party’s ownership in a State-owned tobacco industry.
7.2 Parties that do not have a State-owned tobacco industry should not invest in the tobacco industry and related ventures.”
The Deputy may be interested to know that Minister Harris and I have recently written to the Minister for Finance in relation to the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) and its equity holdings in tobacco companies. In the context of a review of ISIF’s investment strategy, we have requested that the investment in tobacco companies be excluded from the investments undertaken by the ISIF.
230. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the small sensor called Freestyle Libre; his plans to add it to the list of products covered by the long-term illness scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39058/16]
View answer233. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce a device (details supplied) under the long-term illness scheme cover for type 1 diabetes; if his attention has been drawn to the device and that it has been introduced in the UK; if research has been carried out on the amount it could save the taxpayer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39103/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 230 and 233 together.
The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the community drug schemes in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
231. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health his plans to meet with committee members of a patient advocacy group (details supplied) to coincide with his next scheduled visit to Letterkenny University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39097/16]
View answerI plan to visit Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) on 12 December 2016. I will follow this scheduled visit to the Hospital with officially opening the Donegal Medical Academy, which is co-located with Letterkenny University Hospital. The Donegal Medical Academy delivers the Undergraduate Medical Education Programme in conjunction with the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) Medical School.
Due to time constraints, I am unable to meet with the Donegal branch of Diabetes Ireland on this particular visit. I have not had a formal meeting request on this occasion, and would be open to meeting representatives of Diabetes Ireland, should they so request.
234. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 41 and 65 of 1 December 2016, the meaning of competitive dialogue in respect of the future outsourcing of public patients; if there is an open and transparent tendering process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39132/16]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) published a prior information notice (PIN) on the 8th November. This notice indicates their wish to engage in market consultation with those providers interested in providing private hospital treatment for public patients. The feedback obtained as a result of this consultation will inform the longer term approach to the commissioning and outsourcing process for public patients in private hospitals. The NTPF have confirmed that any purchase of patient care will be fully transparent and in keeping with public procurement guidelines and rules.
235. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health his views on the serious risk posed to patients from 1 January 2017 due to HSE primary care dentists in counties Cork and Kerry being denied direct and timely access to patient clinical notes and histories recorded prior to July 2016, before seeing patients. [39129/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
236. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in a four-year clinical trial by a company (details supplied) one in 40 trial participants reported a serious adverse event after taking the Gardasil HPV vaccine and that one in 30 reported a new autoimmune condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39147/16]
View answer237. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health if he has considered the fact that Gardasil got CDC fast-track approval and underwent a mere six months of human trial research and that subjects were only followed for five to 15 days in the safety studies and only 1,200 girls under 16 years of age participated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39131/16]
View answer238. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health his views on the official reason for the HSE withholding the list of known debilitating and long-term side effects from the HPV vaccine information literature due to the fact the average adult reading age is 12 years old; the reason parents are not advised regarding the risk of long-term, chronic and life-changing side effects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39151/16]
View answer239. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health his views on the petition against the HPV vaccine initiated by Carlos Alvarez-Dardet, former President of the European Public Health Association and adviser to the WHO, who is calling for an immediate stop to the vaccine; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in France, Michèle Ravasi MEP has compiled a large petition with hundreds of physicians' signatures calling for a moratorium on the HPV vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39148/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 236 to 239, inclusive, together.
The 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.
Gardasil is the HPV vaccine used in Ireland in the context of the HSE schools immunisation programme,. By January 2016, over 200 million doses of Gardasil had been distributed worldwide. In Ireland over 620,000 doses of Gardasil have been administered and over 220,000 girls have been fully vaccinated against HPV since it was introduced in 2010.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is a decentralised agency of the European Union responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines developed by pharmaceutical companies for use in the EU. The EMA granted market authorisation for Gardasil on 20 September 2006. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a federal agency of the Government of the United States of America and has no role in the approval of vaccines for use in the EU. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on a government agency in another country.
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 both nationally and at EU level. In Ireland, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is the statutory regulatory authority for medicines in Ireland. The HPRA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in Europe continually monitor adverse events to vaccination. It would be inappropriate to comment on the details of individual clinical trials carried out by pharmaceutical companies.
The HSE provides information for parents about diseases, the vaccines to prevent them and side effects to allow them to choose whether or not to give consent to vaccination. All vaccination information provided to parents is prepared from the available licensed documentation for each vaccine, the Summary of Products Characteristics and Patient Information Leaflet. The information booklets include information on the most common adverse events that can occur after each vaccination. Seizures, muscle weakness, leg pain, joint pain and chronic fatigue are not mentioned as known side effects to Gardasil in the Patient Information Leaflet. There are no known long term side effects to the vaccine Gardasil. The information is presented in clear simple language and approved by the National Adult Literacy Agency so that it can be understood by all adults as the average reading age in Ireland is 12 years of age. Parents are also given contact details for their local immunisation office and advised to speak to a member of the school immunisation team if they have any further questions.
Should parents require additional information about vaccines the immunisation leaflet refers to the HSE’s national immunisation website (www.immunisation.ie). The national immunisation website has been accredited by the World Health Organisation for credibility, content and good information practices. The website allows members of the public to contact the National Immunisation Office to ask a question if they require further information. These questions, when possible, are answered by the staff of the National Immunisation Office within one working day.
I am aware of claims of an association between HPV vaccination and a number of conditions experienced by a group of young women. An illness that occurs around the time a vaccine is given and is already known to be common in adolescence does not imply the vaccine caused the problem. As there is no scientific evidence that the vaccine causes long term illnesses, the HPV vaccine cannot be held responsible for these illnesses. 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.
I am aware of media reports concerning the activities people in other countries, including Mr Alvarez-Dardet and Ms Ravasi, who claim that children have suffered adverse effects after receiving the HPV vaccine and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on media reports concerning the claims or activities of individuals in other countries.
The benefits of HPV vaccines outweigh the known side effects. The safety of these vaccines, as with all medicines, will continue to be carefully monitored and will take into account any future new evidence of side effects that becomes available. I encourage the parents of all eligible girls to ensure that their daughters receive this important cancer preventing vaccine.
