Written Answers Nos. 756-777
756. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment for a brain scan at Cork University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25007/18]
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 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.
757. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when a FreeStyle Libre device will issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25009/18]
View answerUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
758. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health when the review regarding the level of nursing home support payable in the case of a person (details supplied) is likely to be concluded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25012/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
759. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health if a medical card application appeal by a person (details supplied) will be examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25015/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
760. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 164 of 9 May 2018; the reason a response has yet to issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25016/18]
View answerThe HSE have advised that a response was issued to the Deputy on 22nd May 2018.
761. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 171 of 10 May 2018, the reason a response has yet to issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25017/18]
View answerI am advised by the HSE that a response has been issued to the deputy.
762. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the waiting time for appointments to access the adult mental health services via Balbriggan primary care centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25033/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
763. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health if first responders are reimbursed for expenses incurred specifically in terms of motor expenses and motor insurance costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25036/18]
View answerAs this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.
764. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Health the status of changes proposed to the fair deal scheme to facilitate changes for farmers and small business owners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25038/18]
View answerA review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) was published in July 2015. Arising out of the review, a recommendation was made to examine the treatment of business and farm assets for the purposes of the financial assessment element of the scheme. The Programme for a Partnership Government also committed to reviewing the NHSS to remove any discrimination against small businesses and family farms.
At present, 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. This is known as the three year cap. This cap does not apply to productive assets such as farms and businesses, except in cases of sudden illness or disability where specific conditions are met.
It is proposed to amend the scheme to treat farm and business assets in the same manner as the principal private residence where a family successor commits to working the farm or business, i.e. to cap contributions at three years.
The Department of Health has been examining the potential for changes to the treatment of business and farm assets under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme. Any changes to the scheme, if approved by Government, will require amendment of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009.
A Memorandum for Government setting out the details of the proposed policy change and seeking Government approval to draft the General Scheme of a bill to amend the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009 has been circulated to other Government Departments for observations.
766. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health his plans to move the cervical screening process to a HPV test; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many clinicians internationally (details supplied) recommend co-testing pap plus HPV; if consideration has been given to same; the costs and so on of co-testing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25049/18]
View answer767. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the scientific evidence and the bodies from which evidence has been gathered that has assisted him to arrive at the decision to opt for a HPV only based test in the future. [25050/18]
View answer768. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he or the HSE has costed the replacement of the national screening program with a HPV based test; and if co-testing of HPV and pap has also been costed. [25051/18]
View answer769. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if HPV testing will be carried out by laboratories here and under a tendering process similar to the current regime. [25052/18]
View answer770. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if new HPV testing will be standardised across all laboratories in order to ensure that variation in detection rates does not reoccur between laboratories. [25053/18]
View answer771. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if public laboratories based here will be able to conduct the new HPV testing; the provisions being made to increase the capacity and infrastructure of laboratories based here to deal with the work; and if he has examined the need for future graduate programs in universities and the need for on-site facilities and training in hospitals. [25054/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 766 to 771, inclusive, together.
The outcome of a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) carried out by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) for the National Screening Service was that the HPV test is a more accurate testing mechanism than the current liquid-based cytology, that the use of the HPV test would result in fewer false negative results, and that the use of the HPV test would result in more cancers being prevented.
As part of the HTA, HIQA considered 32 different screening strategies, including different primary screening tests (HPV or Liquid-Based Cytology), triage tests, screening intervals, and screening exit ages in both unvaccinated and vaccinated cohorts. This included economic modelling to project the financial cost of each of the strategies.
Currently cervical screening samples undergo cytology screening as the primary screening test and following the move to HPV testing, cervical screening samples will undergo a HPV test as the primary screening test and women whose samples show HPV infection will be triaged using cytology to determine if there are any abnormal cell changes.
The HTA did not recommend co-testing as both tests (liquid-based cytology and HPV) have been shown to be effective as a primary screening test.
I approved the switch to HPV testing as the primary screening mechanism for the CervicalCheck programme in February. The introduction of the test was intended for October of this year and I have asked the HSE to implement the move to HPV testing as the primary screening method as soon as possible.
While the extent to which the HPV testing can be done in Ireland is being assessed, it is likely that a tendering process will be needed to meet at least some of the HPV testing requirement.
772. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Health the way in which his Department has engaged with industry to explore ways in which new medicines can be more easily introduced here; his plans to update statutory provisions in place regarding the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25060/18]
View answerThe HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions, in accordance with the 2013 Act. The Act specifies the criteria for decisions on the reimbursement of medicines.
The 2013 Act does not give the Minister for Health any powers in this regard. The HSE does not require approval or consent from the Minister or Government when making a reimbursement decision.
HSE decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds, on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE).
The NCPE conducts health technology assessments (HTAs) for the HSE, and makes recommendations on reimbursement to assist HSE decisions. The NCPE uses a decision framework to systematically assess whether a drug is cost-effective as a health intervention.
The HSE works with the objective of within 180 days of receiving the application (or a longer period if further information is sought from the company), either:
adding the medicine to the reimbursement list or agreeing to reimburse it as a hospital medicine,
refusing to reimburse the medicine.
The HSE strives to reach a decision in as timely a manner as possible and within the 180 days. However, because of the significant monies involved, it must ensure that the best price is achieved, as these commitments are often multi-million euro investments on an on-going basis. This can lead to a protracted deliberation process, especially when the price sought by a manufacturer poses very significant affordability challenges.
My Department is undertaking initial scoping work as a precursor to engagement with stakeholders.
773. Deputy Michael Harty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive an appointment for knee surgery in Croom Hospital, Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25065/18]
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 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.
774. Deputy Frank O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health if the home care package funding available to CHO area 7 will be reviewed with a view to increasing it (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25070/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
775. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if funding is in place for one full-time multiple sclerosis specialist nurse position in University Hospital Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25093/18]
View answerAs this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.
776. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce legislation to comply with recommendation 2.2 of the ESRI’s Delivery of Pharmaceuticals in Ireland (details supplied). [25097/18]
View answerRecommendation 2.2 of the ESRI’s Delivery of Pharmaceuticals in Ireland is under consideration by officials in my Department.
777. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if the HSE uses debt collection agencies and or appointed persons to collect outstanding fees or bills of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25101/18]
View answerIssues around income collection and the use of debt collection agencies are operational matters for which the HSE are responsible. Therefore I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
