Written Answers Nos. 343-357
343. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Health the status of the implementation of the neuro-rehab strategy plan; the progress in providing cognitive occupational therapists, adult speech and language therapists and psychological services in primary care centres in Bray and other centres in Wicklow, Arklow and Blessington, County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38732/18]
View answerThe Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to publish a plan for advancing neuro-rehabilitation services in the community.
A National Steering Group, chaired by the HSE Head of Operations and Service Improvement Disability Services with representation from the Department of Health, Primary Care, Social Care, the National Clinical Programme for Rehabilitation Medicine, and the Neurological Alliance of Ireland, recently completed an implementation framework in respect of the recommendations from the National Policy and Strategy for the provision of Neuro-Rehabilitation Services in Ireland 2011-2015. This framework will guide the reconfiguration and development of neuro-rehabilitation structures and services at national and local level.
This framework was recently submitted by the HSE to the Department of Health and is currently being reviewed.
In relation to the progress in providing the various services identified by the Deputy, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond directly.
344. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if an appointment for a person (details supplied) will be scheduled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38734/18]
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.
345. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children awaiting an inpatient CAMHS bed in each CAMHS inpatient unit in total and by unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38745/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
346. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 494 of 18 September 2018, the way in which, if this response was factual, a decision could be made by the HSE to provide Waterford University Hospital with a second fixed cardio catheterisation laboratory service outside of the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services identified in the reply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38753/18]
View answerThe National Clinical Programme for Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) published its Model of Care in 2012. As part of the model of care, University Hospital Waterford was designated as one of Ireland's six primary PCI centres with formal arrangements with the national ambulance service. Given University Hospital Waterford's status as a primary PCI centre, I believe there is merit in the proposal for a modular cardio-catheterisation laboratory at University Hospital Waterford.
347. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) referred to an early intervention team may have to wait 26 months for an intake assessment for that team; his views on whether the fact that the person may have to wait a time equivalent to the time they have been alive is appropriate in the context of the principle of early intervention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38758/18]
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 an individual case, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
348. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of hospices and palliative care units that receive funding from the HSE as section 39 entities; the number of beds in each hospice and palliative care unit; the number of whole-time equivalent staff employed in each; and the funding provided by the HSE in 2016, 2017 and 2018, in tabular form [38789/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
349. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of amending the fees charged under the nursing homes support scheme, NHSS, to enable nursing home residents with an assessed weekly income of €300 or less to retain a minimum of €60 weekly. [38790/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
350. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year current and capital cost of providing a mobile catheterisation laboratory for Waterford University Hospital. [38791/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly, as soon as possible.
351. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year running costs of opening all medical assessment units on a seven day basis. [38792/18]
View answer368. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of providing an additional 100 critical care beds. [38809/18]
View answer369. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing an additional 150 inpatient rehabilitation beds. [38810/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 351, 368 and 369 together.
There is no one capital or revenue cost for providing additional beds. The cost is dependent on the nature of the additional bed, the clinical speciality and where the additional beds will be provided (an existing hospital, an extension to an existing hospital or the development of a new hospital).
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of health services, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to you.
352. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the estimated full year cost of recruiting an extra 500 hospital consultants; and the average estimate for support staff required per consultant. [38793/18]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to you directly on this matter.
353. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of recruiting an additional 4,000 nursing staff. [38794/18]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to you directly on this matter.
354. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of abolishing prescription charges. [38795/18]
View answerThe HSE have statutory responsibility for the administration of community drug schemes. As such, I have referred the matter for direct reply to the Deputy.
355. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of increasing the general practitioner rural practice allowance to €25,000. [38796/18]
View answerRegulations were signed on 5 May 2016 which provide for the introduction of the new Rural Practice Support Framework (RPSF), which includes improved qualifying criteria for rural support and an increase in the financial allowance from €16,216.07 to €20,000 per annum.
Under this Framework, if two practice units are providing general practitioner services in the same qualifying area, both practices may qualify for a modified allowance of €10,000. GPs holding a permanent GMS contract who received the Rural Practice Allowance of €16,216.07 immediately prior to the introduction of the new Regulations who do not meet the new qualifying criteria continue to receive the payment on a personal basis, provided they retain their contractual commitment to the remote rural area.
As at 1 July 2018, there are 257 practice units in receipt of rural supports under the RPSF. 179 practices receive the full financial allowance of €20,000 and 22 practices receive the modified allowance of €10,000.
The estimated full year cost of increasing the existing allowance to €25,000, and the corresponding modified allowance to half of this amount, based on the current number of GPs qualifying for allowances under the RPSF, is approximately €950,000. Any increase in the financial allowance under the new RPSF would only apply to those practices that qualify under the new criteria, therefore these costings have excluded the 56 GPs who currently receive the old financial allowance of €16,216.07.
356. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of implementing the national maternity strategy. [38797/18]
View answer370. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the status of the national maternity strategy; and the estimated additional extra funding that will be required for its implementation. [38811/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 356 and 370 together.
Implementation of Ireland's first National Maternity Strategy - Creating a Better Future Together 2016-2026 - is being led by the National Women and Infants Health Programme. To this end, the Programme has developed a detailed Implementation Plan which I was pleased to launch in October 2017. The Plan is presented under the Strategy's four strategic priorities and details how each of the 77 actions will be implemented.
The Programme has estimated that full implementation will cost in the region of an additional €80 million revenue funding over the lifetime of the Strategy. Work to identify the precise capital funding requirement is ongoing. The Strategy will be implemented on a phased basis over the coming years and therefore the funding requirement will vary from year to year. In that context, the Implementation Plan will inform the annual Estimates process each year.
I can confirm that additional funding of €4.15 million is being provided to the Programme this year to progress implementation of the Strategy. The Programme's priorities for 2018 include: improving quality and safety, establishing community midwifery teams and increasing access to anomaly scans. An online resource for maternity care will also be developed.
357. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of providing an additional 2.2 million home help hours. [38798/18]
View answer358. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of providing an additional 5,000 homecare packages. [38799/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 357 and 358 together.
As these are service matters I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
