Written Answers Nos. 1054-1069
1054. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding treatment for haemochromatosis patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21297/20]
View answerAs the HSE has responsibility for the provision, along with the maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres and other Primary Care facilities, the Executive has been asked to reply directly to the Deputy.
1055. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if appropriate diagnostic and treatment pathways will be made available to screening services upon resumption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21303/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1056. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if diagnostic, radiology and laboratory departments are allowed timely access to allow investigations for both hospital doctors and general practitioners in the community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21304/20]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, there is now capacity in place to test 15,000 people a day (100,000 tests a week) across our hospital and community system. While this level of capacity isn’t being used on a continuous basis, the testing and contact tracing operational and resource model has been designed to flex up and down as required to meet demand on an ongoing basis.
In the week ending 31st August almost 62,000 laboratory tests were undertaken, one of the highest weekly amounts since the pandemic began. The recent weekly positivity rate has been running at approx. 1.5%.
Hospitals are generally responsible for undertaking COVID-19 testing of their own patients and staff, while GPs have direct access to the HSE community testing programme through the SwiftQ IT referral system. The HSE has invested significant resources in our COVID-19 laboratory system. There is a network of laboratories in place across the hospital system and a number of community based laboratories focused on COVID-19 testing, including two commercial providers.
The HSE has placed significant effort on reducing turnaround times as much as possible. The median time for referral to appointment in the community is 0.8 days, with 90.5% receiving an appointment the same or next day. The median time for swab taken to laboratory result in the community is 30 hours, while in the hospital system it is 17 hours (including transit times).
The HSE provide daily updated information on its testing and contact tracing dashboard available at the following link.
https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/newsfeatures/covid19-updates/integrated-information-service-testing-and-contact-tracing-dashboard.html
1057. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if private hospital capacity can be used to clear cancer diagnostic backlogs (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21305/20]
View answerAn arrangement with private hospitals was put in place for the period 30 March to end June in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. This facilitated access to diagnostics and treatment for public patients in private hospitals.
The arrangement facilitated the transfer of critical time-dependent and complex services, particularly those involving cancer surgery, chemotherapy, cardiothoracic surgery, transplant surgery and cardiology.
I am advised that the HSE are in negotiation with the private hospitals in relation to:
- access to private hospitals in the case of a Covid-19 surge;
- access to services to address needs in providing essential ongoing care; and
- securing an ability to address elective care for public patients experiencing delays and in circumstances of a growth in waiting lists.
Cancer diagnostic services (including Rapid Access Clinics) have continued throughout the pandemic, with appropriate restrictions for physical distancing and infection prevention and control. At this point, attendance numbers at urgent Symptomatic Breast Disease Clinics have returned to pre-Covid levels. While attendances are down for Rapid Access Lung Clinics, Rapid Access Prostate Clinics and non-urgent Breast Disease Clinics, they are showing a month on month recovery.
1058. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of community intervention teams in operation; the counties serviced and not serviced by such teams; the number and breakdown of staff on each team; the operational costs for each team; the budgeted hours and the hours provided by each team; the costs and staffing requirements involved in setting up a new team; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21312/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1059. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health his plans to recruit more nurse specialists nationwide for persons with Parkinson’s disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21313/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1060. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health if an independent inquiry will be established to investigate and furnish a report on all issues connected to the handling by the adult safeguarding and protection unit of CHO7 of the complaints of abuse of a person (details supplied). [21315/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1061. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the amount spent purchasing treatment through the National Treatment Purchase Fund in each of the years 2016 to 2019, inclusive, and to date in 2020; and the number of patients treated through the use of the fund by speciality in tabular form. [21323/20]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated by Department officials and a deferred reply will be submitted within ten working days.
1062. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the healthcare facilities which benefited from funding under the National Treatment Purchase Fund in each of the years 2017 to 2019, inclusive, by amount, healthcare facility and company in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21324/20]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated by Department officials and a deferred reply will be submitted within ten working days.
1063. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the annual cost of delivering the psycho-oncology service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21325/20]
View answer1064. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of increasing annual spend on the psycho-oncology service by 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21326/20]
View answer1065. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of funding for psycho-oncology services by staffing and other associated costs, respectively; the number of whole-time equivalent posts working in the area by profession; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21327/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1063 to 1065, inclusive, together.
