Written Answers Nos. 753-772
753. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the proposed closure of the HSE building Prague House, Ennistymon as it has been deemed condemned; if his attention has been further drawn to the report condemning the building; if so, if he will relay this information; and if a copy of this report will be made available to the staff. [46439/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
754. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if the decision to close Prague House followed protocol of notice given the staff were notified on 20 July 2021 that they would be relocated effective immediately; the recommended notice for a closure and relocation of a HSE building or service normally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46440/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
755. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the reason Prague House was shut down with no consultation with the community, the relevant trade union and the elected representatives in County Clare; and if there is a contingency plan to replace this service in view of the under-resourced mental health service in the county. [46441/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
756. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists in the dental treatment services scheme in Ballina and Belmullet, County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46444/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
757. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health his plans to ring-fence funding for the eye clinic liaison officer programme until 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46479/21]
View answer763. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he plans to expand the eye clinic liaison officer service countrywide with seven posts in total at an estimated cost of €490,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46496/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 757 and 763 together.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
758. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the point of care for appropriate conditions such as wet AMD, out of acute hospitals into primary care settings in the community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46480/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
759. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will support the recruitment of 50 additional ophthalmologists at a cost of €10.3 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46481/21]
View answerThe HSE Primary Care Eye Services Review Group (PCESRG) Report was launched in June 2017. The Report sets out current levels of service, models of service provision and the consultation process undertaken with patients, advocates, ophthalmic staff and representative bodies.
It also highlights the limitations of the current model of service delivery and sets out the way forward for a significant amount of eye services to be delivered in a primary care setting.
The Report estimates that 60% of existing outpatient activity could be moved to primary care thus enabling hospital services to focus on patients who require more specialist diagnostics or treatments.
The National Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology has developed a model of care which details how the realignment of eye services from the acute hospitals to the community will be undertaken. The recommendations from the PCESRG Report also complement the Model of Care.
The PCESRG Report remains current and the HSE is implementing a number of measures. Included in current priorities is transferring the care of children aged 8+ years to the care of local private optometrists, creating a new role of Consultant Medical Ophthalmologist, and recruiting additional Consultant Medical Ophthalmologists to other CHOs.
Specific proposed recruitment campaigns linked to primary eye services will be considered in the context of the PCESRG Report, subject to existing recruitment processes.
The 2021 National Service Plan recognised the need for an unprecedented expansion of the permanent health workforce through permanent appointments. There is significant workforce recruitment underway to support this.
760. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will commit to the standardisation of the technical aids grant scheme run by the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46482/21]
View answerThe HSE provides a wide range of medical and surgical aids and appliances free of charge to medical card holders and people on the Long Term Illness (LTI) scheme following assessment by a relevant health professional. These appliances and aids that are provided by the HSE through community services known as Community Funded Schemes (CFS) and play a key role in assisting and supporting service users to maintain everyday functioning, and to remain living in their homes and local community.
Each Community Health Organisations (CHO) operates processes for the allocation of funding for medical and surgical aids and appliances. Each application within a CHO is assessed, both for medical card and LTI card patients, by the local Resource Allocation Group. A determination is made regarding approval based on priority and funding availability within local budgets. At times, due to the demand for resources exceeding the available capacity, waiting lists may apply for some categories of items provided through the medical and surgical aids and appliances budget in a particular CHO. CHOs undertake a range of initiatives to ensure optimum use of resources.
A HSE Primary Care led National Service Improvement Programme has the aim of improving the quality and sustainability of the CFS through the establishment of national standards. These standards will be based on evidence-based rationale and will include a list of approved items, national prescribing guidelines, and clinical criteria for each. This should improve equity of access, value for money, and functional processes. As the situation involving the Covid-19 pandemic continues to improve, this Programme will gather pace.
761. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will request the HSE to produce CHO segregated annual figures related to adults and children with a diagnosis of vision impairment and in relation to their engagement with health and or disability services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46483/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
762. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will engage with HSE offices to offer the blind welfare allowance payment electronically to recipients going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46495/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
764. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the amount of the HSE overall budget that has been allocated to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence supports between 2016 and 2020. [46499/21]
View answerGovernment policy in relation to addressing Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) is set out in the National Strategy on DSGBV, which outlines a whole of Government approach to delivering on the actions in the Strategy. The Department of Justice coordinates the implementation of the strategy.
The Department of Health and the HSE are committed to providing the appropriate supports to address the health needs of victims of DSGBV. I have secured, as part of Budget 2021, an additional €2.1m for the HSE to enhance access to health services for socially excluded groups. Of this funding €175,000 is allocated for initiatives for victims of DSGBV and the LGBTI+ community.
As the detail in relation to the amount of funding allocated by the HSE relates to operational and service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
765. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the cost to the State to accommodate a disabled person in a residential setting or nursing home per annum. [46500/21]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to a service matter, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
767. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the definitive timeframe and plan for the full reopening of adult day services in an area (details supplied). [46533/21]
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.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
768. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) cannot get an operation; the reason for the long delay to be called for same; the reason the allocated hospital has no record of their appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46534/21]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In 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.
769. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has been refused funding by the HSE to go to England to undergo mesh removal surgery on the basis that it is available in some Irish hospitals given that they were informed by their consultant that this is not the case and would need to travel for the operation. [46535/21]
View answerI understand that complications from a mesh implant are very distressing and painful for those women involved. Women’s health is a priority for this Government, as outlined in the Programme for Government and since the emergence of this matter, the ongoing priority focus for the Department and the HSE has been to meet the care needs of women experiencing mesh complications. Women affected by mesh continue to be strongly encouraged to engage with the relevant HSE contact points and the associated care pathways, to ensure that their service needs can be identified and provided for.
Considerable work has been done and continues to progress in Ireland in relation to the safe use of mesh implants and ensuring that all women who develop mesh-related complications receive high quality, multi-disciplinary and patient-centred care is a priority.
As this Parliamentary Question also relates to a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
770. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive a date for surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46548/21]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In 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.
771. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health when the Sláintecare project on the development of a national diabetes register will recommence; his views on the need for a national diabetes register; the reason there is no current register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46550/21]
View answerIn September 2019 Sláintecare Integration funding was allocated to the HSE to design and procure a National Diabetes Registry demonstrator product and develop a full specification plan for a National Diabetes Registry.
The development of a National Diabetes Registry will have a long-term benefit on
- Patient care by facilitating benchmarking of individual care against guideline recommendations and QI feedback to practitioners
- Provision of appropriate health services by providing reliable information to healthcare planners and policymakers.
This project was paused as it was dependent on the input and expertise of key HSE staff who were redeployed onto urgent on-going COVID-19 work. This project remains a priority and, subject to COVID-19, will be revisited in the future.
772. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who requested mental health services in University Hospital Kerry accident and emergency department in each of the years 2017 to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46552/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
