John Curran
Question:279. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will have a surgical procedure carried out in St. James's Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19719/18]
View answerHospital Waiting Lists
Questions (279)
Written 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 the Deputy directly.
Cancer Screening Programmes
Questions (280)
Bríd Smith
Question:280. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if his attention was drawn during court proceedings to the HSE legal strategy regarding a case (details supplied) against clinical pathology laboratories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19738/18]
View answerWritten answers
I received a briefing note in relation to a legal case which had been taken against MedLab/Clinical Pathology Laboratories Ltd, a company providing cytopathology for CervicalCheck, and the HSE on 16 April 2018.
I received further information on issues related to the communication of the outcome of the CervicalCheck clinical audit process to women in the period after that legal case became public.
I have published that briefing note and set out the information available to me on the record of the Dail on Tuesday, 1 May 2018, including during questions from the opposition.
Cancer Screening Programmes
Questions (281)
Bríd Smith
Question:281. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he or officials from his Department had meetings or briefings with officials of the HSE regarding the tests conducted by clinical pathology laboratories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19739/18]
View answerWritten answers
I have not had any interactions with officials of the HSE in relation to the tests conducted by clinical pathology laboratories.
I am not aware of any interactions between my Department and HSE officials in relation to such tests.
Cancer Screening Programmes
Questions (282)
Bríd Smith
Question:282. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health when his attention was drawn to the scale of the failures regarding the tests conducted by clinical pathology laboratories; and when his attention was drawn to the HSE legal strategy in a case (details supplied). [19740/18]
View answerWritten answers
I received a briefing note in relation to a legal case which had been taken against MedLab/Clinical Pathology Laboratories Ltd, a company providing cytopathology for CervicalCheck, and the HSE on 16 April 2018.
I received further information on issues related to the communication of the outcome of the CervicalCheck clinical audit process to women in the period after that legal case became public.
I have published that briefing note and set out the information available to me on the record of the Dail on Tuesday, 1 May 2018, including during questions from the opposition.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (283)
Ruth Coppinger
Question:283. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the measures he will take to reduce the waiting times for outpatient rheumatology appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19744/18]
View answerWritten answers
Improving waiting times for hospital procedures and outpatient appointments is a key commitment in the Programme for Government. While the Inpatient and Day Case (IPDC) Action Plan was published in April to address waiting times for IPDC procedures, the Outpatient waiting list remains a significant challenge to be addressed in 2018.
Each year, 3.3 million patients attend Hospital Outpatient clinics for appointments. A number of steps, including a national waiting list validation project by the HSE, are being taken to ensure the lists are accurate and these efforts will intensify in the coming months.
The outpatient waiting list figures for March 2018, published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), show that there is a total of 15,408 patients on the rheumatology outpatient waiting list. Of these 42% of patients are waiting 6 months or less while 34% of patients are waiting over 12 months.
Work has commenced on the development of an Outpatient Department (OPD) Action Plan for 2018. The HSE will work with the NTPF and my Department to finalise a joint plan focused on improving overall use of resources to tackle long patient waiting times and ensuring timely access to treatment and care for patients.
Health Services Staff Recruitment
Questions (284)
Ruth Coppinger
Question:284. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health if extra consultant paediatric rheumatology consultants will be appointed in order that the World Health Organization's guidelines of six for the population is met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19745/18]
View answerWritten answers
I am aware that there are challenges in meeting the growing demand for paediatric rheumatology services, and that the Health Service Executive is working towards improving access to such services. Funding for additional paediatric rheumatology consultant posts will need to be considered in the first instance as part of the 2019 Annual Estimates Process in the context of competing priorities for service development funding.
In relation to current rheumatology service provision, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (285)
Kate O'Connell
Question:285. Deputy Kate O'Connell asked the Minister for Health the waiting period for hernia surgeries in St. James's Hospital; and when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment. [19746/18]
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 the Deputy directly.
Home Care Packages Provision
Questions (286)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:286. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of home support for persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19761/18]
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.
As 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.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (287)
Joan Burton
Question:287. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Health the status of the waiting lists for scoliosis treatment; if the HSE has been successful in recruiting an additional consultant in respect of scoliosis services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19768/18]
View answerWritten answers
I continue to support the HSE in its efforts to bring down the waiting times for and improve access to scoliosis services. The long-term strategy to develop sustainable scoliosis services from 2018 has been prioritised by the Department of Health and the HSE in the 2018 HSE National Service Plan.
€9 million funding has been provided in 2018 to improve access to paediatric orthopaedic services including scoliosis. The 2018 HSE National Service Plan includes a commitment from the HSE to continue to improve access to paediatric orthopaedics, including surgery for scoliosis, in conjunction with the Children’s Hospital Group to achieve clinically appropriate waiting times. This will be underpinned by the development of a standardised pathway of care for children and adolescents with scoliosis which will be evidence-based and patient-centred.
The HSE, in their Service Plan, has also committed to the development of a service for young adults with scoliosis in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, and Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital for patients transferring from paediatric services.
In addition, a Paediatric Scoliosis Services Co-Design group is in place, which includes clinicians, hospital staff and representatives from the scoliosis advocacy groups, to design a comprehensive contemporary and patient-centred approach to the delivery of scoliosis services.
The Children's Hospital group advise that as of week ending 27th of April, there were 185 patients on the active spinal waiting list, of which 87 were waiting more than 4 months.
In relation to the recruitment of an additional consultant, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
Disability Services Funding
Questions (288)
Tom Neville
Question:288. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Health the amount of funding provided by the HSE to branches of an organisation (details supplied) in County Kerry in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19772/18]
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.
Treatment Abroad Scheme
Questions (289)
Lisa Chambers
Question:289. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has been waiting for a consultation in the United Kingdom under the treatment abroad scheme; the steps being taken to resolve the matter; when the appointment will issue; the number of Irish women waiting for procedures in the United Kingdom in connection with the removal of a vaginal mesh; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19773/18]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Questions (290)
Catherine Murphy
Question:290. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the options available in situations in which a child (details supplied) is self-harming, there are complex additional needs and services have been denied by CAMHS, NDT and primary care and a service; if services in other locations will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19775/18]
View answerWritten answers
As this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.