Tuesday, 10 May 2022

Written Answers Nos. 766-780

Emergency Departments

Questions (766)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

766. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of patients who presented to the accident and emergency department in Mullingar Hospital in 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [23117/22]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Mental Health Services

Questions (767)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

767. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list for Jigsaw; the average waiting times in each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022 in CHO 8 in tabular form. [23118/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Health Services Staff

Questions (768)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

768. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of consultant paediatric cardiologists working in the public health services; his plans to expand this number; the international recommended best practice ratio for paediatric cardiologist surgeons to population and current ratio. [23119/22]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Question No. 769 answered with Question No. 701.

Healthcare Policy

Questions (770)

David Cullinane

Question:

770. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status of the establishment of a programme for women’s health in epilepsy within the regional epilepsy centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23125/22]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is an operational matter, the question has been referred to the Health Service Executive for their attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Question No. 771 answered with Question No. 701.

Question No. 772 answered with Question No. 702.

Mental Health Services

Questions (773)

Mark Ward

Question:

773. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the cost of an independent complaints mechanism for mental health services in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23137/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The Department currently has no plans to introduce an independent complaints mechanism for mental health services nor has a review been carried out to ascertain the cost of establishing such a mechanism.

In line with the Mental Health Act 2001 (Approved Centre) Regulations 2006, each inpatient mental health service, as with general health services, must have a complaints procedure in place, such as the HSE’s ‘Your Service, Your Say’ service. 'Your Service, Your Say' is available to anyone accessing HSE mental health services, be that on an inpatient or outpatient basis. Following the investigation of the complaint by the HSE, an individual may request an internal review to be carried out by the HSE if they are not happy with the outcome. Furthermore, in cases where the complainant is not satisfied with the response to their complaint, they can request an external review from the Office of the Ombudsman, or in the case of child and adolescent services, the Office of the Ombudsman for Children. This option is available to anyone who accesses our public health services, be it mental health services or otherwise.

The General Scheme of a Bill to amend the Mental Health Act, published in July 2021, provides for every person accessing treatment in an inpatient mental health facility to be given information about their care and treatment, including an explicit requirement to provide information on the service’s complaints procedure. Furthermore, the powers of the Inspector of Mental Health Services are being expanded to include 24-hour community residential facilities and community mental health services. As under the existing Act, the Inspector will continue to meet with any person accessing mental health services who has requested such a meeting.

The General Scheme also includes a statutory right to engage an advocate under numerous heads, including a definition of advocate under Section 2, information on advocacy to be provided to people in approved inpatient facilities under Sections 16, 79 and 91, access to an advocate during a review board under Section 16B, during inquiries carried out by the Inspector under Section 55, or when making decisions about treatment under Sections 56 and 104. 

The improvement of Advocacy supports is a key objective of the HSE Service Plan 2022.There are a number of advocacy supports for people accessing mental health services offered by the public and voluntary sectors. The HSE currently provides some advocacy supports such as a Peer Advocacy Service in mental health. This service is concentrated on inpatient services and is delivered by an external agency on behalf of the HSE. In addition to adult advocacy services, HSE National Mental Health Services has a pilot scheme in place in two inpatient units to provide an advocacy service through an external provider for young people and their families using Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

The National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS) provides a free, confidential service to people with mental health difficulties, particularly people with complex needs. NAS is funded and supported by the Citizens Information Board, which has a mandate under the Citizens Information Act 2007 and the Comhairle Act 2000 to provide advocacy for persons with disabilities. Citizens Information Centres can be found nationwide and provide free, impartial advice and advocacy, or the Citizens Information Phone Service can be reached by phone.  

Sage Advocacy also provides some advocacy support to people with mental health difficulties, particularly older people, in their role in supporting and enabling vulnerable adults and older people to make their voices heard in their healthcare decisions. The Irish Advocacy Network provides peer advocacy supports to people with mental health difficulties which can be accessed on a self-referral basis.

