Written Answers Nos. 261-274
261. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive an appointment with the child and adolescent mental health services in Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18390/17]
View answerAs this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
262. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when a medical assessment appointment will be provided for a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay in issuing a date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18391/17]
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.
263. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when an operation will be provided for a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay in issuing a date for this procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18399/17]
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.
264. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in accessing occupational therapy in County Meath. [18401/17]
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.
265. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently waiting to access occupational therapy in County Meath. [18402/17]
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.
266. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Health the number of occupational therapists in County Meath recruited in the past 12 months. [18403/17]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
267. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the reason no new referrals are being placed on the waiting lists for ear, nose and throat, ENT, appointments for persons at two hospitals (details supplied); when this situation will improve for persons in need of an ENT appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18427/17]
View answer268. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health his plans for the waiting list crisis for persons in need of ear, nose and throat, ENT, appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18428/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 267 and 268 together.
Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. Consequently, Budget 2017 allocated €20 million to the NTPF, rising to €55 million in 2018.
In December 2016, I granted approval to the NTPF to dedicate €5m to a daycase waiting list initiative with the aim of ensuring that no adult patient will be waiting more than 18 months for a daycase procedure by 30 June 2017. In excess of 2000 daycases will be managed through this process and the NTPF has indicated that the initiative has commenced and patients will start to receive their appointments before Easter. The focus of this initiative will be those lists with large numbers of long-waiting patients including ENT, Ophthalmology, General Surgery, Dental, Urology and Vascular surgery.
In order to reduce the numbers of long-waiting patients, I asked the HSE to develop Waiting List Action Plans for 2017 in the areas of Inpatient Daycase, Scoliosis and Outpatient Services. My Department is currently engaging with the HSE and the NTPF to finalise these plans.
In relation to your specific query on paediatric ENT appointments in Crumlin and Tallaght hospitals, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
269. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health if he will address issues raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18429/17]
View answerThe project to develop the new children’s hospital is an extraordinary opportunity to enhance paediatric services for children and to ensure that children, young people and their families have the facilities they need and deserve.
The Government decision to locate the new children’s hospital on the campus of St James’s hospital was clinically led. St. James’s is Ireland’s largest and leading adult teaching and research-intensive hospital, with the broadest range of national specialties of all acute hospitals. It has a strong and well-established research and education infrastructure, making it the hospital that best meets the criteria to be the adult co-location partner. Co-location with St James’s, and ultimately tri-location with the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, is best practice internationally and will deliver the excellence in clinical care.
In line with leading practice in children’s hospital design, those who need to stay in hospital will have their own single room. Each of the 380 single rooms, with the exception of critical care rooms, will have an en-suite bathroom and facilities for a parent to comfortably stay overnight. The Ronald McDonald House Charity plans to build a new 53 bedroom Ronald McDonald House adjacent to the new children’s hospital allowing parents and other children to stay as necessary.
A dedicated school will be provided, incorporating a range of educational services, including artwork and pottery, in a stimulating environment that is conducive to learning and is medically equipped to cater for children on ventilators and other mobile electronic medical equipment. It will be fully wheelchair and disability compliant. Dedicated schoolrooms will be provided on three of the inpatient units to cater for children unable to attend the main school due to clinical treatments (including oncology/ haematology and renal dialysis).
Children who cannot attend the school due to disease processes or infection control issues will also be provided with alternative educational support in their room or via appropriate online facilities managed by the school principal. The main hospital school will be located in a central area with direct horizontal and vertical links to the inpatient units and will incorporate four large classrooms for primary and post primary schooling; two specialist classrooms which may include wet areas for arts and crafts. Children and adolescents will be educated separately in age-appropriate accommodation.
The therapeutic benefits of the outdoors will be catered for in the rooftop garden which will offer opportunities for learning, play and distraction. The garden's play decks and terraces will offer a range of outdoor spaces that are rarely found in most hospitals.
The design of the hospital has recognised the need of most parents to access the hospital by car, and 675 car parking spaces have been provided for families based on current and projected future demand, and a further 325 for staff (1000 in total, three times the current number of parking spaces for existing paediatric hospitals). The parking system will also allow families to reserve spaces ahead of arriving to the hospital, and emergency drop-off spaces are also being provided.
The needs of children, young people, their families and those who will work in paediatrics are being taken into account throughout this project. The Youth Advisory Council, (a group of children and young people), amongst others, has provided input, advice and feedback on the development of the new hospital and its future services at regular meetings with the project directors.
270. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the reason a medical card application was closed in view of the fact that contact was made with the primary care reimbursement service, PCRS, in March 2017 (details supplied) and the person was informed that the application was in progress; if he will take into consideration the medical conditions involved and reopen the case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18439/17]
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.
271. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health the number of beds in the public hospital system; and the number of beds reserved for the private patients of consultants. [18440/17]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
272. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health the reason for waiting times incurred by a person (details supplied); if he will expedite this person's appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18446/17]
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 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 the Deputy directly.
273. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the ambulance response times for each ambulance journey in County Wicklow between 2014 and 2016, inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18450/17]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
274. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of ambulance journeys made by children in County Wicklow between 2014 and 2016 in tabular form; the point of departure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18451/17]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
