Written Answers Nos. 238-260
238. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists participating in the dental treatment services scheme in primary care sites in the HSE CHO 8 region to date; the number of dentists that have withdrawn to date; the number of new dental treatment services applications currently being processed to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34281/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
239. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists participating in the dental treatment services scheme by HSE CHO region, by monthly average for the period 1 January to 31 October 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34282/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
240. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists under the dentist treatment services scheme that have applied to the HSE for PPE to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34283/20]
View answerMy Department, in conjunction with the HSE, is examining the issue of the provision of PPE across all parts of the health service, including health service contractors. I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible, on the number of dentists who have submitted applications for PPE.
241. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to enable HSE dentists, dental nurses and orthodontists redeployed in the CHO 8 to return to their jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34284/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
242. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health the number of adults in HSE CHO 8 region that await dental treatment under general anaesthetic; the maximum waiting period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34285/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
243. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health the number of children in HSE CHO 8 region that await dental treatment under general anaesthetic; the maximum waiting period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34286/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
244. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health the number of persons with special needs on dental and orthodontic service waiting lists in HSE CHO 8 region; the maximum waiting period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34287/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
245. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each LHO area waiting for a podiatry appointment in primary care as of 31 October 2020 or the latest date available; and the number waiting zero to 12, 12 to 26, 26 to 52 weeks and more than 52 weeks, respectively. [34290/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
246. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each LHO area waiting for a ophthalmology appointment in primary care as of 31 October 2020 or the latest date available; and the number waiting zero to 12 12 to 26, 26 to 52 and more than 52 weeks respectively. [34291/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
247. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each LHO area waiting for a audiology appointment in primary care as of 31 October 2020 or the latest date available; and the number waiting zero to 12, 12 to 26, 26 to 52 and more than 52 weeks respectively. [34292/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
248. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each LHO area waiting for a dietetics appointment in primary care as of 31 October 2020 or the latest date available; and the number waiting zero to 12, 12 to 26, 26 to 52 and more than 52 weeks respectively. [34293/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
249. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each LHO area waiting for a psychology appointment in primary care as of 31 October 2020 or the latest date available; and the number waiting zero to 12, 12 to 26, 26 to 52 and more than 52 weeks respectively. [34294/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
250. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each LHO area waiting for a counselling appointment in primary care as of 31 October 2020 or the latest date available; and the number waiting zero to 12, 12 to 26, 26 to 52 and more than 52 weeks respectively. [34295/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
251. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each LHO area waiting for a child and adolescent mental health services appointment as of 31 October 2020 or the latest date available; the numbers waiting zero to 12 weeks; the numbers waiting 12 to 26 weeks; and the number waiting zero to 12, 12 to 26, 26 to 52 and more than 52 weeks respectively. [34296/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
252. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of children admitted to adult mental health units to date in 2020. [34297/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
253. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of home support hours being provided in each LHO area as of 31 October 2020 or the latest date available; the way in which the number compares to target in each LHO for the same time period; the number of persons on the waiting list for home support hours in each LHO area; and the number waiting zero to three, three to six, six to 12 and more than 12 months, respectively. [34298/20]
View answerAs these are operational matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
254. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of persons awaiting placement under the fair deal scheme as of 31 October 2020 or latest date available; the average waiting time; the number of persons awaiting placement under the scheme; and the length of time waiting by each LHO area in tabular form. [34299/20]
View answerAs these are operational matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
255. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of procedures procured by the National Treatment Purchase Fund in each of the years 2017 to 2019 and to date in 2020, by the type and speciality of each procedure; the total expenditure incurred in each year; the amount of funding spent on procuring private treatment; and the amount spent procuring treatment in the public and voluntary hospitals in tabular form. [34300/20]
View answerThe National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) procures capacity for high-volume procedures in order to positively impact waiting time for patients. Such procedures may be procured in both private hospitals (outsourcing), or public hospitals (insourcing). In order to ensure competitive pricing as part of their outsourcing programme, the NTPF works with private hospitals from a panel agreement and engages in procurement processes through e-tender.
In relation to insourcing, a public hospital may have some spare capacity but require further funding in order to utilise it. Such public hospitals may make a proposal to the NTPF, whereby the NTPF pay a fixed price per procedure performed. The amount paid by the NTPF meets the extra costs incurred by the public hospital in performing the procedures.
In relation to the information requested by the Deputy, the attached tables provide data in respect of the number of patients treated by top ten specialties in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The breakdown of patient care expenditure by specialty in 2017 and 2018 and the total expenditure figure for public and private hospitals is also provided.
The NTPF has advised that 2019 and 2020 financial data have not been provided as the Audited Annual Financial Statements 2019 and 2020 have not yet been finalised.
256. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the income received by each hospital group from the National Treatment Purchase Fund in each of the years 2017 to 2019 and to date in 2020, in tabular form. [34301/20]
View answerIn relation to the matter raised by the Deputy the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) have provided the attached table. It provides a breakdown by Hospital Group of actual amounts paid by the NTPF in respect of treatment invoiced and paid for in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and to the end of October 2020.
The NTPF has advised that the amounts shown do not include treatment which took place in the particular year but was not invoiced and paid for until the following year.
257. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of public patients that have been removed from outpatient lists in 2020 as a result of a validation exercise and not as a result of having an appointment with a consultant for each public and voluntary hospital in tabular form. [34302/20]
View answerIn order to ensure the accuracy of waiting lists, good practice around the management of hospital waiting lists recommends periodic validation of waiting lists. Validation is the process whereby hospital administration contacts patients on waiting lists at pre-planned intervals during the year to ensure that patients are ready, willing, suitable and available to attend a hospital appointment or wish to be removed from the waiting list. For a number of years validation was conducted at individual hospital level in Ireland but in 2018, the Minister for Health approved the establishment of the National Centralised Validation Unit (NCVU) within the NTPF. The establishment of a centralised function has facilitated the introduction of a standardised approach to validation of waiting lists across all hospitals and across IPDC and OPD waiting lists.
The NCVU advises that the validation of waiting list process which had been suspended at the end of March due to COVID-19, recommenced on 7th August. Between 1st January and the end of October 2020 a total of 23,706 patients were removed from the Outpatient waiting list as a result of validation.
In relation to the data requested by the Deputy, the NCVU provided the attached document which outlines outpatient validation figures by hospital from 1st January to end October 2020.
258. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of medical cards as of 31 October 2020; the number of general practitioner cards on the same date; and the number of each type of card issued on a discretionary basis on that date. [34303/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
259. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of delayed discharges in each public and voluntary hospital at the end of October 2020; and the total number to date in 2020, in tabular form. [34304/20]
View answer260. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of bed days lost in each public and voluntary hospital owing to delayed discharges to date in 2020, in tabular form. [34305/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 259 and 260 together.
As the Deputy's specific questions refer to the numbers of patients with delayed transfers of care and the associated numbers of bed days lost, I have asked the HSE to respond directly with the requested information.
