Written Answers Nos. 771-790
771. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in processing a medical card for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1516/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
772. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment at the earliest opportunity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1517/19]
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.
773. Deputy Seán Barrett asked the Minister for Health when free general practitioner care will be extended to under 12s which was to be introduced in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1520/19]
View answerThe Programme for Government commits to extend in phases, and subject to negotiation with GPs, free GP care to all children under 18 years of age.
Legislative changes would be required for any such extension of free GP care to further cohorts of the population. It would also be subject to agreement by Government on the allocation of funding and the outcome of discussions with GP representatives on contractual matters.
774. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive a new appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1527/19]
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.
775. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on a waiting list for counselling services by mental health service, age, category and length of time waiting. [1532/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
776. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 is eligible for treatment and to be provided with glasses under the community ophthalmic services scheme as outlined in the HSE response to Parliamentary Question No. 919 of 17 April 2018; his plans to ensure the person is provided the services to which they are entitled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1534/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
778. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an operation for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1561/19]
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.
779. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter regarding the use of Ocrelizumab in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1565/19]
View answerThe HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The Act specifies the criteria for decisions on the reimbursement of medicines.
In line with the 2013 Act, if a company would like a medicine to be reimbursed by the HSE pursuant to the community drugs schemes, the company must first submit an application to the HSE to have the new medicine added to the reimbursement list.
As outlined in the Framework Agreement on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines, and in line with the 2013 Act, the HSE will decide, within 180 days of receiving the application (or a longer period if further information is sought from the company), to either add the medicine to the reimbursement list or agree to reimburse it as a hospital medicine, or refuse to reimburse the medicine.
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 strives to reach a decision in as timely a manner as possible. 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.
The NCPE competed a health technology assessment on 29 August 2018 for Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS). They recommended that Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) not be considered for reimbursement unless cost-effectiveness can be improved relative to existing treatments.
On 4 October 2018 the NCPE completed their assessment for Ocrelizumab indicated for the treatment of adult patients with early primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). They did not recommend that Ocrelizumab be reimbursed for this indication.
The HSE is the statutory decision-making body for medicine reimbursement. It will make the final decision on whether Ocrelizumab will be reimbursed, taking into consideration the statutory criteria in the 2013 Act.
780. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health the expected opening date for the new primary care centre in Tubbercurry, County Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1566/19]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
781. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the number of attendances at a hospital (details supplied) between 2010 and to date in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1575/19]
View answerI acknowledge the distress overcrowded EDs cause to patients, their families, and frontline staff working in very challenging working conditions in hospitals throughout the country. Hospitals are increasingly operating at or above capacity, with year-round demand pressures that are further challenged over the winter months.
We are coming into a very busy period for our health services, with many sites reporting significant numbers of patent attendances. Hospitals are also reporting a significant increase in the numbers of patients presenting with respiratory and flu like illness.
Key actions are now underway, as part of the Winter Plan, to support hospitals during this period of peak demand to include: the opening of additional beds, the use of private hospital capacity, frailty intervention teams in EDs, additional homecare packages and transitional care beds, and additional diagnostics in hospitals and for GPs.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
782. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health when the review of the sexual assault treatment units will be completed; and if it will be published. [1576/19]
View answerThe Department of Health is currently undertaking a policy review of sexual assault treatment units (SATUs) and this work is at an advanced stage.The policy review team, which has included government officials and frontline staff, has been working since September 2018. In that time, the team has engaged with more than 200 SATU staff, patients and stakeholders in order to identify and develop practical actions which can ensure a consistently high quality, responsive, compassionate and expert service which is available 24/7, 365 days a year to all patients nationwide. It is expected that the project team will complete its review and report to me in the coming weeks. It is my intention to publish the actions recommended by the policy review team shortly thereafter.
783. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the details of currently held full-time and part-time positions and the number of on-call positions in each of the six sexual assault treatment units in tabular form. [1577/19]
View answerAs the Deputy's query is a service-level matter, it has been referred to the HSE who will respond to the them directly. I have directed my Department to undertake a policy review of national SATU services to assess the efficacy of health policy in this area, including the current staffing model.
The review is ongoing and is expected to conclude in the coming weeks.
784. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who presented to each of the six sexual assault treatment units in 2016, 2017 and 2018, in tabular form. [1578/19]
View answerAs this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.
785. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the number of days per week and the opening hours for each of the six sexual assault treatment units in tabular form. [1579/19]
View answerAs this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.
786. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the delay in negotiating a new general practitioner contract in view of the promise to do so by successive Ministers; the occasions on which his Department and the HSE have met with representative bodies of general practitioners regarding the contract negotiations; the outstanding issues to be resolved; and the timescale he is operating to in order to complete the process. [1596/19]
View answerDiscussions with GP representatives were progressed on a wide range of items throughout 2017 without reaching a conclusion.
A new phase of discussions commenced in May 2018 based on the mandate set by Government in March. Officials from the Department and the HSE met with the Irish Medical Organisation at the beginning of May to set out the State's position in relation to the GMS contract and to progress this important issue. The State side set out the mandate agreed by Government under which the consultations were being conducted and the package of measures to be agreed.
The Department subsequently wrote to the IMO, at the Organisation’s request, setting out these proposals formally. The IMO responded to the Department by letter on 20 July.
Talks between the State and the IMO resumed in October 2018 and there was intensive engagement, particularly in the weeks leading up to Christmas. While some progress was made, there are a number of outstanding issues that need to be progressed before any agreement can be secured.
The State’s negotiating team is keen to bring a renewed focus to the engagement with the IMO in coming weeks in an effort to bring matters to a conclusion.
I look forward to positive and productive engagement with all parties concerned. Agreement on the delivery of service improvements and contractual reform would facilitate a very substantial increase in the resourcing of general practice on a multi annual basis.
In line with the long-established approach to such processes, and by agreement of the parties concerned, I am not in position to give further details while engagement between the parties is under way.
787. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status of the discussions regarding the governance and ownership of the new national maternity hospital; if he has received the text of the agreement that was agreed in principle in December 2018 according to media reports (details supplied); if he will publish the details of this agreement without further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1597/19]
View answerConsiderable work has been undertaken to develop a legal framework to protect the State’s significant investment in the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) relocation project, which involves the development of a new maternity hospital on the campus of St Vincent’s University Hospital at Elm Park. My Department has been engaging with both NMH and St Vincent’s Healthcare Group in relation to this legal framework.
There has been some notable progress on the project over recent weeks. St Vincent’s Healthcare Group has agreed in principle to provide the State with a 99-year lease of the land upon which the new maternity hospital will be built, and this will allow the State to retain ownership of the new facility. St Vincent’s Healthcare Group has also confirmed the process by which the Religious Sisters of Charity will withdraw from the Group and transfer their shareholding to a new company St Vincent’s Holdings CLG . The Sisters have, of course, already resigned from the Group’s Board.
Given the level of State investment, I have sought, and received, the agreement of both the National Maternity Hospital and St Vincent’s Healthcare Group that the Board of the new NMH DAC will be competency-based and will include a Public Interest representative.
The overall framework being put in place will, unequivocally, copper-fasten the principle that patient care in the new hospital will be delivered without religious, ethnic or other distinction, and that any relevant medical procedure, which is in accordance with the laws of the land, will be carried out at the new hospital. Work to finalise the suite of legal documents is ongoing with the NMH and SVHG and is expected to be completed early this year.
788. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status of the progress of the detailed 2019 action plan to implement Sláintecare; the reason for the delay in its publication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1598/19]
View answerIn September, the Executive Director of the Sláintecare Programme Office commenced refining the Implementation Strategy into a detailed Action Plan for 2019. I can confirm that the Action Plan 2019 has been developed and, following the finalisation of the HSE's National Service Plan, Project Teams are now being established to drive delivery.
The Action Plan will be presented to Sláintecare's High Level Delivery Board in January and will be published thereafter.
The Sláintecare Programme Office is committed to transparency at all stages of the implementation of Sláintecare. The Programme Office will publish rolling plans annually and progress reports will be published on a biannual basis.
789. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of delayed discharges by hospital; if he will provide a progress report on the 550 home care packages that were announced as part of the winter plan of the HSE to deal with delayed discharges; the hospitals that have discharged patients under this scheme; the number of patients discharged from each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1599/19]
View answerAs these are service matters I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
790. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status of his plans to introduce exclusion zones for protests around health institutions such as general practitioner offices and hospitals in view of recent events; the timescale he is working to in order to deliver these exclusion zones; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1600/19]
View answerIt is my intention to introduce legislation to ensure safe access to premises in which termination of pregnancy services may be provided. The intention of the legislation would be to allow patients, service providers, healthcare staff and members of the public to enter such premises without fear of intimidation or harassment.
While it was originally intended to provide for such safe access in the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018, a number of legal issues were identified during the drafting process. In order to allow full consideration of these issues, Government approved the drafting of a separate piece of legislation on safe access to health services.
Officials in my Department will work with the Office of the Attorney General on this legislation.
