Written Answers Nos. 451-473
451. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health his plans to increase staffing levels in the PCRS office in Finglas in view of ongoing delays in the processing of medical card applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24174/17]
View answerI have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
456. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health when Beaumont Hospital will publish all freedom of information requests and respective responses on its website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24186/17]
View answerIn response to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
457. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will be allocated a neurologist appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24187/17]
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 you directly.
458. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that it is the accepted policy of his Department of the requirement of treatment programmes for obesity since the publication of the report of the national taskforce on obesity in 2015; the reason for the lack of adoption of such obesity treatment programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24197/17]
View answerAs the Deputy's question is related to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
459. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time and maximum waiting time in each quarter of 2016 and to date in 2017 for an emergency ambulance in counties Laois and Kildare, by county, in tabular form. [24199/17]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
460. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health the status of a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24201/17]
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.
461. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the non-emergency waiting list for dental services in Roscommon County Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24203/17]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
462. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health the status of the recruitment of a HSE dentist in the area of south Roscommon; and when the position will be filled. [24204/17]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
463. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Health the status of respite placing for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24225/17]
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.
The Programme for Partnership Government states that the Government wishes to provide more accessible respite care to facilitate full support for people with a disability.
As the Deputy's question relates to an individual case, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
464. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the supports available for persons with myalgic encephalomyelitis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24226/17]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
465. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Health if there are provisions available within the HSE CHO area 1 region for a person (details supplied) to make the road to their home in County Cavan more accessible in order that their public health nurse can allocate the home help hours which is needed; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that if these small works cannot be conducted this person may need to access a nursing home instead; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24228/17]
View answerThe provision of measures to improve access to private dwellings does not come within the remit of the Minister for Health or the HSE.
466. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if the HSE will cover the costs of orthotics footwear for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24231/17]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
467. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if in tandem with the independent review of maternity and gynaecology services in the greater Dublin area report of 2008, a report was produced that focused on the financial aspect of relocating the national maternity hospital; if a process of financial due diligence was conducted on the proposed relocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24241/17]
View answerThe HSE commissioned the ‘Independent Review of Maternity and Gynaecology Services in the Greater Dublin Area' carried out by KPMG in 2008. Accordingly, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
468. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Health if it is his policy to relocate the national maternity hospital to St Vincent's Hospital and the Rotunda Hospital to James Connolly Memorial Hospital; his plans to provide a maternity hospital on the northside of Dublin in due course in view of the population growth in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24245/17]
View answerThe model of stand-alone maternity hospitals is not the norm internationally. Government policy is therefore to co-locate all remaining maternity hospitals with adult acute services in order to provide optimal clinical outcomes. Co-location of maternity services with adult services provides mothers with access to a full range of medical and support services should the need arise. Tri-location with paediatric services ensures immediate access on-site to paediatric services when foetal or neonatal surgery is required. The availability of these services helps ensure the delivery of an optimum, safe service, particularly for high risk mothers and babies.
Following the Government’s decision to locate the new children’s hospital at the St James’s Hospital campus, it was necessary to review the recommendations made in 2008 KPMG Report ‘Independent Review of Maternity and Gynaecology Services in the Greater Dublin Area’ in relation to the preferred sites for maternity hospitals in Dublin, in order to deliver a tri-located adult acute, paediatric and maternity service at the St James’s campus.
Following that review it was decided that the Rotunda Hospital will be co-located with adult acute services at Connolly Hospital campus, Blanchardstown on the north side of the city, while the Coombe will be tri-located at St James’s campus with adult acute services and the new children’s hospital. The project to relocate the National Maternity Hospital to the St Vincent's University Hospital Campus had already commenced; on 10 March last, a planning application for the new National Maternity Hospital was submitted to An Bord Pleanála. An outline of the review is available at:
http://health.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Re-location-of-the-Coombe-and-Rotunda-Hospitals1.pdf.
469. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Health his plans to deal with the long waiting lists for surgery for cardiology patients and the lack of beds within the cardiology units in hospitals; his further plans to open up private hospitals to public patients for urgent cardiology surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24246/17]
View answerI acknowledge that waiting times are often unacceptably long and I am conscious of the impact of this on people’s lives.
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 for the first tranche of funding in the region of €5m for a waiting list initiative with the aim of ensuring that in excess of 2000 patients waiting more than 18 months for a daycase procedure will have received an appointment for their procedure by 30 June 2017.
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. These plans have now been finalised and will be communicated shortly.
In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, my Department has commenced a capacity review. This review will examine key elements of primary and community care infrastructure in addition to hospital beds.
Given the current pressures being experienced within our hospital services, the process must also have a short-term focus and determine how capital investment over the coming years can be best targeted. The review will be finalised for publication later in the year.
The Deputy may also wish to note that I recently met with the Irish Cardiac Society to discuss possible approaches to reduce waiting times for cardiac surgery patients. At this meeting it was agreed that the HSE would liaise with the Society to put forward proposals to reduce these waiting times.
470. Deputy Frank O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health his immediate plans to recruit the necessary occupational therapy staff to reduce the unacceptable waiting lists (details supplied); his longer term plans to provide the resources required to enable the unit to provide ongoing essential services in a timely manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24259/17]
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.
471. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the reason for the lack of adoption of obesity treatment programmes with regard to the requirement of treatment programmes for obesity since the publication in 2005 of the report of the National Taskforce on Obesity (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24276/17]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
472. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the estimated annual cost to the healthcare system, in terms of hospital care and medications, of those living with obesity; if his Department has carried out a cost-benefit analysis of the wider implementation of obesity treatment programmes versus current long term spending on obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, obesity related cancers and heart disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24277/17]
View answerA 2009 Safefood study has indicated that the direct and indirect cost of obesity in Ireland was estimated at €1.13 billion. As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
473. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of beds planned for the national children's hospital; and the planned number of beds for use by children in the greater Dublin area, other counties and Northern Ireland respectively. [24287/17]
View answer532. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of beds available in the national children's hospital for children with tertiary or quaternary care and secondary or primary care; and the number of persons by greater Dublin area and all other areas. [24709/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 473 and 532 together.
The planned accommodation for the new children's hospital will include facilities for inpatients, day care patients, outpatients, operating theatres and emergency care. There will be 320 inpatient rooms, all of which will be single en-suite rooms with in-room parent accommodation, 60 Critical Care inpatient rooms incorporating Paediatric Intensive Care/High Dependency, Cardiac Critical Care/High Dependency, and Neonatology Intensive Care/High Dependency, 20 child and adolescent mental health beds (incorporating eating disorders and acute Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service), and 93 day care beds.
In relation to the specific allocation of beds, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