Question No. 774 answered with Question No. 702.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Questions (775)

Seán Canney

Question:

775. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for urgent, urgent 1 and non-urgent patients at the symptomatic breast cancer clinic at University Hospital Galway; the number of patients on each list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23139/22]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Health Services

Questions (776)

Holly Cairns

Question:

776. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health his views on ensuring that the HSE supports water birthing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23147/22]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As the National Women and Infants Health Programme leads on the management, organisation and delivery of maternity, gynaecological and neonatal services, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Healthcare Policy

Questions (777)

Holly Cairns

Question:

777. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will make available the policies in place for when a patient and or member of the public discloses an instance of sexual harassment or assault that occurred within a HSE property or service, or service operated by a section 38 or section 39 organisation, to a HSE employee; if these policies are publicly accessible on the relevant website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23148/22]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (778)

Holly Cairns

Question:

778. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to treat persons with long Covid or persons who are still suffering effects post-Covid infection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23149/22]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply to the Deputy directly.

Health Services

Questions (779)

Louise O'Reilly

Question:

779. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the status of the projects that received funding from the Sláintecare Integration Fund; if they were funded afterwards; the number of the 122 projects that continued to be funded through his Department or the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23161/22]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Sláintecare Integration Fund (SIF) formed part of the Sláintecare Action Plan 2019 which established the building blocks for a significant shift in the way in which health services are delivered in Ireland. Budget 2019 provided €20 million for the establishment of a ring-fenced Sláintecare Integration Fund to support service delivery which focuses on prevention, community care and integration of care across all health and social care settings. The SIF supported 123 HSE and NGO sector projects, to test and evaluate innovative models of care providing a 'proof of concept' with a view to mainstreaming/scaling of successful projects through the annual budget estimates process.

The current status of the 123 SIF projects is as follows; 106 projects are mainstreamed (which means they will receive recurring funding annually), two projects have received once off funding to facilitate reviews by HSE in 2022, two projects were granted a funded extension to facilitate completion of review in 2022 by my Department, and 13 Projects have completed.

An End of Programme Report on the operation of the Sláintecare Integration Fund is being finalised and is expected to be published in the near future.

Hospital Charges

Questions (780, 781, 784, 785)

Louise O'Reilly

Question:

780. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the circumstances under which medical card patients are exempt from charges for phlebotomy services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23162/22]

Louise O'Reilly

Question:

781. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if a clear definition and operational guideline is available for phlebotomy services charges in cases in which the tests assist in the diagnosis of illness or the treatment of a condition; the guidance that is available on this from the HSE; the way that general practitioners decide on if the tests assist in the diagnosis of illness or the treatment of a condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23163/22]

Louise O'Reilly

Question:

784. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that cardiovascular disease patients with medical cards, including stroke patients, who are part of the general practitioner chronic disease management programme are being charged for blood tests in the context of the monitoring of their condition; if he will address the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23166/22]

Louise O'Reilly

Question:

785. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health when he intends to raise the issue of phlebotomy services charges for medical card holders with the relevant general practitioner representative body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23167/22]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 780, 781, 784 and 785 together.

Under 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". Persons who hold a medical card or a GP visit card are not subject to any co-payments or other charges in respect of such services including GP consultations.

The issue of GPs charging GMS patients for phlebotomy services (blood tests) is complex given the numerous reasons and circumstances under which blood tests are taken. Clinical determinations as to whether a blood test should taken to either assist in the diagnosis of illness or the treatment of a condition are made by the GP concerned. There is no provision under the GMS GP contract for persons who hold a medical card or GP visit card to be charged for such blood tests. In addition, blood tests undertaken in the context of services provided under the GP Chronic Disease Management programme are covered by the fees paid to GPs by the HSE for this care. 

The issue has been raised 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.

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, or has been charged for a blood test provided under the Chronic Disease Management programme, 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.