Written Answers Nos. 286-296
286. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if the full range of supports and services required by a person (details supplied) will be expedited; and if a social worker will be appointed to their case to assess their requirements for care at home and at school. [44287/21]
View answerAs these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
287. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the number of HIQA site inspections that were carried out to date in 2021 in Mayo University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44294/21]
View answerI have been advised by HIQA that Mayo University Hospital has not been inspected so far in 2021.
In addition, HIQA have advised that their routine schedule of inspection in HSE run services was adversely impacted by the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the HSE cyberattack in May.
HIQA’s most recent inspection at Mayo University Hospital was conducted on 29th September 2020 with the report published on 17th December 2020.
The Department continues to support the HSE in its ongoing work to improve and maintain Infection Prevention and Control measures in community and acute healthcare settings.
288. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of primary medical certificates that have been applied for in 2020 and 2021; the number that were refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44298/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
289. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if a medical exemption to the EU Digital COVID Certificate will be accommodated in the case of a person (details supplied); his plans to address current deficiencies in legislation to accommodate a person in such circumstances; if there are future plans for the allowance of a hybrid vaccination in Ireland with specific reference to the Covid-19 vaccines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44301/21]
View answerThe EU Digital COVID Certificate concerns the issuing and verification of certificates for medical events including vaccination, recovery, and testing related to COVID-19. The EU Digital COVID Certificate regulation, and subsequent associated national regulations, do not provide for the issuing of a certificate for individuals who have not had a medical event as outlined.
Individuals may request a Digital COVID Certificate as proof of a single dose of vaccination given in Ireland if they wish. Additionally, Digital COVID Certificates are currently being issued for persons who have completed a full course of a heterologous vaccination regimen in Ireland.
It is important to note that the EU Digital COVID Certificate is not a requirement for travel, but rather a record of a medical event which can make international freedom of movement easier.
290. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if a person should be charged for a B12 injection when they are in procession of a full medical card, the person in question is being charged €20; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44302/21]
View answerUnder the terms of the current GMS contract, GPs are required to provide eligible patients with ''all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess." There is no provision under the GMS GP contract for persons who hold a medical card or GP visit card to be charged for medical services provided under the contract.
It is a matter for the treating GP to determine in the case of each individual patient what is proper and necessary care. In circumstances where a GP, in the exercise of his/her clinical judgement, determines that a particular treatment or service requested by a patient is not clinically necessary, but the patient still wishes to receive same, it is at the GPs discretion as to whether he/she imposes a charge for providing the service/treatment in question.
Consultation fees charged by GPs outside the terms of the GMS contracts are a matter of private contract between the clinicians and their patients. My Department has no role in relation to such fees.
Vitamins and minerals do not generally need a prescription. However, there is a limited range of products that were historically available on the GMS reimbursement list. Injectable Vitamin B 12 is one such product on the reimbursement list and, subject to the statutory prescription charge, is available to medical card holders without charge.
291. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if a person should be charged for blood tests when they are in procession of a full medical card, the person in question is being charged €20; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44303/21]
View answerThere 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. This has been advised to GPs by the HSE. Notwithstanding this, I am aware that some GPs are charging GMS patients for phlebotomy services in some circumstances.
The issue of GPs charging GMS patients for phlebotomy services is complex given the numerous reasons and circumstances under which blood tests are taken. My Department and the HSE discussed this issue previously with the relevant GP representative body. However, it did not prove possible to achieve agreement that no charges for blood tests would be applied in any circumstances. It is intended to raise this issue again at an appropriate time.
It should be noted that the GP chronic disease management programme which is being phased in, having commenced last year, will involve the ongoing monitoring of patients’ conditions and any blood tests required in this context will be covered by the fees payable for this care.
The position remains that where 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.
292. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the steps his Department has taken to ensure that Ireland benefits from the inaugural Leadership Summit on Tobacco Control as it provides a clear opportunity for Ireland to re-establish its tobacco control credentials on the international stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44314/21]
View answer293. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the steps his Department will take to work with health ministries in other EU states to ensure that the conference outcomes will be progressed at a European level ahead of EU tobacco tax directive, the EU tobacco products directive, the EU cancer beating plan and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control conference of parties scheduled for November 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44315/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 292 and 293 together.
The selection of Dublin as host city of the prestigious World Conference on Tobacco or Health from among multiple applicants was a major achievement. It recognised Ireland's history of leadership on tobacco control and provided an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to tobacco control and to the international agreements of which Ireland is a signatory. The conference is the premier convention on tobacco–related topics and serves as one of the main opportunities for continuing international engagement on the global tobacco control conversation.
The 2021 conference was postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic but a Leadership Summit on Tobacco Control is being held in its place as an online event. While it is most unfortunate that the physical conference cannot go ahead, the Leadership Summit does provide the opportunity for Ireland to reaffirm our commitment to addressing the tobacco epidemic. Both the Taoiseach and I will be delivering remarks to the Summit that will speak to Ireland's ongoing commitment to progressing tobacco control at home as well as supporting international efforts to curb tobacco use across the globe. The Summit will provide a platform for sharing knowledge and experience and for identifying future initiatives that will help to reduce the preventable death and ill-health attributable to tobacco smoking.
Ireland is committed to fully engaging with our EU and international colleagues at the Leadership Summit, in discussions around the review of the Tobacco Products Directive at EU level and at the Conference of the Parties meeting on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in November. My Department has already engaged with the European Commission in its review of the Tobacco Products Directive and we will play an active role in any future discussions at Member State level on how the Directive is reshaped. Similarly, we look forward to positively contributing to discussions that will take place during the Conference of the Parties. We will ensure that, wherever possible, the key lessons on tobacco control initiatives from the Leadership Summit are carried forward into each of these fora.
294. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in providing a residential placement for a person (details supplied); the steps being taken to resolve the situation; and when a placement will become available further to the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 282 of 18 February 2021. [44327/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked referred the question to the HSE and asked that they respond to the Deputy directly.
295. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the amount each maternity hospital has paid for public relations advice each month since March 2020 to September 2021, in tabular form; the name of the companies; and if they are on a retainer or not. [44328/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
296. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health if saliva testing could be used as a public health screening tool in primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44338/21]
View answer297. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of saliva testing in 10% of the primary school population on a fortnightly basis for three months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44339/21]
View answer298. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of saliva testing all unvaccinated children under 12 years of age every fortnight for three months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44340/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 296, 297 and 298 together.
I have no plans to conduct saliva based public health screening for Covid-19 in schools at this time. As such, no evaluation has been undertaken to determine the feasibility, efficacy or purpose of such a programme and no estimate is available as to how much it would cost.
