Written Answers Nos. 456-480
456. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has been waiting four years for an appointment with a consultant at University Hospital Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3943/20]
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.
457. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the steps taken by the HSE to provide a comprehensive care plan for a person (details supplied) involving the relevant disability and educational organisations providing for them; if such a plan will be fully funded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3952/20]
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.
458. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if a fair deal application by a person (details supplied) will be expedited; the status of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3953/20]
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 Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter regarding CAMHS (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3954/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
460. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the waiting times in CHO9 for suprapubic catheter surgery. [3958/20]
View answerThe data requested by the Deputy is outlined in the table below. The NTPF advise that this data relates to the following procedure:
- Insertion catheter bladder, indwelling suprapubic (percutaneous) via laparoscopy (closed) or laparotomy (open)
Please note that due to the low numbers of people waiting for this procedure, all groups fall into Small Volume Groups and the NTPF have limited the time band to <6 Months and 6+ Months.
Catheter Waiting list - Insertion catheter bladder, indwelling suprapubic (percutaneous) via laparoscopy (closed) or laparotomy (open)
|
- |
0-6 Months |
6+ Months |
Total |
|
Small Volume Groups |
9 |
12 |
21 |
461. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of advanced nurse practitioner posts filled at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9 in each of the years 2016 to 2019; and his plans for 2020 in this regard [3959/20]
View answerThe number of Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) advanced nurse practitioner posts filled at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin in each of the years 2016 to 2019 was as follows:
|
Year |
No. of Posts |
|
2016 |
7.5 |
|
2017 |
16.59 |
|
2018 |
14.99 |
|
2019 |
18.93 |
Plans for 2020 are unclear at this point in view of current circumstances.
462. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of recruiting two extra drug liaison midwives in community addiction services in CHO9. [3960/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
463. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health when St. Brendan’s community nursing unit, Loughrea, County Galway will be open to new respite admissions; if the legionella issue at the unit has been resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3963/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
464. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if an appointment will be issued to a person (details supplied). [3989/20]
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.
465. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if an urgent appointment with the audiology service will be provided to a person (details supplied). [3990/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
466. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if the case of a person (details supplied) who has received treatment under the cross-border directive scheme will be investigated; the reason for the discrepancy in payments issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3992/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
467. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the amount expended on access to online and hardcopy media publications in each of the years 2017 to 2019 and to date in 2020; the breakdown of online and hard copy subscriptions including the publications that his Department subscribes to; if consideration has been given to using a banded set of IP addresses for online subscriptions rather than individual accounts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4009/20]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the attached document.
|
- |
2020 (to 06.03.2020) |
2019 |
2018 |
2017 |
|
Online |
€9,067.58 |
€57,763.63 |
€20,110.65 |
€14,172.79 |
|
Hard Copy |
€9,458.66 |
€61,494.75 |
€47,097.27 |
€79,611.43 |
|
Total |
€18,526.24 |
€119,258.38 |
€67,207.92 |
c |
468. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the top ten websites visited by officials and political staff annually in each of the years 2017 to 2019 and to date in 2020 via hardware provided to them by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4025/20]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy for the various time periods is not available. The software that monitors Internet usage in my Department retains information for 300 days only and as such my Department can only provide the information regarding the top 10 websites visited for this period. This is provided in the following table.
|
- |
Top Ten Websites |
|
1 |
health-epq.cloudhostedapps.gov.ie |
|
2 |
www.facebook.com |
|
3 |
self.events.data.microsoft.com |
|
4 |
v10.vortex-win.data.microsoft.com |
|
5 |
img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net |
|
6 |
fonts.gstatic.com |
|
7 |
www.google.com |
|
8 |
detectportal.firefox.com |
|
9 |
health.cloud.gov.ie |
|
10 |
login.microsoftonline.com |
469. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if the decision to remove cover for liraglutide, marketed as Victoza, under the drugs payment scheme which came into effect on 1 December 2019 will be reversed until the proposed alternative, marketed as Saxwenda, is fully covered, thereby eliminating the financial penalty on persons who require the medication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4032/20]
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.
470. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of patients awaiting an outpatient appointment in Naas General Hospital as of 3 March 2020; the length of time waiting for an appointment by each department in the hospital in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4038/20]
View answerThe information requested is contained in the following table.
