Written Answers Nos. 209-228
209. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of emergency medicine consultants in each public and voluntary hospital with an emergency department; the number of 24-hour emergency departments; and the number that have an emergency medicine consultant available daily on a 24-hour basis public and voluntary hospital with an emergency department in tabular form. [52278/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
210. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if the appropriate stress tests and heart monitoring will be expedited for a person (details supplied). [52280/19]
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.
211. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health his views on the possible introduction of inhaler recycling bins in pharmacies here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52285/19]
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.
212. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the number of children with an intellectual disability on the school age psychology caseload in the Galway region; the number of psychologists available to provide this service; the number of children on the waiting list for a service in the Galway region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52294/19]
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.
213. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the progress of legislation to create safe zones in the vicinity of places that provide for termination of pregnancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52299/19]
View answerIt is my absolute intention that people can access termination of pregnancy services safely. I wish to assure women and healthcare staff that there is existing legislation in place to protect them and to protect patients.
My Department and An Garda Síochána have been closely monitoring the situation since termination of pregnancy services commenced in January this year.
As the Deputy is aware, my Department is conducting a targeted consultation on safe access to termination of pregnancy services. The consultation is ongoing as it is important that the experiences of service providers in both community and acute hospital settings are included.
214. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health if home care assistance will be provided for a person (details supplied). [52301/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
215. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in arranging an assessment with the autism team for a child (details supplied); and if the assessment will be expedited as requested by the child's general practitioner and public health nurse in view of the fact the child is waiting for a place with a service but must first complete the assessment. [52315/19]
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.
216. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if errors made by the HSE relative to payments made to a person (details supplied) will be corrected; the reason the erroneous payment records were reactivated on 6 June 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52316/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
217. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if funding will be provided for the additional supports and activities recommended by the professionals taking care of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52317/19]
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.
218. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if a date will be set for an operation at St. James's Hospital for a person (details supplied); and if the matter will be expedited. [52318/19]
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.
219. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the new schemes developed for socially and economically disadvantaged communities to provide targeted, appropriate and effective services for young persons at risk of substance misuse. [52324/19]
View answer220. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the working group established to examine the evidence in respect of early harm reduction responses, such as drug testing, amnesty bins and media campaigns, to current and emerging trends including the use of new psychoactive substances and image and performance enhancing drugs and other high-risk behaviours. [52325/19]
View answer221. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the action taken to date in 2019 to strengthen the implementation of the national drugs rehabilitation framework specifically with regard to developing a competency framework on key working, care planning and case management; and if the training programme on the key processes of the framework has been extended. [52326/19]
View answer222. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the action taken to date 2019 to expand the availability and geographical spread of relevant quality drug and alcohol services and improve the range of services available based on identified need; and the way in which gaps in identifying and addressing gaps in provision within tier 1, 2, 3 and 4 services have been identified and addressed. [52327/19]
View answer224. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which the availability of opioid substitution treatments has been improved to date in 2019; and if access to same has been increased through an expansion of general practitioner prescribing, nurse-led prescribing and the provision of such treatment in community-based settings and homeless services. [52329/19]
View answer225. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which the quality and safety of care in the delivery of opioid substitution treatment has been enhanced to date in 2019; and the way in which the HSE national clinical guidelines on such treatment are being implemented and reviewed in line with national clinical effectiveness committee processes. [52330/19]
View answer226. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which relapse prevention and aftercare drug treatment services have been improved to date in 2019. [52331/19]
View answer227. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which the range of progression options for recovering drug users has been increased to date in 2019; and if a new programme of supported care and employment has been developed. [52332/19]
View answer229. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which maternity hospitals and units have strengthened their methods of detecting alcohol abuse and supporting women to reduce their intake. [52334/19]
