John Brady
Question:1330. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of theatres and operational theatres respectively, at Portiuncula hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway, in 2017 , 2018 and to date in 2019. [32562/19]
View answerHospital Facilities
Questions (1330)
Written answers
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly.
Hospital Facilities
Questions (1331)
John Brady
Question:1331. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the position regarding each theatre at Portiuncula hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway. [32563/19]
View answerWritten answers
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly.
Hospitals Discharges
Questions (1332)
John Brady
Question:1332. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of persons placed in nursing homes who were patients at Portiuncula hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway, in 2018 and to date in 2019. [32564/19]
View answerWritten answers
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly.
Question No. 1333 answered with Question No. 1316.
Hospital Waiting Lists Data
Questions (1334)
John Brady
Question:1334. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on outpatient waiting lists by procedure and associated waiting times at Portiuncula hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway. [32566/19]
View answerWritten answers
Reducing waiting time for patients for hospital operations and procedures is a key priority for Government. In this regard, the Government is committed to improving waiting times for hospital appointments and procedures.
Budget 2019 announced that the Government has further increased investment in tackling waiting lists, with funding to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) increasing from €55 million in 2018 to €75 million in 2019. The joint Department of Health/HSE/NTPF Scheduled Care Access Plan 2019 was published in March and sets out measures to improve care for patients waiting for scheduled care in 2019 by reducing waiting times for inpatient/day case treatment and outpatient appointments.
A key element of the Plan is the stabilisation of the Outpatient Waiting List. Under the Plan the HSE, in line with the National Service Plan, will aim to deliver 3.3 million outpatient appointments, of which approximately 1 million will be first appointments. For its part the NTPF will aim to deliver 40,000 first Outpatient appointments.
The NTPF advise that over recent months they have placed a particular focus on engaging with hospital groups and individual hospitals to identify outpatient waiting list proposals. While the NTPF have already approved over 38,000 outpatient appointments, they advise that the impact of these initiatives may not be seen until the end of the year. Approximately 75% of outpatient appointments approved to date relate to 4 high-volume specialities, specifically Ophthalmology, ENT, Orthopaedics, and Dermatology.
In addition, my Department is working with the HSE and NTPF, under the Access Plan, with the objective of developing medium-long term improvement initiatives for patient access to hospital procedures. This will include moving care to more appropriate settings and providing care at the lowest level of complexity such as providing ophthalmology in the community; maximising the use of Advanced Nurse Practitioner led clinics; and physiotherapists to manage orthopaedic clinics.
The data requested by the Deputy is available at the following link:
Hospital Car Parks
Questions (1335)
John Brady
Question:1335. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the amount collected through parking charges at Portiuncula hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway, in 2018 and to date in 2019. [32567/19]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly, as soon as possible.
Questions Nos. 1336 and 1337 answered with Question No. 1316.
Question No. 1338 answered with Question No. 1311.
Dental Services Data
Questions (1339)
John Brady
Question:1339. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the dental services available at Portiuncula hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway; the number of staff employed in dental services; the waiting lists and average waiting times in the service; if the full necessary number of staff are in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32571/19]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
Hospitals Data
Questions (1340)
John Brady
Question:1340. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of babies born in Portiuncula hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway, in each of the years 2010 to 2018 and to date in 2019. [32572/19]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.
Hospitals Building Programme
Questions (1341)
John Brady
Question:1341. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health his plans for a new 50-bed unit in Portiuncula hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway; the timeline for completion; the number of new staff which will be hired when the new beds are open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32573/19]
View answerWritten answers
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of healthcare infrastructure projects and services, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
Maternity Services
Questions (1342)
John Brady
Question:1342. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health his plans to upgrade and-or improve maternity services at Portiuncula hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32574/19]
View answerWritten answers
Ireland's first National Maternity Strategy - Creating a Better Future Together - was published in January 2016. The aim of the Strategy is to ensure that maternity services will be safe, standardised, of high quality and offer an enhanced experience and more choice to women and their families. The National Women & Infants Health Programme was established in the HSE to lead on the implementation of the Strategy, and to drive improvements across the 19 maternity units, including in Portiuncula University Hospital.
