Tuesday, 10 Nov 2020

Written Answers Nos. 710-735

Cancer Services

Questions (710)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

710. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost in 2021 of increasing the amount spent on psycho-oncology services by 15%. [34859/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The HSE's National Cancer Control Programme advise that approximately €775,000 is being invested in psycho-oncology services in 2020. Based on this figure, an increase of 15% would add a further €116,250.

Allocations for psycho-oncology services in 2021 will be finalised in the context of the HSE's National Service Plan.

Health Services Staff

Questions (711, 712)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

711. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of consultant cardiothoracic surgeons employed in the health service; the number required to meet recommendations for the size of the population and consequent shortfall; and his strategy for achieving the number. [34860/20]

Catherine Murphy

Question:

712. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of oral and maxillofacial surgeons employed in the health service; the number required to meet recommendations for the size of the population and consequent shortfall; and his strategy for achieving the number. [34861/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 711 and 712 together.

I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible, in relation to the details requested.

The overall number of consultants employed in the public health service has been increasing year on year. It increased by 256 to 3,446 (wte's) in the 12 months to the end of September 2020 and has increased by nearly 740 since the end of September 2015. A continuation of this policy was provided for in the Memorandum approved by Government concerning the introduction of the Sláintecare Consultant Contract.

I am aware from the Report prepared by NDTP, HSE, 'Demand for Medical Consultants and Specialists to 2028' that the current numbers employed in the specialties raised by the Deputy are below the ratios per head of population in demand estimates in that report, based on ratios originally proposed by Hanly and now taking account of the views of NDTP stakeholders. This is particularly so in the case of oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Addressing this will require a number of interventions, including consideration of additional training posts. Future retention will also be important and it is hoped that the implementation of Sláintecare, the expansion of capacity and the roll out of the Sláintecare Consultant Contract will support this.

Medical Cards

Questions (713)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

713. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the reason the medication melatonin is no longer covered by the medical card scheme; if this decision can be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34888/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the pricing and reimbursement of medicines; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Questions (714)

Michael McNamara

Question:

714. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive an urgent appointment for emergency hip surgery in Croom Orthopaedic Hospital, Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34894/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Health Services Provision

Questions (715)

Colm Burke

Question:

715. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to ensure patient access to the use of new innovations, such as flash glucose monitoring, which is one of the key recommendations in the report (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34900/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

Under 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.

Diabetes Strategy

Questions (716)

Colm Burke

Question:

716. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the steps his Department will undertake to enable hospital diabetes teams to deliver a higher volume of appointments with their patients utilising remote monitoring solutions (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34901/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Questions (717)

Michael Creed

Question:

717. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Health the additional supports that are available for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia patients who wish to be treated at home during the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34924/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, my Department and the HSE have focused on meeting the needs of people living with dementia. The HSE has adapted its community services in order to provide a flexible response. The majority of the HSE’s Memory Technology Resource Rooms are now providing telephone/video assessment and consultation. Primary care team support is operating nationwide, with referrals made to community supports including the Dementia Adviser Service and local authority community response forums. While home support visits have been somewhat restricted, the HSE applies prioritisation and screening measures to identify clients in need of home visits.

In addition, the Alzheimer Society of Ireland continues to support people with dementia and their families. While day care and respite services are suspended, their National Helpline, Dementia Advisers, Online Family Carer Training and Home Care are all still running. ASI have also introduced new online services and supports – Online Support Groups for Family Carers, Virtual Alzheimer Cafés and Alternative Activity Therapy. Their National Helpline is expanding with a new free call-back service which offers people with dementia and family carers the opportunity to book a 1:1 session with a Dementia Nurse or Adviser.

Guidance for re-opening day centres including those for people with dementia has issued to CHOs. CHOs are requested to undertake risk assessments in centres to determine if infection prevention and control measures can be implemented to ensure social distancing and the safe transport of clients to and from centres. Advice from NPHET is that people over 70, as medically vulnerable people, should continue to cocoon and not gather in congregated settings. The HSE is committed to reopening its day services but needs to resolve these issues.

In Budget 2021 the Government has allocated an additional €12.9 million for Dementia services with a particular focus on extending the availability of community-focused supports. The additional investment will provide dedicated access to at least 250,000 additional home care hours. It will improve diagnostic services through the establishment of Memory Assessment and Support Services in Mayo, Sligo, Waterford and Wexford, and a specialist memory clinic in Cork. It will also be used to increase access to in-home day care, further develop the Dementia: Understand Together initiative, provide more dementia advisers, improve the national network of memory technology resource rooms, help deliver an acute hospital dementia and delirium care pathway, and implement the national clinical guideline on the appropriate use of psychotropic medication in people with dementia. All of these measures will help ensure that people with dementia can continue to live well in their own communities with appropriate supports.

Home Help Service

Questions (718)

Michael Creed

Question:

718. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Health when home help hours which have been sanctioned for a person (details supplied) will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34928/20]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Mental Health Services

Questions (719)

Duncan Smith

Question:

719. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the position regarding and status of the mental health transfer project; the number of properties involved in the project; the number transferred; the number awaiting transfer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34929/20]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Hospice Services

Questions (720)

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

720. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of a new hospice in Drogheda town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34939/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government identifies the north east (Cavan and Drogheda) and midlands as regions where additional hospices are required. The HSE is working closely with local hospice groups to progress these developments. Once these planned hospices are open, there will be an inpatient unit in every region of the country, providing specialist palliative care inpatient services for people with complex needs, a hub for the existing specialist palliative community homecare teams and supporting the discharge of patients from acute hospitals.

