Written Answers Nos. 330-342
330. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has discretion in the application of a certain rule (details supplied) under the nursing home support scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53578/17]
View answerThe Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) is a system of financial support for those in need of long-term nursing home care. 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.
In order to determine how much an applicant will contribute to the cost of their care, a financial assessment is carried out by the HSE which takes account of a person's income and assets. As part of this assessment, the HSE identifies any income or assets that the applicant and his/her partner may have deprived themselves of in the five years leading up to their application, or at any time on or subsequent to the date on which the application for financial support under the Scheme is first made. Such assets are defined in the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act, 2009 as 'transferred assets' and 'transferred income'. Under the legislation there are no exemptions in relation to transferred assets.
Applicants to the scheme can request their financial assessment to be reviewed if 12 months have passed since the original assessment or if the HSE is satisfied that their has been a material change to their financial assessment. It should be noted that a person's principal private residence is only included in the financial assessment for the first three years of the applicant's time in care.
331. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the calculation of the contribution to cost of care assessment for a person (details supplied) in County Cork under the nursing home support scheme [53579/17]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
332. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the status of the approval of a drug (details supplied) for inclusion in the HSE's reimbursement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53580/17]
View answerThe HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drug schemes, under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
In reaching a decision, the HSE examines all the evidence which may be relevant in its view for the decision and will take into account such expert opinions and recommendations which it may have sought, including, for example, advice from the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE).
Sapropterin (Kuvan) was considered under the national pricing and reimbursement processes in 2009. At that time, insufficient evidence was available to support the pricing and reimbursement application submitted.
In 2016, the HSE was advised that a new health technology assessment dossier would be submitted on sapropterin. The NCPE completed its assessment of the new dossier in September 2017 and did not recommend sapropterin for reimbursement, as it was not deemed cost effective at the price sought by the company.
The HSE assessment process is ongoing and the HSE will take into account any relevant expert advice when making its decision, in line with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
333. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of persons, including nurses, home help assistants and so on paid by the HSE that have received correspondence in recent months informing them that they have been overpaid for a particular period of time; the number of such persons affected; the amount overpaid in each occupation or category of employment; the reasons for same, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53585/17]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
334. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 933 of 11 September 2017, the progress in securing a residential placement for a person (details supplied) in County Cork who is profoundly disabled; the outcome of the application for emergency funding for a residential placement for this person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53587/17]
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.
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.
335. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health when the provisions of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 will be made fully applicable to all counsellors including abortion counsellors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53592/17]
View answer336. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health if the two-year transition period which has applied to other professions under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 will apply to counsellors; his plans to shorten or eliminate this transition period on the grounds of urgency or on other grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53593/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 335 and 336 together.
Draft Regulations to designate the professions of counsellor and psychotherapist under the Health and Social Care Professional Act 2005 and to establish a registration board for both professions have been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. Resolutions to approve the draft regulations have also been submitted to each House for consideration. Subject to the approval of the Houses, the next steps will be to make the regulations and appoint the 13 members of the registration board following the submission of suitable candidates for my consideration by the Public Appointments Service.
When the registration board has been established and its members appointed early next year its primary tasks will be to commence drafting the various bye-laws to allow it to establish its registers and to advise the Health and Social Care Professional Council and my Department on some of the outstanding issues to be decided. These include the professional titles to be protected by regulation under the Act and the qualifications that ought to be required of existing practitioners in order to register. Crisis pregnancy counselling (other than that provided by doctors, nurses and social workers) will be taken into consideration in this context.
Following the opening of a register there is a two-year transitional period to allow existing practitioners time to apply for registration and satisfy the registration board that they meet the requirements for the profession. There are no plans to shorten the two year transitional period in the case of the profession of counsellor.
337. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be considered for an MRI scan as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53603/17]
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.
338. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53605/17]
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. n relation to the specific case raised, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
339. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health his plans to end charges for venesections for those with haemochromatosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53612/17]
View answerThe 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.
I have received a petition calling for the removal of the €80 charge for venesection in respect of haemochromatosis patients and have asked officials in my Department to examine this matter.
340. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of additional critical care beds that have been provided at Cork university hospital in 2017. [53615/17]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
341. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if the HSE target of eliminating emergency department waiting times of greater than 24 hours for persons over 75 years of age will be met in 2017; and the number of persons over 75 years of age that have had a wait of more than 24 hours in an emergency department in 2017. [53616/17]
View answer432. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if persons aged 75 years of age or over have experienced an emergency department wait time of more than 24 hours in 2017; and, if so, the hospital in which the wait occurred [53883/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 341 and 432 together.
In response to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly.
342. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the status of the development of national standards to improve access to antenatal anomaly screening in all maternity units as set out in the national maternity strategy. [53617/17]
View answerThe Government is committed to the progressive development of maternity services. In 2016, Ireland’s first National Maternity Strategy was published, followed by the HSE’s National Standards for Bereavement Care following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death and HIQA’s National Standards for Safer Better Maternity Services. In 2017, a National Women & Infants Health Programme has been established within the HSE to lead the management, organisation and delivery of maternity, gynaecological and neonatal services across primary, community and acute care.
The Strategy is very clear that all women must have equal access to standardised ultrasound services. It will be implemented on a phased basis and this work will be led by the Programme. In October last, I was pleased to launch the Programme's Implementation Plan for the Strategy. That plan includes a number of actions to facilitate the provision by all maternity hospitals/units of dating and anomaly scans to all pregnant women. Indeed, the issue of anomaly scanning is a priority issue for the Programme and I am advised that it will continue to work with the six Hospital Groups to assist in increasing access to anomaly scans for those units with limited availability.
I can confirm that additional funding will be provided for anomaly scanning in 2018, the detail of which will be set out in the National Service Plan 2018. In relation to the specific queries raised, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
