Louise O'Reilly
Question:581. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the details of the State’s subsidy to the Gay Health Network since 2005 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11669/17]
View answerHealth Services Data
Questions (581, 582, 583)
Louise O'Reilly
Question:582. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the details of the State’s subsidy to the gay HIV strategies and expenditure since 2005 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11670/17]
View answerLouise O'Reilly
Question:583. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the details of the State’s subsidy to a group (details supplied) and expenditure since 2005 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11671/17]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 581 to 583, inclusive, together.
As these are operational matters, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to you.
Health Services Data
Questions (584)
Louise O'Reilly
Question:584. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who were recipients of post-exposure prophylaxis, PEP, through the HSE in each of the past ten years in tabular form; the locations they have accessed it; if it was for occupational or non-occupational exposure; the rate of completion of regimen; the number of repeat users; the State expenditure for PEP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11672/17]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
Long-Term Illness Scheme Coverage
Questions (585)
Dara Calleary
Question:585. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if the diabetes flash monitoring device, the FreeStyle Libre, will be added to the long-term illness scheme. [11725/17]
View answerWritten answers
Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
Medical Card Eligibility
Questions (586)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:586. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given in cases of persons with mental health conditions who are taking up employment for rehabilitative purposes to letters from a relevant medical practitioner confirming the rehabilitative nature of the employment and whether letters from the employer or employment agency will be sufficient evidence for medical card entitlement or assessment, rather than the existing requirements, which are extremely difficult especially for self-employment whereby the Revenue Commissioners request such persons to set themselves up as companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11727/17]
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 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.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (587)
Brian Stanley
Question:587. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the length of time a person (details supplied) can expect to wait for an appointment with a consultant at Tullamore Hospital. [11728/17]
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.
Drugs Payment Scheme Coverage
Questions (588)
Niamh Smyth
Question:588. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the status of his negotiations regarding the provision of the drug Orkambi; if there is a timeframe for its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11730/17]
View answerWritten answers
The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines in the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
In reaching its decision, the HSE examines all the evidence which may be relevant, in its view, for the decision (including information submitted by the company). It will take into account such expert opinions and recommendations which it may have sought at its sole discretion, for example from the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE).
In considering an application, the HSE will also have regard to Part 1 and Part 3 of Schedule 3 of the 2013 Act. Part 3 requires the HSE to have regard to the following criteria.
1. The health needs of the public.
2. The cost-effectiveness of meeting health needs by supplying the item concerned rather than providing other health services.
3. The availability and suitability of items for supply or reimbursement.
4. The proposed costs, benefits and risks of the item or listed item relative to therapeutically similar items or listed items provided in other health service settings and the level of certainty in relation to the evidence of those costs, benefits and risks.
5. The potential or actual budget impact of the item or listed item.
6. The clinical need for the item or listed item.
7. The appropriate level of clinical supervision required in relation to the item to ensure patient safety.
8. The efficacy (performance in trial), effectiveness (performance in real situations) and added therapeutic benefit against existing standards of treatment (how much better it eats a condition than existing therapies).
9. The resources available to the HSE.
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 Orkambi. This dossier included details on all relevant costs and relevant cost offsets, including those associated with hospitalisation, disease management, intravenous antibiotics, adverse events and any additional costs arising for patients not taking Orkambi.
The NCPE has completed its health technology assessment and this is available on its website. It was submitted to the HSE in June 2016. 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 has confirmed that all relevant costs were included in the analysis. In line with the HSE's assessment process, the HSE Drugs Committee considered the NCPE recommendation, the manufacturer’s submissions and commercial and other information. Following this consideration, the Drugs Committee did not recommend reimbursement at the current price. The HSE Directorate considered the Drugs Committee’s recommendation in December and the Directorate took the decision not to reimburse at the current price offered by the company.
The HSE has since re-entered negotiations with the manufacturer of Orkambi and Kalydeco. Meetings were held in December and in early January.
This process is now reaching a crucial stage, and it is expected that this will be concluded in a period of weeks. However, given the scale of the investment and the potential benefits for Irish patients I continue to call on all parties to support the HSE in their engagement and to provide the space for this process to be concluded.
I am acutely aware of how difficult this is for CF patients and their families, there is no doubt that the last number of months have been a stressful and worrying time and I understand that people feel they don’t have time to wait. However, the Government’s priority is to achieve the best outcome for Irish CF patients and the health system overall.
National Maternity Hospital
Questions (589)
Róisín Shortall
Question:589. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the details of the ownership of the National Maternity Hospital building and site; the plans for the use of the existing building once the hospital moves to the proposed new location; if it is to be sold, the areas that the proceeds of such a sale would go to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11731/17]
View answerWritten answers
In relation to the particular queries raised, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
Vaccination Programme Data
Questions (590)
Róisín Shortall
Question:590. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the uptake rates for the infant vaccination and screening programmes by health office. [11732/17]
View answerWritten answers
The national immunisation uptake statistics are published on annual and quarterly bases on the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre website
http://www.hpsc.ie/A-Z/VaccinePreventable/Vaccination/ImmunisationUptakeStatistics/.
These statistics give the uptake rates at 12 and 24 months for each Community Healthcare Organisation and Local Health Office for all vaccines in the Primary Childhood Immunisation Programme. The report for Quarter 3 2016 was published in January 2017, and the Annual Report for 2015 was published in April 2016.
The uptake rates for child health developmental screening are published quarterly and can be found at http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/publications/performancereports/.
Orthodontic Services Provision
Questions (591)
Brendan Griffin
Question:591. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will receive an appointment to have braces fitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11734/17]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (592)
Brian Stanley
Question:592. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the length of time a person (details supplied) can expect to wait to have an MRI scan carried out. [11738/17]
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.