|
*Due to the small volume of patients waiting in certain specialties, to preserve patient confidentiality, when the number of patients is <5, these have been included within broader timebands or aggregated into a 'Small Volume Specialties' cohort. |
|
Row Labels |
0-3Months |
3-6Months |
6-9Months |
9-12Months |
12-15Months |
15-18Months |
18-21Months |
21-24Months |
24-36Months |
36-48Months |
48+Months |
Grand Total |
|
Anaesthetics |
33 |
17 |
13 |
6 |
5 |
9 |
6 |
31 |
30 |
150 |
||
|
Cardiology |
274 |
187 |
181 |
154 |
124 |
118 |
114 |
74 |
63 |
1289 |
||
|
Dermatology |
377 |
226 |
171 |
110 |
48 |
44 |
59 |
39 |
206 |
12 |
1292 |
|
|
General Medicine |
614 |
443 |
277 |
176 |
43 |
49 |
30 |
9 |
1641 |
|||
|
General Surgery |
566 |
82 |
7 |
655 |
||||||||
|
Haematology |
37 |
42 |
25 |
27 |
131 |
|||||||
|
Neurology |
48 |
33 |
49 |
15 |
7 |
63 |
215 |
|||||
|
Orthopaedics |
519 |
346 |
337 |
266 |
136 |
137 |
124 |
94 |
325 |
32 |
2316 |
|
|
Rheumatology |
65 |
48 |
38 |
44 |
21 |
39 |
25 |
30 |
87 |
46 |
443 |
|
|
Urology |
69 |
13 |
82 |
|||||||||
|
Small Volume Specialties |
5 |
|||||||||||
|
Grand Total |
2607 |
1436 |
1098 |
799 |
382 |
392 |
357 |
250 |
715 |
174 |
9 |
8219 |
I am conscious that waiting times are often unacceptably long and of the burden that this places on patients and their families. In this regard, the Government is committed to improving waiting times for hospital appointments and procedures.
The HSE, Department of Health and the National Treatment Purchase Fund are currently working together to estimate the impact of Covid-19 on Scheduled Care waiting lists, in order to be prepared to address any backlog or pent up demand. My Department continues to ensure that the resources available throughout our health system are best utilised to deal with this unique and challenging situation.
The HSE continues to adhere to the best clinical guidance and NPHET’s recommendations, which have now approved the careful re-commencement of scheduled care activity based on strict criteria to ensure the continued provision of safe, patient-centred care to non-Covid patients. Importantly, time-critical essential work continues throughout the system in line with the National Action Plan, the HSE Model of Care, and World Health Organisation recommendations.
The data requested by the Deputy is outlined in the attached document. This information is also available on the NTPF website at: https://www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm
471. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the way in which a fair deal application by a person (details supplied) came into the possession of another person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4052/20]
View answer472. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the person who submitted a fair deal application for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4053/20]
View answer473. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health if a fair deal application by a person (details supplied) was fully completed when it came into the possession of another person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4054/20]
View answer474. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health if a fair deal application by a person (details supplied) had been fully completed when it came into the possession of another person; the detail of the bank statements submitted with the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4055/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 471 to 474, inclusive, together.
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
475. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the number of children awaiting audiology services in counties Laois and Offaly; and the number waiting more than six and 12 months and in excess of two years, respectively. [4063/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
476. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied with the number of cranial facial specialists for adolescents here; his plans to recruit additional specialists; and his views on whether the matter needs further consideration. [4065/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly, as soon as possible.
477. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of day services for persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4067/20]
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.
478. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if the €60,000 cut in funding for an association (details supplied) will be reversed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4071/20]
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.
479. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of consultants not on the specialist register; the specialist area of each; the number working in each hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4096/20]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
480. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health his plans to provide better access to drugs for MS patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4105/20]
View answerThe HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions, under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The Act specifies criteria for decisions on the reimbursement of medicines.HSE decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds, on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE). The NCPE conducts health technology assessments (HTAs) for the HSE and makes recommendations on reimbursement to assist HSE decisions. The NCPE uses a decision framework to systematically assess a drug's clinical and cost effectiveness as a health intervention.As a country, we invest heavily in medicines, to the tune of almost €2 billion annually. In 2019, the HSE approved 31 new medicines (including ocrelizumab for the treatment of adult patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS) on a patient specific basis) and 5 new indications for existing medicines for reimbursement in the public healthcare system. These approvals represent an additional investment by the HSE over five years of approximately €220m in providing access to new and innovative treatment for Irish patients.
Notwithstanding the significant progress on drug costs achieved from price reductions under the pricing framework agreed with industry and commercial negotiations conducted by the HSE, the Health Service is still facing very significant challenges in relation to the affordability of medicines. The industry continues to develop very expensive products, particularly in the high-tech medicines area and the costs involved are a challenge for health systems even in countries with much greater resources than Ireland.
The Government wants new and innovative medicines to be available to our citizens as quickly as possible but this can only be achieved if medicines are priced by the pharmaceutical industry in a viable and sustainable manner.
My Department and the HSE are working on making greater efficiencies in medicines usage through a range of initiatives both domestically and internationally to ensure the greatest possible access to new treatments for patients in Ireland.
The HSE’s Medicines Management Programme (MMP), incorporating the Preferred Drugs initiative, is overseeing the implementation of a number of actions to bring about greater value for the taxpayer through cost-effective provision of medicines. These measures include the designation of preferred products with a focus on high-cost prescribing areas, in particular optimising the use of biosimilars.
I and officials have also been engaging over the past number of years with a number of voluntary EU forums. In June 2018, I signed the Beneluxa Initiative on Pharmaceutical Policy. This Agreement is in line with my objective to work with other European countries to identify workable solutions, in an increasingly challenging environment, to secure timely access for patients to new medicines in an affordable and sustainable way. In June 2019, Ireland became a Founding Member of the International Horizon Scanning Initiative which is being established as part of the work programme of Beneluxa.
