Written Answers Nos. 933-957
933. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the up-to-date information on neonatal intensive care unit care in Irish hospitals as against best practice standards for space, equipment and staffing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1124/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
934. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the number and staffing levels of diabetes community services attached to primary care centres. [1125/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
935. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the process for nomination to the diabetes working group; when it was last appointed; the process implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1126/21]
View answerThis is a matter for the Health Service Executive and I have asked for them to reply directly to the Deputy on this matter.
936. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the up-to-date plans for capital investment in neonatal intensive care unit provision in maternity and paediatric hospital departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1127/21]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
937. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health his plans to address inadequate space for the provision of neonatal intensive care unit care in the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1128/21]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
940. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of student nurses currently rostered for work in each hospital setting as of 5 January 2021, in tabular form. [1146/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
941. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of residential facilities for persons with disabilities that are currently closed due to Covid-19 infections; and the number of residents affected by county, in tabular form. [1148/21]
View answerThe Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives.
Disability residential services continue to be prioritised and delivered subject to public health advice and infection prevention and control management procedures. The Health Service Executive (HSE) has provided guidance for Covid-19 for Disability Services Residential and Group home facilities, which includes the prevention and control of outbreaks of Covid-19 in residential facilities.
As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
943. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the official title of the Covid-19 case management system that records daily cases; the date on which this system was activated; the amount spent on this system in both its development and since activation; the persons and bodies that have access to this system; the daily capacity for the corroboration of positive swabs to individual cases; the way in which a backlog of approximately 10,000 cases was allowed to occur; the steps he is taking to ensure that a backlog will not occur again; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1152/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
944. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Health if addiction services have been transferred from Navan to Drogheda; if so, the reason for same; the number of staff and service users affected; the alternative site or service options that were considered and ruled out; the reason for same; if it is intended to return services to Navan; if so, the date for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1153/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
945. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding letters being received by persons who attended private hospitals between 30 March and 30 June 2020 and who paid private health insurance excesses and have since received invoices from the private hospitals for the HSE statutory charge of €80; the normal procedure for members of the public to undertake in such instances; if members of the public who have private health insurance are expected to pay both an excess and a HSE statutory charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1158/21]
View answerUnder the arrangement between private hospitals and the HSE that ran from April to June of 2020, all patients in the private hospitals were treated as public patients for the duration of the agreement and their treatment was prioritised based on clinical need. Patients in receipt of non-Covid-19 related care were, subject to exemptions (e.g. a medical card holder), liable for the €80 statutory public in-patient charge while patients in receipt of Covid-19 related care were exempt from charges. Provision was made under the agreement to allow for continuity of care for patients who were in a private hospital or attending for treatment at the time the Heads of Terms of Agreement were agreed, on the grounds that these patients would be treated as public patients.
Private patients who received non-covid-19 related care in public hospitals for the duration of the Framework Agreement continued to be subject to the private in-patient charges provided for in Section 55 of the Health Act 1970 (as amended) in addition to any professional fees for consultant services which are the subject of negotiation between health insurers and consultants.
Patients who were admitted to private hospitals prior to the commencement of the Framework Agreement and were receiving care in private hospitals during this time should only have been doing so to continue a course of treatment that had commenced before the start of the agreement between the private hospitals and the HSE, as per the terms of the agreement. They should therefore have been treated on a public basis, and not privately. The statutory daily public in-patient charge of €80 therefore should, subject to exemptions, apply, and the patient should not be liable for private professional or hospital fees, or the excesses that they pay as part of their health insurance contract on those fees.
The Deputy may wish to provide further information regarding the specific details of this case, to facilitate further clarification with the HSE.
947. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health when members of the Defence Forces will be vaccinated; if current plans can be expedited due to imminent foreign travel for some members; if the two-week quarantine for returning members of the Defence Forces has been considered in view of the time they must spend away from home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1160/21]
View answerThe aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to ensure, over time, that vaccine will become available to vaccinate all of those for whom the vaccine is indicated. Given that there will be initially limited vaccines available, it will take some time for all to receive those vaccines and that has necessitated an allocation strategy to ensure that those most at risk of death and serious illness receive the vaccine first.
The priority is to first vaccinate and protect directly the most vulnerable amongst us, that is, those most likely to have a poor outcome if they contract the virus. The priority is to directly use vaccines to save lives and reduce serious illness, hence the focus on the over 65 year old cohort in long term residential care facilities, and healthcare workers in frontline services often caring for the most vulnerable.
All of the groups will be covered as further vaccine supplies become available and the immunisation programme is rolled out nationally.
The evidence will be kept under review and the allocation groups may be updated, where necessary, in light of new evidence.
Ireland is implementing the EU ‘traffic lights’ approach to travel, which applies to countries in the EU/ EEA.
Advice for travel during the COVID-19 pandemic can be found at the below link.
https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/75d92-covid-19-travel-advice/
Further information on the Allocation Strategy can be found at:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/39038-provisional-vaccine-allocation-groups/.
948. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the visiting procedures for HSE nursing homes in view of the new restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1161/21]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
949. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will address an issue of funding (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1162/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
950. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health his plans to ensure that monies allocated for the development of eating disorder services are not averted to meet unfunded cost growth in other areas of the mental health services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1163/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
951. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health if an organisation (details supplied) can continue to operate its physio-led rehabilitation services as part of the clients' primary care plan during level 5 restrictions. [1172/21]
View answerAs you are aware, Ireland is currently at Level 5 of the Government's medium-term Strategy Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19. This 5-level framework sets out what is permitted for social or family gatherings, work and public transport, bars, hotels and restaurants, exercise activities and religious services, at that moment in time.
As you can appreciate, the current public health measures recognise the need to reduce congregation and interactions between people to reduce the transmission of Covid-19. The number of people allowed to gather in different scenarios in the plan is based on a review of international practice and the judgment of public health experts. It seeks to balance the risks of different types of gatherings against the desire to allow normal activities to proceed in so far as possible. The measures in place for each level reflect the prevailing disease situation and recognise that we can and must prioritise some activities over others.
At level 5, all non-essential retail, and all non-essential services must remain closed. Information on the current public health measures in relation to essential retail/essential services at level 5 is available at: - https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/
The list of essential services that can remain open during Level 5 includes therapy services provided by a member of a designated profession within the meaning of Section 3 of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (No. 27 of 2005). There are seventeen professions designated under the 2005 Act, which are encompassed in the list of essential services. These are: Dietitians, Dispensing Opticians, Medical Scientists, Occupational Therapists, Optometrists, Physiotherapists (which includes Physical Therapists), Radiographers, Radiation Therapists, Social Workers, Speech and Language Therapists, Clinical Biochemists, Counsellors, Orthoptists, Podiatrists, Psychologists, Psychotherapists and Social Care Workers.
952. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the arrangements in place to allow operations scheduled prior to December 2020 in hospitals in Northern Ireland for 2021 under the cross-border initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1181/21]
View answerSince 1 January 2021, the provisions of the EU Cross Border Directive (CBD) no longer apply to the UK. In order to mitigate the impact of the loss of access to care in the UK under the EU CBD scheme for persons resident in Ireland, the Government has agreed to provide for the implementation of a replacement scheme to be available in Northern Ireland only from 1 January 2021. The new Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme will operate for 12 months and will operate on the same parameters as the EU Cross Border Directive scheme.
Furthermore, the HSE has also put in place transitional arrangements for certain patients who have a legitimate expectation of continuing to access care in the UK under the current provisions of the EU Cross-Border Directive Scheme including provision for reimbursement of healthcare costs by the HSE to persons who fall into certain categories, such as patients who can evidence that they have treatment booked prior to December 2020 for treatment in 2021. Patients are advised to contact the HSE CBD office directly with queries on individual applications and whether they are covered by the transitional arrangements or the new Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme.
Finally, it is also important to note that, patients continue to have access to health services under the EU CBD Scheme in all other remaining EU countries.
953. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of births in each hospital in each of the years 2018, 2019 and 2020, in tabular form. [1192/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
954. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of recruiting ten additional full-time staff nurses for intellectual disability in Cherry Orchard Hospital. [1193/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
955. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the waiting times to see a respiratory consultant at Portlaoise regional hospital; and the number of persons on the waiting list. [1194/21]
View answerIt is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted in the last year as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Further to the deferral of most scheduled care activity in March, April, and May of last year due to the pandemic, the HSE is currently recommending that only critical time dependent elective procedures are undertaken at this time due to the on-going and significant increased demand for bed capacity related to Covid-19.
This decision was made arising from the rapid increase in Covid-19 admissions and to ensure patient safety and that all appropriate resources were made available for Covid-19 related activity and time-critical essential work.
Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.
In relation to the information requested by the Deputy, the NTPF have advised that Portlaoise Regional Hospital currently only hold a paediatric waiting list for respiratory consultation. The relevant information relating to waiting times for paediatric respiratory medicine is attached.
956. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of laparoscopic appendectomies carried out in the hospitals of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group in each of the years 2018, 2019 and 2020, in tabular form. [1195/21]
View answer957. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of laparoscopic cholecystectomies carried out in the hospitals of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group in each of the years 2018, 2019 and 2020, in tabular form. [1196/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 956 and 957 together.
It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted in the last year as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The HSE is currently recommending that only critical time dependent elective procedures are undertaken at this time due to the on-going and significant increased demand for bed capacity related to Covid-19.
This decision was made arising from the rapid increase in Covid-19 admissions and to ensure patient safety and that all appropriate resources were made available for Covid-19 related activity and time-critical essential work.
Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.
In relation to the particular queries raised, concerning laparoscopic cholecystectomies and laparoscopic appendectomies as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
