Written Answers Nos. 377-393
377. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health his views on whether an organisation (details supplied) has failed to provide therapies for children at its school in view of the fact that it made pension payments to its executives in breach of public pay policy in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30951/18]
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 service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
378. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to acquiring part of the property portfolio of an organisation (details supplied) in lieu of misspent funding in view of its failure to provide services it was funded to provide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30954/18]
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 service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
379. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment for orthodontic treatment. [30021/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
380. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive a hospital appointment; the reason for the delay in issuing a date for the procedure; if the person can undergo the procedure under the National Treatment Purchase Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30022/18]
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, since 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.
381. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the waiting times in respect of prostatectomy procedures across all the relevant hospitals in the Saolta University Healthcare group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30028/18]
View answerIn relation to the matters raised, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
382. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the consultant urologist vacancies across all hospitals in the Saolta University Healthcare group; the length of time for which these posts have been vacant; when these posts will be filled in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30029/18]
View answerAs this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.
383. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health if persons under 18 years of age will be able to access personalised budgets in the demonstration project in view of the recommendations by the Task Force on Personalised Budgets to the Minister of State for Disability Issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30030/18]
View answerI have considered the findings of the Task Force on Personalised Budgets and intend to publish its report in the near future. The Government is committed to improving services and choices for people with disabilities and I am satisfied that the preferred option is to test the use of personalised budgets for adults with disabilities, in the first instance, as recommended by the task force.
384. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Health the reason the decision to provide a new modular cardio cath lab service for Waterford University Hospital has been made before the national cath lab report has been finalised; if County Sligo and the north west region will be allocated a similar service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30035/18]
View answerThere are currently two cath labs based in Galway which service the acute cardiac cases for Sligo and the Northwest. For elective cases there is a mobile cath lab unit operating one day a week in both Sligo and Letterkenny.
The aim of the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services is to achieve optimal patient outcomes at population level with particular emphasis on the safety, quality and sustainability of the services that patients receive by establishing the need for an optimal configuration of a national adult cardiac service. As set out in the National Development Plan 2018-2027, investment in cardiac catheterisation laboratories and other cardiac services infrastructure nationally will be informed by the outcome of this Review, which is expected to be complete by June 2019.
The Deputy may wish to note that the provision of a modular cath lab at Waterford, in relation to which I have asked my Department to engage with the HSE, is an interim solution pending the outcome of the National Review.
385. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if assistance will be given to a person (details supplied) in order to facilitate the purchase of medically essential cooling equipment for their home. [30036/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
386. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) will be relocated to the palliative care unit of a hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30037/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
387. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the anonymised details of all disciplinary actions which have taken place or are planned in response to or relevant to patient safety incidents in maternity services at Portiuncula Hospital including those detailed in recent reports. [30039/18]
View answerAs this question relates to a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
388. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of patient safety incidents which have taken place; the number which have resulted disciplinary actions in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to the end of March 2018, by hospital group in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30040/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter, the question has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
389. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health the position regarding general practitioners charging medical card holders for blood tests; and if persons are not required to pay for the service, the way in which payments already made will be refunded. [30048/18]
View answerUnder the terms of the current GMS contract, GPs are required to provide eligible patients with ''all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess." There is no provision under the GMS GP contract for persons who hold a medical card or GP visit card to be charged for routine phlebotomy services provided by their GP which are required to either assist in the diagnosis of illness or the treatment of a condition.
The HSE has advised GPs that where a blood test forms part of the investigation or necessary treatment of a patient’s symptoms or conditions, this should be free of charge for patients who hold a medical card or GP visit card. Notwithstanding this, I am aware that some GPs have begun to charge GMS patients for phlebotomy services in some circumstances.
This is a matter of concern for me as it has long been the position, under successive Governments, that no user charges should apply to GP services provided to GMS and GP visit card patients. If a patient who holds a medical card or GP visit card believes he or she has been incorrectly charged for routine phlebotomy services by his or her GP, then that patient may take the matter up with their HSE Local Health Office, who will investigate the complaint.
If the local office determines that the charge was inappropriate, it will inform the HSE Primary Care Reimbursement Service who will arrange to refund the cost of the blood test to the patient and recoup this amount from the GP. The local office will inform the GP of the decision to deduct the payment.
390. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health the recommended staff to patient ratio for emergency departments; the ratio for same at University Hospital Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30050/18]
View answerThe Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix in General and Specialist Medical and Surgical Care Settings in Adult Hospitals in Ireland was published earlier this year. This Framework sets out the staffing requirements and skill mix needed in our hospital wards to achieve the best outcomes for patients. It sets out a framework to determine the appropriate number of nurses and healthcare assistants required for each ward, based on the number of patients and their particular needs, rather than solely on the ward size. My Department is currently in the process of undertaking a similar exercise to establish appropriate staffing levels in Emergency Departments and the Department will publish its findings in due course.
I am also aware that a WRC agreement was reached with the INMO in 2016 in relation to nursing staff levels in Emergency Departments. The parties recently reaffirmed their commitment to this agreement.
In terms of the recommended staff to patient ratio in the Emergency Department in University Hospital Kerry, I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy on that matter.
391. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health the provisions being made to address the overcrowding in the emergency department at University Hospital Kerry. [30051/18]
View answerThe Department is working with the HSE to identify the location and mix of beds across the hospital system, which can be opened and staffed this year and into 2019 in order to improve preparedness for Winter 2018/2019. A submission received from the HSE in this regard is currently under consideration by the Department as part of the broader work being completed to increase bed capacity in line with the recommendations of the Health Service Capacity Review.
In relation to University Hospital Kerry, I can confirm that as part of this process the HSE have received a proposal from the South South West Hospital Group in relation to providing additional inpatient beds in UH Kerry to alleviate overcrowding at this site. This proposal is being assessed as part of the broader national plan to increase bed capacity and any decision on funding will be made as part of this broader process.
392. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of surgeries carried out on intersex infants in 2017 in Crumlin Hospital to align the infant's genitals with chromosomal sex. [30053/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond direct to you.
393. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made on a medical card application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30057/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy.
