Louise O'Reilly
Question:358. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the cost of running one air ambulance helicopter inclusive of staff and equipment per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51679/17]
View answerAir Ambulance Service
Questions (358)
Written answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (359)
Barry Cowen
Question:359. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) can expect an appointment. [51757/17]
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.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
Homeless Accommodation Funding
Questions (360)
Eoin Ó Broin
Question:360. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health the associated costs provided by his Department towards the funding of one Housing First tenancy. [51772/17]
View answerWritten answers
Action 1.15 of Rebuilding Ireland, the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness commits my Department and the Health Service Executive (HSE) to improve mental health and primary care services for those in homeless services and improve their ability to sustain a normal tenancy.
The HSE supports the adoption of a housing-led approach, based on the provision of intensive case management simultaneously, with the desired outcome of permanent stable housing and improved health and well-being of homeless people. In 2017, over €32.6m has been allocated by the HSE for social inclusion services to improve health outcomes for homeless persons. This funding has been used to:
provide intensive case-management support, key working, GP and nursing services for people in homeless services;
improve access to primary care/addiction services and wrapped around care in line with the housing-led approach;
enhance services within homeless accommodation by providing in-reach speciality primary care and mental health in-reach services; and
provide out-reach services and supports to link homeless people into primary care, mental health and addiction services.
My Department intends to work with the HSE during 2018 to ensure continued enhancement to social inclusion services in order to improve outcomes for homeless people in line with commitments in Rebuilding Ireland.
Ambulance Service
Questions (361)
Louise O'Reilly
Question:361. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify the responsibility of ambulance crews on the transportation of persons to and from their homes, for example their access and egress from the ambulance vehicles; if there an issue with HSE health and safety policy and ambulance personnel helping with egress from vehicles on transporting persons back home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51777/17]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
Hospital Appointments Administration
Questions (362)
Seán Barrett
Question:362. Deputy Seán Barrett asked the Minister for Health if persons with haemochromatosis can be treated in outpatient departments when suitable in order to save the €80 charge being imposed on persons when they must attend as inpatients for venesection to reduce the iron overload in their blood; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51783/17]
View answerWritten answers
The Health Act 1970 (as amended) provides that all people ordinarily resident in the country are entitled, subject to certain charges, to public in-patient hospital services including consultant services and to public out-patient hospital services. Under the Health (In-Patients Charges) (Amendment) Regulations 2008, a person who has been referred to a hospital for an in-patient service, including that provided on a day case basis, will have to pay the statutory daily charge, currently €80 per day, up to a maximum of €800 per year. On this 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.
The Deputy may be aware of the ongoing review of the GMS and other publicly funded contracts involving GPs, and that the next phase of discussions to progress this work is underway. I expect that the issue of venesection services for patients with haemochromatosis will be considered in the context of the overall GP contract review process.
It should be noted that the Irish Blood Transfusion (IBTS) has been running a haemochromatosis clinic in the Stillorgan Blood Donation Clinic since 2007 and sees approximately 600 patients annually who are eligible to donate blood. In 2013 and 2014, the IBTS also commenced provision of a programme for hereditary haemochromatosis patients in their D'Olier Street and St. Finbar's Hospital (Co. Cork) clinics, respectively. These clinics provide venesection at no cost to the patient with a prescription from their treating clinician. The venesection is performed, regardless of whether the patient wanted to have their unit converted to a blood donation.
In response to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
Drug Rehabilitation Clinics
Questions (363)
Bríd Smith
Question:363. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of various drugs rehabilitation organisations, clinics and other organisations funded by the HSE in the Dublin north-east area; the roles and responsibilities of each respective entity; the amount of funds they receive on an annual basis; the oversight of the moneys spent; and the outcomes relating to the service users of these organisations. [51788/17]
View answerWritten answers
As these are service matters, they have been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
Drug Treatment Programmes
Questions (364)
Bríd Smith
Question:364. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health his policy position on methadone; the number of organisations dispensing methadone; and the supports available and plans in place for those on methadone to eventually cease using this drug. [51789/17]
View answerWritten answers
Methadone maintenance treatment is a critical stabilising treatment that enables people involved to counter their problem drug use and to rebuild their lives. In conjunction with other services and supports such as counselling, after-care and training, methadone maintenance treatment provides a pathway to recovery for the individual affected by problem substance use.
As the other issues raised by the Deputy are service matters, they have been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (365)
Barry Cowen
Question:365. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) can expect an appointment. [51796/17]
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 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.
Rare Diseases Strategy Implementation
Questions (366)
Kate O'Connell
Question:366. Deputy Kate O'Connell asked the Minister for Health the status of the rare disease programme 2014 to 2018; and the details of the expected conclusion of same in 2018. [51797/17]
View answerWritten answers
In February 2017 the Department published a progress report on the National Rare Disease Plan and this is available on the Department’s website at:
http://health.gov.ie/blog/publications/interim-report-on-national-rare-disease-plan-for-ireland-2014-20181/.
It provides an update on all 48 recommendations as outlined in the Plan and progress to date.