In relation to the proposed hospice in Drogheda, as this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Facilities

Questions (721)

Patrick Costello

Question:

721. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the hospitals that currently operate a helipad within hospital grounds that are opened on a 24-7 basis; and the hospitals that have a helipad within hospital grounds but are not opened on a 24-7 basis. [34955/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Staff

Questions (722)

Patrick Costello

Question:

722. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time play specialists at Children's Hospital Ireland at Crumlin and Children's Hospital Ireland at Temple Street in each of the years from 2017 to 2019 and to date in 2020, in tabular form. [34956/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Mental Health Services

Questions (723)

Patrick Costello

Question:

723. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the details of the roll-out of additional telemental health services in 2021. [34957/20]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Hospital Equipment

Questions (724)

Patrick Costello

Question:

724. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost, including the necessary staffing, to provide two extra CT scanners for the Children's Health Ireland hospital group. [34958/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

HSE Data

Questions (725)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

725. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the number and nature of vacant positions in the HSE, by role and sector, and the length of time the position has been held vacant. [34966/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.

Healthcare Policy

Questions (726)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

726. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the details of plans to utilize health capacity within the private hospital sector during the next six months. [34967/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

In March, in anticipation of the projected surge in Covid-19 cases and the expected impact on the health care system, a critical part of the response was to urgently ramp up capacity for acute hospital care facilities. An important element of the strategy was to put in place an arrangement with the private hospitals to use their facilities as part of the public system, to provide essential acute hospital services for the duration of the emergency. Following negotiations with the Private Hospitals Association an overarching agreement with the 18 private acute hospitals was agreed at the end of March. Under the agreement, the HSE secured 100% of the capacity of the private hospitals until the end of June.

Following termination of the agreement the Government mandated the HSE to seek to agree with the private hospitals a new arrangement which would provide the HSE with full access to private hospital capacity in the event of a surge of Covid-19 cases and separately with ongoing agreed access, in conjunction with the National Treatment Purchase Fund, to private hospital services to address the HSE's priority needs in providing both urgent time-critical care and addressing elective care for public patients experiencing delays.

In August the HSE initiated a procurement process to secure access to additional acute services and diagnostic capacity from private providers which is required to address anticipated shortfalls over the next two years. The process is due to be completed soon, and a panel put in place, following which each hospital will run mini competitions for the services they need. In the meantime, the Department has approved a temporary HSE arrangement for the treatment of patients in private hospitals pending the finalisation of the national procurement process.

The negotiations in the event of a surge are ongoing.

Ambulance Service

Questions (727, 728, 729, 730)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

727. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 817 and 818 of 22 September 2020 and Questions Nos. 298 to 300, inclusive of 24 September 2020, the number of the 2,553 Echo calls made from 1 January 2020 to 31 August 2020 that were attended by the first ambulance dispatched to attend the call in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35014/20]

Jackie Cahill

Question:

728. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 817 and 855 of 22 September 2020 and Questions Nos. 269 to 271, inclusive, of 24 September 2020, the number of the 67,849 Delta calls made from 1 January 2020 to 31 August 2020 that were attended by the first ambulance dispatched to attend the call, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35015/20]

Jackie Cahill

Question:

729. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health further to the response of the HSE to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 817 and 819 of 22 September 2020, and Parliamentary Questions Nos. 269 to 271, inlusive, of 24 September 2020, the number of the total 70,402 category 1 calls made from 1 January 2020 through to 31 August 2020 that were attended within 20, 20 to 30, 30 to 45 and after 45 minutes, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35016/20]

Jackie Cahill

Question:

730. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the reason consideration is not being given to the time it takes from when an ambulance is called until it reaches its destination, as opposed to the time it takes to get an ambulance on the road to a call from the moment the call was made, as the main metric for measuring the responsiveness of the ambulance service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35017/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 727 to 730, inclusive, together.

As these are service matters I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Mental Health Services

Questions (731)

Kathleen Funchion

Question:

731. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the wait time for a person seeking the services of the national counselling service by HSE area, in tabular form. [35019/20]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Mental Health Services

Questions (732)

Kathleen Funchion

Question:

732. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting for an appointment with the national counselling service by HSE area, in tabular form. [35020/20]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Mental Health Services

Questions (733, 734, 735)

Kathleen Funchion

Question:

733. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the additional counselling staff, that is, whole-time employees, who will be deployed to the HSE to provide counselling services specifically for mother and baby home survivors. [35021/20]

Kathleen Funchion

Question:

734. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the additional counselling staff, that is, whole-time employees, who will be deployed to provide counselling services specifically for mother and baby home survivors. [35022/20]

Kathleen Funchion

Question:

735. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the package of measures that will support survivors of mother and baby homes. [35023/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 733 to 735, inclusive, together.

The package of health and wellbeing supports for former residents of Mother and Baby Homes and Related Institutions includes the provision of additional counselling services to help support the needs of former residents, the introduction of a dedicated patient advocacy liaison service for former residents and the commencement of a targeted health research study, which will assist in the development of any future service responses that may be required.

Although the need to prioritise the response to Covid has unfortunately caused some delays, considerable progress has now been made to ensure supports for former residents are in place as detailed below:

- The National Counselling Service has ensured that counsellors will be available. Details of the NCS service and contact details for each area are listed on the HSE web site, and a dedicated web page with information specifically for former residents of Mother and Baby Homes and advice on how to access counselling has been published.

- Connect Counselling, funded by the HSE, will provide free out of hours counselling service by telephone. This service is currently running from Wed – Sun (6pm – 10pm) but efforts are underway to have that extended to seven days a week.

- The call centre teams in HSE Live and the YourMentalHealth Information Line have been updated on all available support options.

- A paid search campaign will signpost to the supports in place

In addition, work has recently recommenced on the research project in terms of detailing research aims and objectives, research questions, study methodology and so on.

As the appointment of additional staff is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.