Thursday, 4 Apr 2019

Medicinal Products Availability

Questions (151)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

151. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health when Spinraza will be made available for children with spinal muscular atrophy. [15851/19]

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Written answers

The HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement, 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. The Minister for Health has no role or powers in relation to such matters.

Following detailed consideration of an application for the reimbursement of Spinraza and lengthy engagement with the company, the HSE recently decided that it was unable to reimburse Spinraza. The HSE concluded that the evidence for clinical effectiveness was still quite limited and that the price proposed by the manufacturer was not a cost-effective use of resources.

On the 21 February the HSE wrote to the company informing them of the HSE’s proposal to refuse reimbursement of Spinraza at the current price offering. Under the terms of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 the company had 28 days to come back to the HSE with a new proposal.

I am advised by the HSE that the manufacturer, Biogen has been in contact with the HSE and has notified them that it intends to submit full and final representations, which will be carefully considered by the HSE.

To facilitate Biogen’s request, the period for representations was temporarily extended to enable the company to submit their representations. This is in line with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.

Ambulance Service Data

Questions (152)

Stephen Donnelly

Question:

152. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of ambulance attendances at each emergency department nationwide in March 2019; the number of such ambulances that waited longer than of 20 minutes to hand over patients, get their trolleys back and return to responding to calls; the number that waited longer than 40, 60 and 90 minutes for same; and the number that waited more than 120 and 180 minutes for same. [15858/19]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.

Hospital Waiting Lists Data

Questions (153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159)

Stephen Donnelly

Question:

153. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting as of 31 March 2019 or the nearest available date for an MRI scan in the Dublin Midlands hospital group for waiting periods (details supplied), in tabular form. [15866/19]

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Stephen Donnelly

Question:

154. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting as of 31 March 2019 or the nearest available date for a CT scan in the Dublin Midlands hospital group for waiting periods (details supplied), in tabular form. [15867/19]

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Stephen Donnelly

Question:

155. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting as of 31 March 2019 or the nearest available date for a bone scan in the Dublin Midlands hospital group for waiting periods (details supplied), in tabular form. [15868/19]

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Stephen Donnelly

Question:

156. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting as of 31 March 2019 or the nearest available date for an angiogram in the Dublin Midlands hospital group for waiting periods (details supplied), in tabular form. [15869/19]

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Stephen Donnelly

Question:

157. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting as of 31 March 2019 or the nearest available date for an electroencephalogram in the Dublin Midlands hospital group for waiting periods (details supplied), in tabular form. [15870/19]

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Stephen Donnelly

Question:

158. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting as of 31 March 2019 or the nearest available date for cholagiopancreatography in the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group for waiting periods (details supplied), in tabular form. [15871/19]

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Stephen Donnelly

Question:

159. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting as of 31 March 2019 or the nearest available date for an ultrasound scan in the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group for waiting periods (details supplied), in tabular form. [15872/19]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 153 to 159, inclusive, together.

The HSE advise that a pilot project was commenced in 2016 by the HSE Acute Hospitals Division to progress the collection of national radiology waiting list data. The project has been supported by the Radiology Clinical Care Programme and has involved key stakeholders across the system including the National NIMIS Team, Hospital Groups, and the support of the National Treatment Purchase Fund for data collection and data management expertise.

The data requested by the Deputy is collected quarterly and will be provided by my Department to the Deputy, in the format requested, when the data for Quarter 1 2019 becomes available.

Hospital Waiting Lists Data

Questions (160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166)

Stephen Donnelly

Question:

160. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting as of 31 March 2019 or the nearest available date for an MRI scan in the South/South West hospital group for waiting periods (details supplied), in tabular form. [15873/19]

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Stephen Donnelly

Question:

161. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting as of 31 March 2019 or the nearest available date for a CT scan in the South/South West hospital group for waiting periods (details supplied), in tabular form. [15874/19]

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Stephen Donnelly

Question:

162. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting as of 31 March 2019 or the nearest available date for a bone scan in the South/South West hospital group for waiting periods (details supplied), in tabular form. [15875/19]

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Stephen Donnelly

Question:

163. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting as of 31 March 2019 or the nearest available date for an angiogram in the South/South West hospital group for waiting periods (details supplied), in tabular form. [15876/19]

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Stephen Donnelly

Question:

164. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting as of 31 March 2019 or the nearest available date for an electroencephalogram in the South/South West hospital group for waiting periods (details supplied), in tabular form. [15877/19]

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Stephen Donnelly

Question:

165. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting as of 31 March 2019 or the nearest available date for a cholangiopancreatography in the South/South West hospital group for waiting periods (details supplied), in tabular form. [15878/19]

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Stephen Donnelly

Question:

166. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting as of 31 March 2019 or the nearest available date for an ultrasound scan in the South/South West hospital group for waiting periods (details supplied), in tabular form. [15879/19]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 160 to 166, inclusive, together.

The data requested by the Deputy is collected quarterly and will be provided by my Department to the Deputy, in the format requested, when the data for Quarter 1 2019 becomes available.