One of the principal recommendations in the Plan was the establishment of a National Clinical Programme for Rare Diseases which is responsible for assisting with mapping and developing care pathways for rare diseases; facilitating timely access to centres of expertise nationally and internationally; and developing care pathways with European Reference Centres for those ultra-rare disorders where there may not be sufficient expertise in Ireland.
In line with the National Rare Diseases Plan, the National Clinical Programme for Rare Diseases and the Department of Health encouraged designated centres of expertise in Ireland to apply for membership of European Reference Networks during the first round of calls from the European Commission for participation in European Reference Networks. Three of these centres are now represented on ERN network.
Membership of ERNs will bring opportunities for engaging in research relating to Rare Diseases in keeping with the National Rare Diseases Plan. Further centres are expected to apply for membership or affiliated membership of ERNs when the next call takes place in early 2018.
The establishment of a National Rare Disease Office (NRDO) featured prominently in the recommendations of the Rare Disease plan. The office provides current and reliable information about rare diseases to the general public, health care professionals, researchers and policy makers. The National Rare Diseases Office is responsible for updating Orphanet Ireland. Orphanet is the international rare disease reference and information portal funded by the EU. The office also manages the National Rare Diseases Information Line (a Freephone service) and provides online information about rare diseases on http://www.rarediseases.ie/.
A number of recommendations about access to appropriate drugs and technologies were contained in the plan. One chief recommendation in this regard refers to the HSE developing a Working Group to bring forward appropriate decision criteria for the reimbursement of orphan medicines and technologies; and that the approach should include an assessment system similar to that for cancer therapies established under the National Cancer Control Programme. The HSE Acute Hospitals Division has developed the terms of reference, required membership and reporting relationship for this committee. A Chairperson has now been identified and it is expected that the Group will convene in the near future.
The national plan for rare diseases recommended that the Health Identifiers Bill and the Health & Patient Safety Bill be published. The former was published in 2013 and enacted in 2014. The Individual Health Identifier part of the project is now being implemented by the HSE. A revised and much expanded General Scheme of a Health Information and Patient Safety Bill was approved by the government in November 2015 and published on the Department's website.
Two recommendations referred to training in rare diseases for healthcare professionals. The Department of Health has contacted formally the various healthcare representative and professional bodies about implementing these recommendations. The National Rare Diseases Office developed eLearning modules for healthcare professionals. These modules are available on:
http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/5/rarediseases/healthcareprofessionals.html.
The issue of rare diseases and of the creation of an all-island patient register has been raised in the context of ongoing discussions at North-South meetings. It is also anticipated that the Model of Care for Rare Diseases will set out recommendations for rare disease registries. This model of care is in development by the National Clinical Programme for Rare Diseases.
The National Rare Disease Plan continues to be implemented. It recommended that an Oversight Implementation Group of relevant stakeholders, including patients' groups, be established to oversee and monitor implementation of the plan’s recommendations. This group was established by the Department of Health in 2015 and it has met on a number of occasions.
The Department will consider the matter of a further plan as part of its Work Programme for 2018.
Electronic Cigarettes
Questions (367)
Maureen O'Sullivan
Question:367. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if regulation 30 of Statutory Instrument 271 of 2016 allows retailers to stock electronic cigarettes and e-liquids that have the flavour labelled, for example cherry flavour, menthol flavour and so on; his plans to update the guidance document to clarify the issue for retailers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51798/17]
View answerWritten answers
Compliance with the legislation is the responsibility of individual companies.
Regulation 30 of the European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 (S.I. No. 271 of 2016) as amended by S.I. No. 252 of 2017, does not restrict the use of words which denote flavourings, such as “cherry” or "menthol", on unit packets and outside packaging of electronic cigarettes or refill containers.
Regulation 30 does not prevent the use of the word “nicotine” to show the nicotine content on unit packets and outside packaging of electronic cigarettes or refill containers.
Revised guidance on this matter issued to stakeholders on Friday, 1 December 2017 and is also available on the Department of Health's website. The guidance should not be construed as legal advice nor should it be inferred that all legal responsibilities have been identified in the guidance. It is a matter for companies to determine how best to comply with legislation, if there is uncertainty regarding compliance, legal advice should be sought.
Health Services Provision
Questions (368)
Pearse Doherty
Question:368. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if funding will be made available to provide long-term full-time care for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51824/17]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
General Practitioner Data
Questions (369)
Billy Kelleher
Question:369. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of general practitioner vacancies in each local health office, LHO, in tabular form. [51825/17]
View answerWritten answers
As this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
Disability Services Data
Questions (370)
Tom Neville
Question:370. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Health if the HSE will provide a copy of a report of all assessments of nursing requirements at a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51836/17]
View answerWritten answers
The 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 particular issue raised by the Deputy is a service matter for the HSE. Accordingly I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
Freedom of Information Data
Questions (371)
John McGuinness
Question:371. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the number of freedom of information requests received by his Department to date in 2017; the number fully or partially granted; and the number of such requests that were refused. [51854/17]
View answerWritten answers
The number of Freedom of Information requests received, to date in 2017, is 335. Of those completed: 49 were granted in full; 98 were part-granted and 69 were refused.