View answer230. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which links between maternity services and addiction services have been strengthened to date in 2019. [52335/19]
View answer231. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health if the need for additional residential placements for pregnant and postnatal women who need inpatient treatment for addiction to drugs and or alcohol nationwide has been quantified; and if so, the action being taken as a result. [52336/19]
View answer232. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which he has resourced the national women and infants health programme to provide drug liaison midwives and specialist medical social workers in maternity networks. [52337/19]
View answer233. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which he is increasing the range of wrap-around community and DATFs residential services equipped to meet the needs of women who are using drugs and or alcohol in a harmful manner including those with children and those that are pregnant. [52338/19]
View answer234. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which he is developing interventions to address gender and cultural specific risk factors for not taking up treatment for drug addiction. [52339/19]
View answer235. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the assessment being made of the need for the development of specialist services to meet the needs of older persons with long-term substance use issues. [52340/19]
View answer237. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the number of additional detoxification, stabilisation and rehabilitation beds provided to date in 2019. [52342/19]
View answer238. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which needle exchange programmes have been expanded to date in 2019. [52343/19]
View answer240. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the development of an overdose prevention strategy. [52345/19]
View answer241. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the actions he has taken to date in 2019 to build capacity within drug and alcohol services to develop a patient safety approach in line with the HIQA National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare 2012. [52346/19]
View answer242. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health if each hospital emergency department includes the monitoring of attendances as a result of alcohol and drugs use in its electronic patient system. [52347/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 219 to 222, inclusive, 224 to 227, inclusive, 229 to 235, inclusive, 237, 238 and 240 to 242, inclusive, together.
Government policy in relation to drug and alcohol addiction services is set out in the national drugs strategy, 'Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery-a health led response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland 2017-2025'. It identifies 50 strategic actions to be delivered between mid 2017 (when the strategy was launched) and end 2020.
The strategy is a dynamic process, that is monitored through the key national, regional and local structures charged with implementing the strategy. Each year the bodies responsible for delivering the strategic actions are required to report on progress.
The progress report for 2019 will be presented to the national oversight committee for the drugs strategy in February 2020. Subsequently, the report will be published on the department's website.
As the Deputy's questions relate to the progress on a number of the actions in the strategy, I will forward to him the 2019 progress report in due course.
223. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the number of drug treatment episodes provided to date in 2019 across services (details supplied); and the equivalent figures for 2017 and 2018, in tabular form, [52328/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
228. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health if the need to provide drug liaison midwives and specialist medical social workers in maternity networks has been assessed to date in 2019; and if so, the outcome of the assessment. [52333/19]
View answerExpanding addiction services for pregnant and post-natal women is an action in the national drugs strategy Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery. Key to this is expanding the role of drug and alcohol liaison midwives across all maternity networks.
Pregnant women who use drugs (mainly opioids or methadone) have complex medical and social needs and are at increased risk of having babies with low birth weight (and the likelihood that the babies will require neonatal intensive care). More recently, there are growing concerns about alcohol use during pregnancy, including foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
There are three drug liaison midwives in community addiction services in CHO 6, 7 and 9 who work with the maternity hospitals in the Dublin region (Rotunda, Coombe Women and Infant University Hospital and The National Maternity Hospital). The midwives work in special clinics in the hospitals and link in with community addiction services. They support pregnant opioid-dependent women throughout their pregnancy and for six weeks post-natal. An assessment of the drug midwife service found that it built effective working relationships between drug-dependent pregnant women, obstetric services and drug treatment services.
In line with action 20 in the national drugs strategy, the Department is supporting the HSE to expand the provision of drug and alcohol liaison midwives in community addiction services and maternity networks across the country. Two drug and alcohol liaison midwife posts are currently being recruited in CHO 3 & 4 in conjunction with South South East and University of Limerick maternity networks. Funding was approved for 2 additional posts in CHO 1 & 8, as part of the Saolta (North West) and Midlands maternity networks in Budget 2020.
I am committed to ensuring there is national coverage of drug and alcohol liaison midwives across all the maternity networks. To achieve this, I am seeking additional funding for two posts in CHO 2 & 5, to work with the Saolta and South South East maternity networks (with particular focus on Galway and Waterford).
The HSE National Women & Infants Health Programme is responsible for driving the implementation of the National Maternity Strategy Creating a Better Future Together 2016 - 2026. The Programme has committed to reviewing the requirement for specialist medical social workers for each maternity network.
