Mark Ward
Question:192. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the inpatient services available for under 18s presenting with eating disorders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38933/20]
View answerEating Disorders
Questions (192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197)
Mark Ward
Question:193. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the outpatient services available for under 18s presenting with eating disorders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38934/20]
View answerMark Ward
Question:194. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the inpatient services available for adults presenting with eating disorders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38935/20]
View answerMark Ward
Question:195. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the outpatient services available for adults presenting with eating disorders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38936/20]
View answerMark Ward
Question:196. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who presented with eating disorders in 2018, 2019 and to date in 2020; the gender, age profile and county of residence of each in tabular form. [38937/20]
View answerMark Ward
Question:197. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the amount allocated for clinical programmes on eating disorders in 2018, 2019 and 2020; if the funds have been released by the HSE; and the amount spent in the same period in tabular form. [38938/20]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 192 to 197, 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.
Question No. 198 answered with Question No. 189.
General Practitioner Services
Questions (199)
Paul Murphy
Question:199. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will ask the HSE to issue an instruction to all general practitioners to cease charging the holders of general practitioner cards or medical cards for blood tests and other such diagnostic tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38950/20]
View answerWritten answers
Persons who are eligible for GP care without charge under the Health Act 1970 are not subject to any co-payments or other charges in respect of such services. There is no provision under the GMS GP contract for persons who hold a medical card or GP visit card to be charged for routine phlebotomy services provided by their GP which are required to either assist in the diagnosis of illness or the treatment of a condition and the HSE has advised GPs accordingly. This has been advised to GPs by the HSE.
The GP chronic disease management programme which is being phased in from this year will involve the ongoing monitoring of patients’ condition and any blood tests required in this context will be covered by the fees payable for this care.
If a patient who holds a medical card or GP visit card believes he or she has been incorrectly charged for routine phlebotomy services by his or her GP, then that patient should report the matter to their HSE Local Health Office. The local management, upon being notified of potential inappropriate charging of GMS patients, carry out an investigation into each complaint and will, where appropriate, arrange for a refund of charges incorrectly applied by the GP.
Counselling Services
Questions (200)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:200. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if he will consider offering psychological supports and counselling to women who have had abortions and to doctors and medics who have performed abortions, given the findings of a study (details supplied). [38952/20]
View answerWritten answers
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a range of supports in this area are already well established.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has funded the provision of post-termination counselling services since 2008. All women who have had a termination of pregnancy are entitled to these services, which are provided free of charge in a range of locations across the country.
The HSE’s ‘My Options’ freephone counselling helpline became operational on 1 January 2019. The My Options Information and Counselling service is available from 9am-9pm Monday to Friday as well as Saturday 10am-2pm and is staffed by Counsellors. The telephone nursing service is available 24/7 and is staffed by nurses and midwives. My Options can provide an interpreter for 240 different languages and the ‘My Options’ leaflet has been translated into six languages.
In addition to other support services available, the HSE published the National Standards for Bereavement Care following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death in 2016. The purpose of the standards is to enhance bereavement care services for parents who experience a pregnancy loss or perinatal death. These standards cover all pregnancy loss situations from early pregnancy loss to perinatal death, as well as situations where there is a diagnosis of foetal anomaly that will be life limiting or may be fatal.
Since then, Bereavement Specialist Teams have been established in all 19 maternity hospitals/units across the country, to assist and support parents, families and professionals dealing with pregnancy loss. The teams are supported in their work by staff including social workers, palliative care teams and chaplains.
As part of the implementation of the National Standards, a national website is available for use as a resource specifically for parents bereaved through pregnancy loss and perinatal death, and the healthcare professionals who care for them. It includes information and contact details for Bereavement Support Teams in each maternity hospital/unit across the country, as well as other support services and resources for both parents and staff. The website is accessible at: https://pregnancyandinfantloss.ie/
Abortion Services Provision
Questions (201)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:201. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of ministerial notifications he has received under the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018; and if all ministerial notifications that identify the termination of pregnancy as having taken place under section 11 of the Act had, at the time of receipt by him, been signed off by two medical practitioners. [38953/20]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy will be aware, under section 20 (1) of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, a notification of each termination of pregnancy carried out under the legislation must be notified to the Minister for Health within 28 days of it being carried out.
Section 20, subsections (3) and (4), require the Minister to prepare a report on the notifications received in a given year not later than 30 June the following year and lay it before the Houses of the Oireachtas. This report may then be published.
In line with section 20 of the Act, therefore, the Annual Report on Notifications 2020 will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on or before 30 June 2021. No data will be provided in advance of the publication of the Annual Report.
Abortion Services Provision
Questions (202)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:202. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if his Department has been contacted by doctors or medics who have expressed concerns regarding failed, botched or unsuccessful abortions; and if so, if he will detail the nature of that correspondence. [38955/20]
View answerWritten answers
As the material required to answer the Deputy’s question is not readily available, I have asked for his question to be deferred, to allow officials in my Department additional time to compile the information requested.
The response to the PQ will be provided to the Deputy as soon as it is available
Abortion Services Provision
Questions (203)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:203. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if he or his Department have been contacted by doctors or medics who have expressed a concern regarding conscientious objection; the details of these concerns; and the quantity of correspondence received on this matter since the rollout of abortion in January 2019. [38956/20]
View answerWritten answers
As the material required to answer the Deputy’s question is not readily available, I have asked for his question to be deferred, to allow officials in my Department additional time to compile the information requested.
The response to the PQ will be provided to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
Home Help Service
Questions (204)
Brian Stanley
Question:204. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in counties Laois and Offaly, respectively, who have been approved for home help services but are still on the waiting list; and the number waiting over six, 12, 18 and 24 months, respectively, in tabular form. [38965/20]
View answerWritten answers
As these are operational matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Dental Services
Questions (205)
Brian Stanley
Question:205. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists employed by the HSE to provide a service to medical card holders and to schoolchildren in counties Laois and Offaly, respectively; and the plans of the HSE has to improve dental services in both counties. [38966/20]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
National Educational Psychological Service
Questions (206)
Brian Stanley
Question:206. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the number of preschool and school-going age children between four and 18 year years of age waiting to be seen by a psychologist in counties Laois and Offaly, respectively; the number waiting in excess of 6, 12, 18 and 24 months, respectively in tabular form. [38967/20]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.