Written Answers Nos. 210-229
210. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the shortage of hormone replacement therapy medication specifically hormone patches for women going through menopause; the steps he will take to ensure an increase in supply in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12009/22]
View answerUnfortunately, medicine shortages have become increasingly prevalent worldwide over the past decade and are a feature of modern health systems around the world. There are many reasons for such shortages including shortages of raw materials, manufacturing difficulties, logistical/transport issues or product recalls due to potential quality defects.
Medicines shortages can therefore originate at any point in the supply chain and can involve and impact on many different stakeholders. Accordingly, medicines shortages require a multi-faceted, multi-stakeholder response to ensure patient safety, continuity of care and protection of public health. Ireland has a multi-stakeholder medicines shortages framework in place, coordinated by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), to prevent, wherever possible, and manage medicine shortages when they occur.
The HPRA is aware of the current challenges regarding the intermittent supply of some hormone replacement therapies (HRT), notably transdermal patches. The HPRA has had regular and ongoing engagement with suppliers in this regard. The companies that place the products on the market have indicated that the current supply difficulties are due to a significantly increased demand for these medicines in Ireland in recent years. To illustrate, the supply of one range of HRT products, Estradot, has increased by between 77% and 117% for, for the three most-used strengths, compared to 2020. In addition, based on demand in recent months, the company expects a similar increase in the demand for all strengths during 2022. This would mean that the usage of Estradot in Ireland would be approximately 4.5-7.5 times higher in 2022 (depending on the strength) compared to 2019.
The suppliers have confirmed that they have increased supply of HRT patches to Ireland during 2022 in response to this increased demand. In the case of one brand (Evorel/Evorel Conti), the supply of HRT patches has resumed. For another brand (Estradot), some strengths are available currently and, based on manufacturing availability, the re-supply of the full range is expected to be in July. In the interim, the companies have indicated that they are working to find solutions to the immediate supply issues.
The current supply situation has arisen due to significant increases in demand for HRT medicines and is not linked to regulatory matters. However, the HPRA continues to review available options within our regulatory remit to facilitate increased supply where at all possible. In particular, the HPRA has advised the companies that we are open to providing accelerated regulatory approval to supply a product originally intended for other markets if available. We are awaiting further information from the companies in this regard.
The HPRA publishes a medicinal product shortages list on its website, with the reason for the shortage, the expected dates for the return of supply and in some cases, such as HRT shortages, the HSE’s clinical guidance on the management of patient treatment in response to medicine shortages. The information is made available to assist healthcare professionals in managing medicine shortages when they do arise and reduce their impact on patients. The information relating to shortages on the HPRA website is dynamic and changes depending on the current information the HPRA has to hand, including removal from the list when a shortage has been resolved.
The HPRA will continue to liaise with suppliers of HRT medicines over the coming weeks with a view to securing updates and commitments regarding the restoration of normal supplies for patients as soon as possible.
211. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health the number of patients per CHO on neurology waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12010/22]
View answerIt is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant work continues to positively impact on waiting times and improve pathways to elective care, acute hospitals have been impacted by operational challenges arising from surges in cases related to the Delta and Omicron variants.
The HSE has confirmed to the Department that 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.
The Department of Health continues to work with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to identify ways to improve access to care, including through increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services, providing virtual clinics, and increasing capacity in the public hospital system.
The 2022 waiting list action plan, which was launched on the 26th of February, allocates €350 million to the HSE and NTPF to reduce waiting lists by 18% this year which will bring the number of people waiting to their lowest point in five years
Projections for 2022 show that over 1.5 million patients will be added to active waiting lists this year. Many people stayed away from the health service during the pandemic and, as these people come forward for treatment it will place huge additional demand on health services.
Under this plan the Department HSE and NTPF will deliver urgent additional capacity to treat 1.7 million people as well as investing in longer term reforms to bring sustained reductions in waiting lists.
The plan focuses on 15 high volume inpatient day case procedures, including cataracts and hip and knee replacements, so that every person waiting over 6 months for one of these procedures, and who is clinically ready will receive an offer of treatment.
The plan builds on the successes of the short-term 2021 plan that ran from September to December last year. The 2021 plan was developed by the Department of Health, the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and was driven and overseen by a senior governance group co-chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Health and the CEO of the HSE and met fortnightly.
This rigorous level of governance and scrutiny of waiting lists has continued into this year with the oversight group evolving into the Waiting List Task Force. The Task Force will meet regularly to drive progress of the 2022 plan.
This is the first stage of an ambitious multi-annual waiting list plan, which is currently under development in the Department of Health. Between them, these plans will work to support short, medium, and long term initiatives to reduce waiting times and provide the activity needed in years to come.
I understand that the Deputy has indicated he is satisfied to receive the information requested by Hospital Group rather than CHO. The attached document outlines the IPDC and Outpatient Neurology Waiting List by Hospital Group.
212. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health his plans in relation to increasing the number of neurology nurse specialists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12011/22]
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.
213. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health the expected timeframe for the establishment of the national diabetes registry; the engagements that have taken place in relation to eHealth and the registry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12012/22]
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. It was intended that the registry would be in place by 2021. However, the 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.
The development of a National Diabetes Registry remains a priority, and following substantial increases in investment in eHealth, is now being considered as part of a wider review of Ireland’s health information strategy. The diabetes registry, along with other disease-specific registries, will operate as “virtual” registries and will use existing health and social care records to enable the monitoring of the incidence and prevalence of disease in Ireland.
Virtual registries will identify people with specific diseases in data extracted from systems such as hospital inpatient and outpatient records, laboratory tests, and pharmaceutical data collections. Each “virtual” registry will be allowed to require and request the provision of relevant information from health and social care organisations, and anyone who is providing a health or social care service to ensure each registry will have complete coverage of its area of relevance.
Virtual registries will allow for the development of disease-specific registries in a way that maintains comprehensive and up-to-date information that will meet the needs of many different stakeholders.
214. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health the expected timeframe for the establishment of eHealth virtual disease-specific registries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12013/22]
View answerThe Department is currently preparing a Memo for Government for approval-in-principal of a Health Information Bill, to improve the care people receive, their outcomes and the well-being of the population by ensuring high quality information is available to the public, health and social care professional, researchers and policymakers.
Included in the design of this Bill is a provision to enable the operation of disease-specific “virtual registries”, where information on disease diagnoses and treatment from healthcare providers are efficiently collated, combined and quality-checked from administrative records to create a database akin to an active registry for each disease. This will greatly improve the potential to monitor rare-disease prevalence in Ireland
215. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will establish a multi-disciplinary team to provide the necessary specialist support for sufferers of Huntington’s disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12017/22]
View answerAs this question is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
216. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will establish a working group to focus on Huntington’s disease under the joint auspices of the National Dementia Office and the integrated care programme within the next six months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12018/22]
View answerAs this question is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
217. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of persons with diabetes who are approved for devices (details supplied) through the long-term illness scheme; and the number who are over 21 years of age in each of the years 2018 to 2021, in tabular form [12024/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
218. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of persons with diabetes who are approved for devices (details supplied) through the long-term illness scheme; and the number who are over 21 years of age in each of the years 2018 to 2021, in tabular form. [12025/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
219. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of clinical referrals received for devices (details supplied) for persons with diabetes through the aids and appliances arrangements; the number of referrals that were received for persons over 21 years of age; the number of referrals approved; the number of referrals approved for persons over 21 years of age; the number of referrals that were rejected; and the number of referrals that were rejected for persons over 21 years of age in each of the years 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, in tabular form [12026/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
220. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the steps that can be taken to assist a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12029/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
221. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if an issue in relation to dental work for medical card holders will be addressed as in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12033/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
222. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health if he will examine the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12034/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
223. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health if he will consider continuing local access to free PCR tests for persons who require a negative result to access services in a public hospital after 28 February 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12036/22]
View answerThe HSE will continue to provide access to PCR testing according to the prevailing public health guidance in place at any particular time and swabbing centres around the country remain open for this purpose. There is no charge for a Sars-Cov-2 test provided by the HSE for public health purposes and no plans to introduce such any such charge.
Individuals who are concerned about an underlying condition and/or their level of risk in relation to COVID-19 should continue to seek advice from their GP or treating clinician. In the example provided by the Deputy, the individual should also discuss the options available with the hospital concerned, or their local GP.
224. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Health when University Hospital Limerick will become a DAFNE-accredited diabetes centre; and the number of whole-time equivalent posts (details supplied) currently in place in the adult outpatient diabetes clinic in each of the hospitals in the University of Limerick hospital group, in tabular form. [12151/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
225. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Health the number of persons with diabetes who were funded for a device (details supplied) by the long-term iIlness scheme or the primary care reimbursement service; and the number of such persons that were over 21 years of age in each of the years 2018 to 2021, in tabular form. [12152/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
226. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Health the number of funding applications received by the long-term illness scheme or the primary care reimbursement service for the FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system; the number of applications received for persons over 21 years of age; the number of applications approved; the number of applications approved for persons over 21 years of age; the number of applications that were rejected; and the number of applications that were rejected for persons over 21 years of age in each of the years 2018 to 2021, in tabular form. [12153/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
227. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital admissions that occurred through University of Limerick hospital group accident and emergency or the acute medical assessment units due to severe hypoglycaemia in each of the years 2017 to 2021 in age ranges (details supplied) in tabular form. [12154/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
228. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health when University Hospital Limerick will become a DAFNE-accredited diabetes centre; the number of full-time consultant endocrinologists, diabetes specialist dieticians and clinical diabetes nurse specialists currently in the adult outpatient diabetes clinic in each hospital in the hospital group; and the details of same. [12162/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
229. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health the number of persons with diabetes who were funded for devices (details supplied) through the long-term illness scheme or the primary care reimbursement service; and the details of same. [12163/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
