Written Answers Nos. 742-761
742. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the reason the FreeStyle Libre device for persons with type 1 diabetes is only provided free of charge to those aged under 21 years of age; if the device will be offered to all free of charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36426/20]
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.
743. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the current guidelines on water births; if the HSE has advised that homebirthing parents can no longer have water births; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36443/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
744. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the solutions the HSE have come up with to find residential care for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36447/20]
View answerI thank the Deputy for this question and for his attention to this matter. I am told that reports have been requested from the HSE in to the actions taken in relation to support for this young man and his family, and in relation to plans for his future care and support, and I have asked officials to follow up as a matter of urgency. I have also asked the HSE to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
745. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health the status of proposed primary care centres in Lucan, County Dublin; the stage of the process they are in; and if there is funding allocated. [36450/20]
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.
746. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health the status of proposed primary care centres in Clondalkin, Dublin 22; the stage of the process they are in; and if there is funding allocated. [36451/20]
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.
747. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if the HSE is hiring speech and language therapists. [36454/20]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
748. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if developmental checks on babies by public health nurses are proceeding under current Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36455/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
749. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the status of the feasibility study on St. Stephen’s Hospital, Glanmire, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36458/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
751. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the basis on which consultants (details supplied) have been employed by the HSE for the purposes of providing consultancy services in response to Covid-19; and the cost of same. [36464/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
752. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of virtual otolaryngology appointments that have been made; and the number that have not been completed since the start of public health restrictions by hospital area. [36468/20]
View answerIn response to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE had to take measures to defer most scheduled care activity in March, April, and May of this year. This was to ensure patient safety and that all appropriate resources were made available for Covid-19 related activity and time-critical essential work.
One of the ways in which the HSE sought to maintain activity in the context of Covid-19 was to secure access to outpatient appointments through the use of virtual clinics. In March alone there were 34,500 virtual appointments representing 16% of all ODP appointments. By May this had risen to 87,500 appointments representing 45% of all OPD activity. The latest figures available show 66,146 virtual OPD appointments in September, almost double that held in March.
In relation to the particular query raised, concerning the number of virtual otolaryngology appointments that have been made; and the number that have not been completed since the start of public health restrictions by hospital area, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
754. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the reason for not publishing the HSE valproate response report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36489/20]
View answer755. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if the outcome of his meeting with relevant patient groups in October 2020 to discuss the publication of the independent medicines and medical devices safety review in the UK and other issues relating to sodium valproate will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36490/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 754 and 755 together.
The HSE's report on its Valproate Response Project was not written with a view to publication; however, copies have been provided to the relevant patient groups, Epilepsy Ireland and the Organisation for Anti-Convulsant Syndrome (OACS) Ireland.
My meeting with Epilepsy Ireland and OACS Ireland to discuss sodium valproate has been rescheduled until next Monday, 23 November.
756. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if members of staff at Letterkenny University Hospital were recently tested for Covid-19 and then requested to return to their posts immediately without any reference to self-isolating until the results were known. [36495/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
757. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if patients being treated at Letterkenny University Hospital for a period of two weeks initially tested negative for Covid-19 in mid-October 2020 and two weeks later tested positive; the course of action that was taken to contact and trace the way in which the patients contracted the virus; and if patients being treated for other illnesses found themselves in the same spaces as those being treated for Covid-19. [36496/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
758. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of patients admitted to Letterkenny University Hospital since 19 March 2020 who have tested positive for Covid-19 during their stay in hospital. [36497/20]
View answerAs the matter raised is a service delivery matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
759. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if patients routinely admitted to Letterkenny University Hospital through the emergency department are tested for Covid-19 and are not admitted to a ward until their result is confirmed [36498/20]
View answerAs the matter raised is a service delivery matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
760. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health his views regarding allegations that a number of staff at Letterkenny University Hospital had to battle for two days in the week beginning 9 November 2020 to have a Covid-19 sweep of testing for all staff undertaken after a patient was diagnosed with the illness; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the test had been denied and all requests on behalf of staff had been turned down until the intervention of a consultant in the hospital. [36499/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible
761. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of staff and personnel at Letterkenny University Hospital who are currently off duty as a result of testing positive for Covid-19, self-isolating or recovering from the virus; and the number of staff and personnel at the hospital who have tested positive for Covid-19 since 13 March 2020. [36500/20]
View answerSaolta University Health Care Group advises that the Covid Outbreak Control Team at Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) continues to meet daily.
The number of staff currently off-duty as a result of testing positive/self isolating/close contact or recovering as of 13 November 2020 is 133, as follows:
|
Staff Category |
Total off Duty |
Medically Diagnosed with Covid 19 - Positive |
Cocooning due Medically vulnerable/Caring arrangments |
OH-GP recommendation due to Close contact or Symptomatic |
|
Non-Consultant Hospital Doctor (NCHD) |
21 |
8 |
0 |
13 |
|
CONSULTANT |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Allied Health Professional (AHP) |
7 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
|
Health Care Assistant (HCA) |
13 |
8 |
2 |
3 |
|
NURSING |
54 |
19 |
7 |
28 |
|
SUPPORT |
30 |
8 |
11 |
11 |
|
ADMIN |
5 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
|
Totals |
133 |
49 |
23 |
61 |
The number of staff and personnel at the hospital that have tested positive for Covid-19 since 13 March 2020 is 120 as follows:
|
Staff and Personnel |
Numbers |
|
Non-Consultant Hospital Doctor (NCHD) |
11 |
|
CONSULTANT |
1 |
|
Allied Health Professional (AHP) |
6 |
|
Health Care Assistants (ACH) |
18 |
|
NURSING |
63 |
|
SUPPORT |
11 |
|
ADMIN |
10 |
|
TOTAL |
120 |
