Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 October 2017
145. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that persons with haemochromatosis require several venesections per year and are paying €80 per venesection; his plans to provide free venesections to persons that have haemochromatosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43161/17]
View answerThe €80 charged referred to by the Deputy is the statutory daily charge (up to a maximum of €800) where a person has been referred to a hospital for an in-patient service, including that provided on a day case basis. Where venesection is classed as a day case procedure, and is not carried out in an out-patient setting, the public in-patient charge applies. Medical card holders are exempt from this charge.
Also, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) operates a haemochromatosis clinic in the Stillorgan Blood Donation Clinic and sees approximately 600 patients there annually. The IBTS has also commenced provision of a programme for hereditary haemochromatosis patients in their D'Olier Street, Dublin and St. Finbar's Hospital, Cork clinics. These clinics provide phlebotomy free of charge to patients who have a prescription from their treating clinician.
