Written Answers Nos. 382-407
383. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive an appointment to see a consultant rheumatologist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26290/19]
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.
384. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will make the FreeStyle Libre device available to all persons with type 1 diabetes as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26294/19]
View answerUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
385. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health the estimated first and full-year cost of implementing support staff job evaluation in the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26298/19]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
386. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce expanded newborn screening; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26303/19]
View answerCurrently all newborn babies (between 3 and 5 days old) are offered newborn bloodspot screening (known as the ‘heel prick’) through their parents/guardians for eight very rare conditions that are treatable if detected early in life. These include:
- cystic fibrosis
- congenital hypothyroidism
- phenylketonuria
- classical galactosaemia
- MCADD (medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency)
- Homocystinuria
- maple syrup urine disease
- glutaric aciduria type 1
The most recent expansion of the programme occurred on 3 December 2018 when screening for Medium Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (MCADD) and Glutaric Aciduria Type 1 (GA1) commenced.
As per recommendation 5, contained within the Scally Review (2018), a National Screening Committee will be established and become operational before the end of 2019. This is to strengthen the governance, transparency and oversight of any proposed new programmes or changes to existing programmes. Similar to the UK National Screening Committee, the Committee’s role will be to undertake an independent assessment of the evidence for screening for a particular condition against internationally accepted criteria and make recommendations accordingly.
- Interviews for the role of Chairperson took place on 10 June 2019 and I expect to receive a recommendation for appointment this week
- The remaining positions on the NSC will be filled by Expressions of Interest throughout June - August 2019.
Any future potential changes to the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme will be incorporated as part of the Committee's immediate work programme. Ireland, very much like the UK has always evaluated the case for commencing a national screening programme against the international accepted criteria – collectively known as the Wilson Junger criteria. The evidence bar for commencing a screening programme should and must remain high. This ensures that we can be confident that the programme is effective, quality assured and operating as safe as possible.
387. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive a knee operation in Merlin Park hospital, Galway; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26305/19]
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.
388. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health his views on the reported cramped working conditions at the infusion unit of a hospital (details supplied); the measures he will take to improve the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26320/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
389. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will have speech and language services restored and be assessed for a communications device; and the reason they were removed from the waiting list for these services. [26321/19]
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 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.
390. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if he will make the flash glucose monitoring technology available for all persons with type 1 diabetes; and if he has reviewed the survey results from an organisation (details supplied) on current users of the FreeStyle Libre device and the positive impact it has had on their daily lives. [26326/19]
View answerUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
391. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health his plans to ensure that survey findings by an organisation (details supplied) and the views of persons self-funding its use are considered as part of the HSE review when making his final decision on the issue of the FreeStyle Libre device being made available to all persons with type 1 diabetes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26328/19]
View answerUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
392. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Health when the multi-annual capital plan for the HSE will be finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26329/19]
View answerMy Department is continuing to work with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Health Service Executive in a process to finalise as soon as possible a multi-annual Capital Plan for the HSE, which will include capital projects to be funded in 2019 and beyond, having regard to the available capital funding, the number of large national capital projects currently underway and the cashflow requirements attaching to each project.
Projects that are currently in construction and are contractually committed will not be affected.
Once the HSE has finalised its Capital Plan for 2019, it will then be submitted to me for consideration.
394. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of general practitioners registered and operational in County Louth; and the number of such practices operational in County Louth. [26338/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
395. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of general practitioners due to retire in County Louth within the next three years. [26339/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
396. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of general practitioners who retired from practice in County Louth in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019; and the number of these vacancies filled for each year, respectively. [26340/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
397. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of new general practitioner practices opened in County Louth in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019. [26341/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
398. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of newly qualified general practitioners who took up work in County Louth in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019. [26342/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
399. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the average number of patients per general practitioner in County Louth; if there is a cap on the number of patients each general practitioner can treat; and the number of general practitioner services that exceed this average. [26343/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
400. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of medical card patients, general practitioner-only card patients and private patients registered with a general practitioner service in County Louth. [26344/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
401. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of medical card patients, general practitioner-only card patients and private patients waiting to secure a place with a registered general practitioner service in County Louth. [26345/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
402. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the estimated number of general practitioners who will be required in County Louth over the next five years to keep pace with the expected rise in demand based on the best information available; and his plans in place to address same. [26346/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
403. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that general practitioner surgeries in County Louth are at capacity and unable to accept new patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26347/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
404. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who have presented to date in 2019 to out of hours services (details supplied) in County Louth who are not registered with a general practitioner in the county. [26348/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
405. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of specialties affected by the failure to fill the 500 consultant posts. [26351/19]
View answer406. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the hospitals affected by a shortage of consultants; and the specialties involved. [26352/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 405 and 406 together.
I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on these matters.
407. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of theatres closed or that are working at less than full capacity due to the recruitment freeze and consultant shortages. [26353/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