I have been advised by the NCCP that the cost for delivering the psycho-oncology service in the eight adult cancer centres and the Children’s Hospital is €4 million annually.
The Centres covered by this service are:
- Mater University Hospital
- Beaumont Hospital
- St. James’s University Hospital
- St. Vincent’s University Hospital
- Cork University Hospital
- Galway University Hospital
- University Hospital Limerick
- Waterford Regional Hospital
- Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin
This figure also covers access to liaison psychiatry, psychology and social work service in some hospitals across the country. St. Luke’s Hospital service costs an additional €500,000 per annum.
With the current annual cost for the provision of the psycho-oncology service at €4 million in the eight adult cancer centres and Children's Hospital, an increase of 10% on annual spending towards this service would require an additional €400,000. Accounting for St. Luke's Hospital service as well the total increase would amount to €450,000 in total.
The current national breakdown of whole time equivalent posts working in the area by profession is:
|
Dedicated Psychiatrist on Psycho-Oncology Team |
1 |
|
Access to Liaison Psychiatry in Acute Cases |
5.9 |
|
Dedicated Principal Psychologist on Psycho-Oncologist Team |
3.7 |
|
Access to Liaison Psychology in Acute Cases |
2.2 |
|
Dedicated Senior Psycho-Oncologist |
7 |
|
Dedicated Social Worker |
2.8 |
|
Access to Social Worker in Acute Cases |
10 |
|
Clinical Nurse Specialist |
3 |
1066. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the annual spend on community diagnostics; the level and range of community diagnostics available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21329/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1067. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of delivering two free general practitioner visits to each person without a general practitioner card or medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21330/20]
View answerThe delivery of a scheme whereby every private patient, i.e. patients who do not hold a medical card or a GP visit card, receive two GP visits without charge would require consultation with the IMO in relation to scope of services to be provided under the scheme and the fees payable to GPs. It is not possible to estimate the cost of such a scheme as this would depend heavily on the agreed scope of services and the rate of fees payable to GPs.
The GP visitation costs for private patients vary between GP practices and on the services provided. There are approximately 2.9 million people in the state who do not hold a medical of GP visit card. To provide a possible example, the cost of reimbursing each of these individuals for 2 GP visits at a cost of €50 per visit, excluding administration costs, would be approximately €290 million.
1068. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing a full medical card to all patients suffering from cancer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21331/20]
View answer1092. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of extending a full medical card to all cancer patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21355/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1068 and 1092 together.
Eligibility for a medical card is assessed primarily on the basis of a financial assessment. The HSE's Expert Group on Medical Need and Medical Card Eligibility examined the issue of awarding medical cards on the basis of illness and concluded that it was not feasible, desirable, nor ethically justifiable to list medical conditions in priority order for medical card eligibility. The Expert Group also concluded that a person’s means should remain the main qualifier for a medical card.
However every effort is made by the HSE, within the framework of the legislation, to support applicants in applying for a medical card and, in particular, to take full account of the difficult circumstances in the case of applicants who may be in excess of the income guidelines. The HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, even though an applicant exceeds his or her income threshold, where he or she faces difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from an illness.
It should also be noted that the HSE has a system in place for the provision of medical cards in response to emergency situations i.e. in circumstances where persons are in need of urgent or on-going medical care that they cannot afford and also for persons who are terminally ill and are receiving end of life treatment. With the exception of terminally ill patients, all medical cards granted on an emergency basis are valid for 6 months and will be followed up with a full means assessment application within a number of weeks.
In relation to the cost of the provision of medical cards to all cancer patients, the data required is not readily available and it is therefore not possible to provide an estimate of the cost.
1069. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of opening 500 acute beds in public hospitals by utilising existing space in acute hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21332/20]
View answerThe Health Service Capacity Review 2018 was clear on the need for a major investment in additional capacity in both acute hospitals and community, combined with a widescale reform of the manner and the location of where health services are provided. The National Development Plan provides for the recommended 2,590 additional acute beds by 2027, and approximately 770 of these beds have been provided to date. The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, commits to continuing investment in our health care services in line with the recommendations of the Health Service Capacity Review and the commitments in Project Ireland 2040.
In relation to the Deputy's specific question on the estimated cost of opening 500 acute beds in public hospitals by utilising existing space in acute hospitals, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
