Written Answers Nos. 849-868
849. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the training and qualifications required by HSE home helps; the training and qualifications required by employees of private home care provider companies that are employed by the HSE and those hired directly by the family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37093/17]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
850. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if persons with Lyme disease are eligible under the cross border Directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37095/17]
View answerThe Directive on Patients' Rights in Cross Border Healthcare provides rules for the reimbursement to patients' of the cost of receiving treatment abroad, where the patient would be entitled to such treatment in their home Member State and supplements the rights that patients already have at EU level through the legislation on the co-ordination of social security schemes (Regulation 883/04).
The Health Service Executive (HSE) operates the EU Directive on Patients’ Rights in Cross Border Healthcare in Ireland. In line with practice in other EU Member States, the HSE, through the National Contact Point (NCP) office, provides information for patients on the Cross-Border Directive on its website - http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/schemes/cbd/ - and also by phone. The principal function of the NCP is to facilitate exchange of information for patients concerning their rights and entitlements relating to receiving healthcare in another Member State, in particular the terms and conditions for reimbursement of cost and the procedures for accessing and determining those entitlements.
The HSE have confirmed that a person may avail of treatment for Lyme disease under the Cross Border Directive.
851. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of persons awaiting approval for home care supports; the approximate delay in processing an application; the maximum hours that can be allocated to a person; the percentage deducted from a person's home under the fair deal system; and his plans to allow care packages to be transferred from a nursing home setting to the family home. [37097/17]
View answerI have asked the HSE to reply to you directly with regard to 'the number of persons awaiting approval for home care supports; the approximate delay in processing an application; the maximum hours that can be allocated to a person'.
In the context of home care it is important to be clear that persons in receipt of home care do not contribute to the cost of their package, so there is no percentage deducted from assets including their home.
The Nursing Homes Support Scheme, commonly referred to as A Fair Deal, is a system of financial support for those in need of long-term nursing home care. In this Scheme, 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. A care needs assessment is carried out to determine if a person requires long term care, followed by a financial assessment to determine how much a person will contribute to their cost of care.
Participants in the Scheme contribute up to 80% of their assessable income and a maximum of 7.5% per annum of the value of assets held. In the case of a couple, the applicant’s means are assessed as 50% of the couple’s combined income and assets. The first €36,000 of an individual’s assets, or €72,000 in the case of a couple, is not counted at all in the financial assessment. Importantly, the capital value of an individual’s principal private residence is only included in the financial assessment for the first three years of their time in care.
Again it is important to emphasise that Fair Deal is a financial support scheme designed to support those in need of nursing home care only.
There have been calls to extend the Nursing Homes Support Scheme to cover home care services, however, the Government is committed to establishing a new separate statutory home care scheme along with a system of regulation for home care services.
An important step in this process is a public consultation on home care services which I, along with Minister Harris launched on 6 July. The purpose of this consultation is to allow all those who have views on this topic to have their say, including home care users, their families, and healthcare workers. It will also allow us to find out what people think about current home care services as well as the public’s views on what the future scheme should look like. The consultation paper is available online at http://health.gov.ie/consultations and I would encourage all those with an interest in home care services to make a submission to the consultation before the closing date of 2 October 2017.
A report of the findings of this consultation process will be published and the findings will be used by the Department in the development of the new home care scheme.
852. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if a clinic (details supplied) will be sited at the planned Thurles primary care centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37098/17]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
853. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Health the role he envisages voluntary organisations playing in the implementation of the recommendations outlined in the 2015 to 2020 national strategy to reduce suicide, Connecting for Life. [37100/17]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
854. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health when the eye doctor will be replaced in Portlaoise hospital in view of the fact the services have not been available since November 2016. [37102/17]
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.
855. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the status of plans for the new transport support scheme, which is due to replace the motorised transport grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37103/17]
View answerConscious of the reports of the Ombudsman in 2011 and 2012 regarding the legal status of both the Mobility Allowance and Motorised Transport Grant Scheme in the context of the Equal Status Acts, the Government decided to close both schemes in February 2013.
The Government is aware of the continuing needs of people with a disability who rely on individual payments that support choice and independence. In this regard, monthly payments of up to €208.50 have continued to be made by the Health Service Executive to 4,700 people who were in receipt of the Mobility Allowance.
The Government decided that the detailed preparatory work required for a new Transport Support Scheme and associated statutory provisions should be progressed by the Minister for Health and the Programme for a Partnership Government acknowledges the ongoing drafting of primary legislation for a new Transport Support Scheme. I can confirm that work on the policy proposals for the new Scheme is at an advanced stage. The proposals seek to ensure that:
- There is a firm statutory basis to the Scheme's operation;
- There is transparency and equity in the eligibility criteria attaching to the Scheme;
- Resources are targeted at those with greatest needs; and
- The Scheme is capable of being costed and is affordable on its introduction and on an ongoing basis.
The next step is to seek Government approval to the drafting of a Bill for the new Scheme.
856. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health his plans for facilitating home births and for ensuring that professional midwives who support women to have home births are facilitated in doing so. [37106/17]
View answerThe National Maternity Strategy - Creating A Better Future Together 2016 - 2026, recognises pregnancy and birth as a normal physiological process. It aims to ensure that appropriate care pathways are in place in order that mothers, babies and families get the right care, at the right time, by the right team and in the right place. Similarly, it recognises that, while all pregnant women need a certain level of support, some will require more specialised care. Accordingly, it proposes an integrated model of care that encompasses all the necessary safety nets in line with patient safety principles. The model consists of three care pathways - Supported, Assisted and Specialised. The Strategy envisages that home births will form part of the Supported Care pathway.
857. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the efforts being made to recruit ambulance personnel from overseas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37107/17]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
858. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons applying from abroad, trained here, for paramedic positions in each of the years from 2014 to 2016; the number of successful applicants, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37109/17]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
859. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when access to an insulin pump will be provided in the paediatrics diabetic unit in the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37110/17]
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.
860. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health his plans to include Crohn's disease under the terms of the long-term illness scheme. [37111/17]
View answerThe LTI Scheme was established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act 1970 (as amended). The conditions covered by the LTI are: acute leukaemia; mental handicap; cerebral palsy; mental illness (in a person under 16); cystic fibrosis; multiple sclerosis; diabetes insipidus; muscular dystrophies; diabetes mellitus; parkinsonism; epilepsy; phenylketonuria; haemophilia; spina bifida; hydrocephalus; and conditions arising from the use of Thalidomide. Under the LTI Scheme, patients receive drugs, medicines, and medical and surgical appliances directly related to the treatment of their illness, free of charge.
There are no plans to extend the list of conditions covered by the Scheme.
861. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health his plans to upgrade Monaghan General Hospital and reintroduce its accident and emergency department; his views on the concerns of the public due to the lack of this service and delays in ambulance response times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37116/17]
View answerA key part of the Government’s plan for our healthcare system is the most significant reform of our hospital service since the foundation of the State - the establishment of hospital groups operating as single cohesive units with their own governance and management. Hospital Groups enable a better configuration of hospital services with benefits relating to safety, quality, access, cost and sustainable medical staffing and every hospital in the group, large and small, statutory and voluntary, will play a vital role within the Group. Hospitals working together in a Group will be able to support each other, providing a stronger role for smaller hospitals in delivering less complex care, and ensuring that those who require emergency or complex planned care are managed safely in larger hospitals.
The Smaller Hospitals Framework focuses in particular on the future role of smaller hospitals and outlines the wide range of services that can be provided within these smaller hospitals. It also outlines the potential to expand the services delivered in smaller hospitals.
As a Model 2 hospital, Monaghan does not have a 24/7 Emergency Department or critical care unit. However, in line with the Framework, Monaghan Hospital has a Minor Injuries Unit located on site.
I am committed to securing and further developing the role of our smaller hospitals with the expansion of services delivered in these hospitals, especially in services such as day surgery; ambulatory care; medical services and diagnostics.
The Programme for Partnership Government commits to a review of Medical Assessment Units, Urgent Care Centres and Minor Injuries Units, including the Unit at Monaghan Hospital. Work on this review is progressing in 2017.
The National Ambulance Service (NAS) has been undertaking a significant and ongoing reform programme, to reconfigure the management and delivery of pre-hospital care services. This programme will ensure a clinically driven, nationally co-ordinated system, supported by improved technology. The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to additional annual investment in terms of ambulance personnel and vehicles. In that regard an additional €3.6m has been made available to the NAS in 2017, which includes €1m to fund new developments.
862. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the services available at Monaghan General Hospital; his plans to extend the opening hours of the minor injuries unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37117/17]
View answerIn response to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
863. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the introduction of the 20 week anomaly scan at Cavan General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37118/17]
View answer982. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the introduction of the 20 week anomaly scan at Cavan General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37488/17]
View answer1111. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the status regarding the introduction of a procedure in a hospital (details supplied); if staff are in place to carry out this procedure; the timeframe for its introduction at this facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37864/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 863, 982 and 1111 together.
I am advised that foetal anomaly scans are available in all Hospital Groups. Those hospitals/maternity units currently providing anomaly scans accept referrals from other maternity units, if requested. This occurs where the medical team in the referring maternity unit consider that an anomaly scan is clinically indicated.
The National Maternity Strategy is very clear that all women must have equal access to standardised ultrasound services. The Strategy will be implemented on a phased basis and this work will be led by the HSE National Women and Infants Health Programme. Indeed, the issue of anomaly scanning is a priority issue for the Programme and, accordingly, it will develop clinical guidance regarding routine detailed scans at 20 weeks. In the meantime, the Programme will continue to work with the six Hospital Groups to assist in increasing access to anomaly scans for those units with limited availability.
One of the current challenges to increase access to anomaly scans is the recruitment of ultrasonographers. In this context, it is expected that the establishment of Maternity Networks across Hospital Groups will assist in developing a sustainable model that ensures that all women within each Hospital Group can access anomaly scans.
In relation to your specific queries regarding Cavan General Hospital, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.
864. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason the fracture clinic slots at Drogheda were reduced for persons being referred from Cavan General Hospital (details supplied); if he will increase the time being provided to persons from counties Cavan and Monaghan attending Drogheda; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37119/17]
View answerIn response to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly.
865. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae 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. [37120/17]
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.
866. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Waterford on a waiting list for occupational therapy; the number of children in County Waterford awaiting occupational therapy services for up to 12 months, 24 months and 36 months and over, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37127/17]
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.
867. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who presented for mental health services to HSE facilities in County Waterford in each of the years from 2007 to 2016, and to date in 2017; the number of persons who presented for mental health services to HSE facilities with a residential address in County Waterford in each of the years from 2007 to 2016, and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37128/17]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
868. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if the waiting list action plans for 2017 in the areas of inpatient and day case, scoliosis and outpatient services have been funded by the National Treatment Purchase Fund or if they are a HSE initiative only. [37129/17]
View answerI acknowledge that waiting times are often unacceptably long and I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families.
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. Of this 2017 allocation, €15 million has been set aside for the treatment of those patients waiting longest for inpatient and daycase procedures.
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. The Inpatient/Daycase Action Plan is being delivered through a combination of normal hospital activity, as well as insourcing and outsourcing initiatives utilising NTPF funding.
The Scoliosis and Outpatient Action Plan's are being delivered through the HSE 2017 budget allocation.