As this query relates to a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE who will reply to the Deputy directly.
Hospital Services
Questions (1343)
John Brady
Question:1343. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the cardiology service available at Portiuncula hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32575/19]
View answerWritten answers
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly.
HSE Waiting Lists
Questions (1344)
Maurice Quinlivan
Question:1344. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in the second cataract surgery for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32576/19]
View answerWritten answers
Under 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.
Cancer Services Provision
Questions (1345)
Lisa Chambers
Question:1345. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the national healthcare quality system report for 2019 indicates that HSE west is at a disadvantage with respect to the five-year age-standardised net survival rates for female breast cancer and lung cancer; the reason this is the case; the measures being taken to address it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32591/19]
View answerWritten answers
The Deputy's question relates to service delivery matters and accordingly I have asked the HSE to respond directly to her.
The report referred to by the Deputy is published on an annual basis and helps my Department to continue to monitor the quality of the health services provided to citizens and use them to drive improvements as well as recognise where we are performing well. The report shows cancer survival rates on the whole are on par with our international colleagues. The National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 aims to employ a number of measures designed to bring Ireland into the top quartile of European countries for cancer survivorship over the next 7 years.
HSE Waiting Lists
Questions (1346)
Seán Fleming
Question:1346. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Laois referred to HSE eye clinics who must wait 18 months before they have an eye examination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32608/19]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
Health Services Provision
Questions (1347)
Seán Fleming
Question:1347. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has implemented the agreed pathway permitting optometrists in the community to provide eye examinations to children in County Laois who are more than eight years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32609/19]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
HSE Waiting Lists
Questions (1348)
Seán Fleming
Question:1348. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in County Laois who must wait 22 months for surgery after being referred for same due to reduced vision caused by cataracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32610/19]
View answerWritten answers
The information requested by the Deputy is currently being collated by officials in my Department and will be provided to the Deputy directly as soon as it becomes available.
Cross-Border Health Services Provision
Questions (1349)
Seán Fleming
Question:1349. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the number of persons from County Laois who travelled outside the State under the EU cross-border initiative to avail of cataract surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32614/19]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy.
Tattooing and Body Piercing Regulation
Questions (1350)
Mary Butler
Question:1350. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health the status of his plans to regulate the piercing and tattoo sector; the status of guidelines on the sector; the age of consent to such procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32626/19]
View answerWritten answers
There is no licensing or regulation of the tattooing or body piercing industries in Ireland and there are currently no plans to introduce regulation or legislation in the area of tattooing and body piercing.
However, where a tattoo or body piercing business has been implicated as a possible source in a case of a confirmed scheduled notifiable disease, such cases can be investigated by the HSE Environmental Health Service in conjunction with the HSE Public Health Service under the provisions of S.I. No. 390/1981 - Infectious Diseases Regulations 1981 and Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2016 (S.I. No. 276 of 2016).
In the absence of a statutory framework being in place, this Department and the Health Service Executive took the initiative to develop guidelines in relation to tattooing and body piercing industry - these guidelines are currently in the process of being finalised. It is anticipated that the publication of this Guidance will promote and enhance evidence based best practice in hygiene standards and infection control. Discussions will be held shortly with the Health Service Executive in relation to publication, dissemination and support following publication of the guidance document. Given the absence of a clear statutory framework and the need to obtain expert views in relation to the area, some delays arose in relation to finalising the final text of the guidelines - however, it is expected that they will be published shortly. Once published, this guidance document will set out a standard of practice in relation to infection prevention and control which all operators should adhere to. This will help to drive up standards and provide a safe environment for clients and practitioners.
Drug Treatment Programmes Data
Questions (1351)
John Curran
Question:1351. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the centres and agencies referred to in the Ireland country drug report 2019 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32637/19]
View answerWritten answers
A list of Health Centres and agencies referred to in the Ireland Country Drug Report 2019 are available at the following link:
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (1352)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:1352. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive a date for an operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32645/19]
View answerWritten answers
Under 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.
Question No. 1353 answered with Question No. 1113.
Disability Services Funding
Questions (1354)
Brendan Griffin
Question:1354. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if a decision has been made on an application for funding by an organisation to provide full-time residential care for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32648/19]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.