Written Answers Nos. 208-18
208. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health the status of the redundancy payments for employees of a company (details supplied) in County Carlow; his views on the failure of their employer and the HSE to carry out the recommendations of the Labour Court as regards payment of their redundancy package; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7499/17]
View answerThe particular issue raised by the Deputy is a service matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE). Accordingly, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
209. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the status of an application for a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied). [7506/17]
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 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.
210. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Health his plans to lower the premium placed on land and property assets of persons availing of the nursing homes support scheme from 7.5% to its previous level of 5%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7512/17]
View answerThe Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) is a system of financial support for those in need of long-term nursing home care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their income and assets while the State pays the balance of the cost. The Scheme aims to ensure that long-term nursing home care is accessible and affordable for everyone and that people are cared for in the most appropriate settings.
The Scheme was amended by the Health (Amendment) Act 2013 which increased the level of asset contribution from 5% to 7.5% per annum. This applied to new entrants to the Scheme after the enactment of the amendment and was required in order to ensure the sustainability of the Scheme in light of the increasing population of older people in Ireland. There are no plans to change the level of asset contribution back to 5% per annum.
A financial assessment is carried out by the HSE to determine how much a participant in the Scheme will contribute to the cost of their care. It is important to note that a person's principal private residence is only included in the financial assessment for the first three years of their time in care. This is known as the three year cap. The Scheme has a number of other important safeguards built into the financial assessment which ensures that: nobody will pay more than the actual cost of care; an applicant will keep a personal allowance of 20% of his/her income or 20% of the maximum rate of the State Pension (non-Contributory), whichever is greater - this is in recognition of the fact that, although the NHSS covers core living expenses, residents can still incur some costs in a nursing home, such as social programmes, newspapers or hairdressing; if an applicant has a spouse/partner remaining at home, he/she will be left with 50% of the couple’s income or the maximum rate of the State Pension (non-Contributory), whichever is greater; if both members of a couple enter nursing home care, they each retain at least 20% of their income, or 20% of the maximum rate of the State Pension (non-Contributory), whichever is greater; certain items of expenditure, called allowable deductions, can be taken into account for the financial assessment, including health expenses, payments required by law, rent payments and borrowings in respect of a person’s principal private residence; and a person’s eligibility for other schemes, such as the Medical Card Scheme or the Drug Payment Scheme, is unaffected by participation in the Nursing Homes Support Scheme or residence in a nursing home.
In addition to these safeguards, where an applicant’s assets include land and property held in the State, the contribution based on such assets may be deferred and collected from their estate. This is known as the Nursing Home Loan (Ancillary State Support), the purpose of which is to ensure that a person does not have to sell their home during their lifetime to pay for long-term nursing home care. A nursing home resident can apply for this deferral at any stage.
When the Nursing Homes Support Scheme commenced in 2009, a commitment was made that it would be reviewed after three years. The Report of the Review was published in July 2015. A number of key issues have been identified for more detailed consideration across Departments and Agencies, including recommendations relating to the treatment of business and farm assets for the purposes of the financial assessment element of the Scheme.
This work is currently underway and the IFA has made a submission in this context to the Interdepartmental Group which is overseeing the implementation of certain recommendations contained in the Review. The proposals put forward by the IFA are currently being considered. Once all of the relevant Review recommendations have been considered, any amendments required to the Scheme will be identified.
211. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the number of residential properties that have had to be sold at the request of the HSE legal department in order to make a settlement for the health care received by the owner. [7525/17]
View answerYour question relates to operational matters within the HSE and accordingly has been referred to that organisation for direct reply to you.
212. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of general practitioners who are practising in Dublin South-West per capita; the way this compares with other constituencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7546/17]
View answerAs this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
213. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of nurses, doctors and consultants employed at AMNCH, Tallaght, since 2011 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7547/17]
View answerIn relation to the query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
214. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health ,further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 45 of 1 February 2017 and 207 of 8 February 2017, his views on the fact that the year-on-year increase in damages claims costs predicted by the actuaries to the clinical indemnity scheme between 2014 and 2015 was approximately 13%, from €202 million to €230 million, while in maternity services the actual increase in claims costs was over 100%, from €40.5 million to €84.1 million, and in view of the fact that in the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 45 it was stated that the growth in maternity-related claims against consultants from 2006 onwards is in line with the actuarial predictions made by the agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7552/17]
View answer215. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health ,further to Parliamentary Question No. 45 of 1 February 2017, if he will provide the actuarial predictions made regarding maternity damages cases by the State Claims Agency from 2006 to 2013, inclusive; if he will include the yearly number of damages cases predicted and-or the year-on-year increases in costs predicted. [7553/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 215 together.
The actuaries to the Clinical Indemnity Scheme provide projections that are part based on historical claims spend and claims activity and reasonably predict foreseeable activity, taking into account relevant risk factors. The State Claims Agency has confirmed to my officials that the growth in related activity and costs around maternity and other related claims is in line with the maturity of the Scheme. Separately the actual cost of claims resolved year on year is related to the actual number of claims that are resolved and the number of those that are resolved on a Periodic Payment Order basis versus a lump sum basis. Because of the high value of a proportion of clinical claims, a small number of such claims in any one year can significantly impact the total spend.
In respect of the settlement of claims it is difficult to accurately predict whether each claim will be settled or adjourned, and when settled, whether settlement will be by means of a Period Payment Order or a lump sum. More stability will be introduced into the claims system when the Civil Liability (Amendment) Bill, which will legislate for Periodic Payment Orders, is enacted in the coming months, as this will encourage the settlement of all catastrophic injury claims through Periodic Payment Orders.
In reply to question No 45 of 1 February last I had noted that 13 cerebral palsy cases in which Periodic Payment Orders (PPO) were agreed between 2010 and 2013 were returned to Court on subsequent returnable Court dates. Because PPO legislation was not enacted some cases settled as lump sums instead of continuing as PPOs.
In relation to the actuarial predictions for maternity damages cases from 2006 to 2013 inclusive, the State Claims Agency has informed my officials that it first sought a separate actuarial estimate/prediction for these damages for the year 2009, as the Scheme had matured sufficiently at that time such that actuaries could generate such estimates/predictions. This was also the first time that the estimate/prediction exceeded €50m. The figures for the years in question are as follows:
|
Year |
Actuarial Estimated Spend - € |
|
2009 |
55 |
|
2010 |
78 |
|
2011 |
106 |
|
2012 |
128 |
|
2013 |
154 |
216. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will have surgery in Kerry University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7554/17]
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.
217. Deputy Hildegarde Naughton asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently on waiting lists for diagnostic imaging services at University Hospital Galway; the length of time these persons have been waiting; if they are waiting for CT, MRI or other types of scans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7557/17]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
218. Deputy Hildegarde Naughton asked the Minister for Health the number of MRI and other scans outsourced to external service providers by Galway University Hospital during each of the years 2014 to 2016; the details of the service providers; the total cost of this service in each of those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7558/17]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
