Written Answers Nos. 166-185
166. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health when a cognitive assessment will be carried out on a person (details supplied) in order to assist with selecting a secondary school that will best meet their needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39164/16]
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.
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.
167. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a breakdown of costs to maintain and secure a hospital (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39175/16]
View answerThe Deputy's question has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply as the costs of maintaining and securing the healthcare property estate, including costs incurred for St Finian's Hospital Killarney, is a service matter.
168. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of home help for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39176/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
169. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the level of savings generated in each of the years 2014 to date in 2016 from the additional, unpaid, hours which nurses have been required to work each week under the terms of the original Haddington Road Agreement introduced in 2013, in tabular form. [39180/16]
View answer170. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the level of savings generated in each of the years 2014 to date in 2016 from the additional, unpaid, hours which non-nursing staff in the health service have been required to work each week under the terms of the Haddington Road Agreement, in tabular form. [39181/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 170 together.
I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
171. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if his Department or the HSE has made a submission to the new Public Service Pay Commission; if so, if he will publish these documents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39182/16]
View answerTo date my Department has not made any submission to the Public Service Pay Commission. I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the element of this question that relates to them.
172. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will issue a final response to a query (details supplied) that was submitted to his office in September 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39187/16]
View answerHospital Groups have been established on a non-statutory administrative basis in line with the Government’s programme for reform of the health service. The establishment of Hospital Groups is designed to deliver more responsive and equitable access to vital services for all patients. Potential benefits include increased efficiency and greater cost-effectiveness, better outcomes for patients, improved accountability and a stronger role for smaller hospitals in the delivery of health services.
Bantry General Hospital is one of nine hospitals that comprise the South/South West Hospital Group. The Hospital Group is chaired by Professor Geraldine McCarthy and I hope to appoint the rest of the Board in the near future. In that regard, the Public Appointments Service (PAS) is facilitating a campaign to source suitable nominees for appointment to the administrative Hospital Group Boards. This process is underway, on a phased basis, and the PAS process for the UL Board has recently been completed. Applications for the South /South West Hospital Group Board will be invited in due course.
A reply to your representations has now issued.
173. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 148 of 23 November 2016, the extent to which general practitioners in the local community have signed up to the project; the range of services he expects to be delivered at the centre; and the estimated cost of completing the project. [39192/16]
View answerAs this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
174. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will add new low protein products to the long-term illness card as they are a vital nutritional source for sufferers of the rare metabolic disorder phenylketonuria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39193/16]
View answerThe HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of products under the community drug schemes, including the LTI Scheme, 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
175. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health the status of an operation in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39203/16]
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.
176. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 93 of 1 December 2016, the status of the development of the terms of reference, required membership and reporting relationship for the working group to bring forward appropriate decision criteria for the reimbursement of orphan medicines and technologies; the timeline for these actions or when they can be expected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39210/16]
View answer177. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health further to parliamentary Question No. 93 of 1 December 2016, and in relation to the working group to bring forward appropriate decision criteria for the reimbursement of orphan medicines and technologies, the orphan medicines and technologies that will be considered; if there are any medicines earmarked that need to be evaluated under any new criteria developed; if the decision criteria will be open and transparent; the persons or bodies involved in the decision-making process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39211/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 177 together.
Recommendation 30 of the National Rare Disease Plan recommends that the HSE develop a Working Group to bring forward appropriate decision criteria for the reimbursement of orphan medicines and technologies.
The HSE has advised my Department that the terms of reference for the proposed Rare Diseases Technology Review Group are at final draft stage. A chairperson has been provisionally identified subject to provision of expert pharmacologic support to advise the candidate. The rare disease drugs to be considered by the Rare Diseases Technology Review Group have not been determined yet.
The membership of the group will include:
1. A minimum of three members who are Consultants in Rare or highly specialised diseases, recommended by the relevant professional society, faculty or college, who have content experience in the specific discipline and are approved by the Clinical Lead for the National Clinical Programme for Rare Diseases. In addition the Clinical Lead for the National Clinical Programme for Rare Diseases will be a member;
2. Chief Pharmacist – to be advised;
3. A minimum of one member with Health Economical, Pharmacoeconomics or statistics and epidemiology expertise;
4. A minimum of one invited participant from a related designated centre of expertise, recommended by the Clinical Advisory Group for the National Clinical Programme for Rare Diseases, as required, according to the speciality area;
4. One representative appointed by HIQA;
5. Patient Group representative;
6. Primary Care Reimbursement Services representative;
7. Up to three additional members may be appointed.
The group will report to the HSE Committee for Optimising Pharmaceutical Value. Patient interest groups recently met with the National Director for Acute Hospitals and were asked for their comments on the final draft document.
178. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if and when a medical card may issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39221/16]
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.
179. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Health his plans to make available the medical device freestyle libre under the long-term illness scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39234/16]
View answer195. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if he will approve the freestyle libre on the long-term illness scheme for persons with type 1 diabetes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39329/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 179 and 195 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.
180. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of occasions, including the date of execution, whereby the full capacity escalation protocol has been implemented at Letterkenny University Hospital in 2016 in response to hospital overcrowding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39237/16]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
181. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health the way local groups and Garda can access funding for health equipment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39243/16]
View answerCommunity groups may apply for lottery funding to help with the purchase of defibrillators. In addition, 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 works with the National Ambulance Service, Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council and the Centre for Emergency Medical Science UCD. There are currently 141 Community First Responder groups tasked by the National Ambulance Service. 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.
182. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) had their discretionary medical card taken off them. [39248/16]
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.
183. 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. [39251/16]
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.
184. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Letterkenny University Hospital has a waiting time for adult diabetes patients of 20 months for a repeat appointment with an endocrinologist, the highest in the State; the resourcing he intends to allocate to the hospital to address this crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39254/16]
View answerThe Diabetes Service at Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) serves approximately 700 adult patients with Type 1 diabetes, and 6,500 adults with Type 2 diabetes. There is one Consultant Endocrinologist currently employed at LUH providing the Diabetic Service to this cohort, further support is provided by a locum Consultant General Physician with an interest in Diabetes.
Over the past 12 months, waiting times for newly referred patients have been a key focus. Extra clinics are being run on a monthly basis to tackle this situation; in the last 12 months, the overall waiting list for new patients to be seen by the Consultant Endocrinologist has been reduced by 20%, and the number of new referrals waiting over one year for a clinic appointment has been reduced by 80%.
The HSE has informed me that the waiting time for a repeat appointment with an Endocrinologist in LUH is approximately 20 months. However, work is continuing with the Diabetic Service to further address waiting times for repeat appointments, whilst simultaneously ensuring that newly referred patients are seen promptly.
A business case is being finalised in support of a second Consultant Endocrinologist; the appointment of a second substantive Endocrinologist would greatly enhance the Hospital's ability to meet patient demand.
185. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the cost of a name change of a hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39258/16]
View answerIn relation to this particular query, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
