Written Answers Nos. 449-463
449. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of consultant paediatrician neurologists with a special interest in migraine, in each of the children's hospitals; and the number of children on the waiting list to see consultants regarding migraine treatment. [23380/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked Children's Health Ireland to respond to you directly, as soon as possible.
450. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to preliminary findings from the review of cervical cancer slides by an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23384/19]
View answerFollowing the Government decision on 8 May 2018, an Independent Clinical Expert Panel Review is being carried out by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) with expertise also sourced through the British Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology.
My Department is committed to continuing to support and facilitate RCOG and the HSE in progressing this review as expeditiously as possible, and to do so in a way that ensures quality, comprehensiveness and integrity of the results.
The review is examining the screening history of women who have consented to be included. Where the expert panel opinion of cytology results differs to the original results provided by CervicalCheck, the panel will endeavour to determine, wherever possible, any failures to prevent cancer or to intervene at an earlier stage and will prepare individual reports for those affected, setting out the facts and their expert and independent assessment of those facts. The review will also produce an aggregated report. The protocol for the International Clinical Expert Review led by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has been published on the Department of Health website.
All available slides (1,739) have now transferred to the review laboratories, the review is ongoing and results of the review are not yet available.
453. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health if the HSE will be instructed to add ME to the list of disabilities, to reflect the HRB recognition of ME as a disability code, E014; if access will be allowed for assessment for home support and personal assistance services through disability services and not older persons services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23393/19]
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 A Programme for a Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
The Department of Health has committed to the enactment of legislation to underpin a stand-alone, statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-care by 2021. The statutory scheme will introduce clear rules in relation to what services individuals are eligible for and how decisions are made on allocating services. The new scheme will help to improve access to the home care services that people need. The system of regulation for home care will help to ensure that the public can be confident that the services provided are of a high standard.
Although much work has been done, a significant amount of work still remains to be undertaken before decisions are reached on the form of the home care scheme and the system of regulation. This is necessary to ensure that the reforms are successful, affordable and sustainable. The matter is however being progressed as quickly as possible.
HSE Disability Services provide personal and social supports based on the needs of the individual, rather than the provision of services based on a specific diagnosis or condition.
As the question relates to services provided by the HSE, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
455. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of physiotherapy for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23395/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
456. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of glasses for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23396/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
457. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Health if the amount awarded through the HSE optical voucher differs for children in County Meath compared with other counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23399/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
458. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health if a contingency plan is in place to avoid the almost certain closure of St. Joseph's Hospital community nursing unit, Ardee, County Louth (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23404/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
459. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health if St. Mary's Hospital community nursing unit, Drogheda, County Louth, is being considered for delivery as part of a bundle of facilities by public private partnership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23405/19]
View answer460. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health the input the private sector will have under the HSE contract under the public private partnership arrangements for community nursing units nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23406/19]
View answer492. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health if the private sector will finance capital input under the HSE public private partnership contract for the St. Joseph's Hospital community nursing unit in Ardee, County Louth and the St. Mary's community nursing unit in Drogheda; if so, the funding model that will be used to allow private investors to profit and recoup their investment in a public service; if the private sector will have an input into the staffing of these units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23524/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 459, 460 and 492 together.
The State's capital programme Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021, which was announced in late 2015, provided for a health PPP project in the amount of €150m. Following analysis, the most appropriate project for this PPP project is a bundle of Community Nursing Units. The HSE is currently undertaking significant planning and preparation work to progress this PPP project.
PPPs offer an alternative model for delivering infrastructure, that can be effective in particular circumstances, and are subject to the same robust and rigorous project appraisal process as traditionally procured projects, in accordance with the Public Spending Code.
The National Development Finance Agency, NDFA, also has a role in advising on the best way of financing large projects, which would include all PPPs.
The Community Nursing Unit PPP will be delivered as a design, build, finance, and operate model (DBFOM). The PPP company will be responsible for the design and build of the Community Nursing Units, including the funding the costs of construction which are estimated at €150m. Thereafter the PPP company will be responsible for providing facilities management and maintenance services for the contract period, typically 25 years, during which the HSE will pay the company an annual unitary charge payment. At the end of this contract period the units will be handed over to the HSE who will be responsible directly for the facility management services provided previously by the PPP company.
The HSE will be responsible for the provision of care services within these units. Therefore the PPP company will not have any input into the clinical operation or staffing of these units, as that is a matter for the HSE.
I understand that St Joseph's CNU, Ardee, Co. Louth is currently being considered for delivery as part of the PPP programme, while St. Mary's CNU, Drogheda, Co. Louth is expected to be delivered through the HSE's capital programme.
461. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) will be called for urgent eye surgery. [23407/19]
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.
462. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health if costs will be reimbursed to a person (details supplied). [23412/19]
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.
On 4 October 2018 the NCPE completed its assessment for Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) for the treatment of adult patients with early primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). It did not recommend that Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) 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 (Ocrevus) will be reimbursed, taking into consideration the statutory criteria contained in the 2013 Act.
I am advised by the HSE that there has been considerable engagement with the manufacturer over the past number of months and that commercial discussions are ongoing.
463. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the staffing levels at a facility (details supplied) in County Donegal; the job title, staffing grade, working hours per week and so on of each employee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23417/19]
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 A Programme for a 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 a service issue, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
