Written Answers Nos. 826-840
826. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on waiting lists for the range of CHO-provided or overseen services, by CHO and by speciality and service by each service waiting list by age cohort breakdowns and time on the waiting list within cohorts at the end of April 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23341/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
827. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on diagnostic waiting lists at the end of April 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23342/22]
View answerThe latest available diagnostic waiting list data is outlined in the document attached, which sets out waiting list data for Quarter 1 2022 for CT, MRI and Ultrasound. The HSE advises that, at present, further diagnostic scans (including cholangiopancreatography, electroencephalogram, angiogram, and bone scan), are not yet captured as part of this project.
The HSE advises that a pilot project commenced in 2016 by the HSE Acute Hospitals Division to progress the collection of national radiology waiting list data. The project has been supported by the Radiology Clinical Care Programme and has involved key stakeholders across the system including the National Integrated Medical Imaging System (NIMIS) Team, Hospital Groups, and the support of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) for data collection and data management expertise.
The information that is currently being collected is presently being tested and validated at hospital, hospital group and national level and as such should not be used/reported without the context of the caveats set out below:
- Data is subject to inclusions and exclusions which are documented in the Data Profile Document. This document is available from Acute Operations and has been circulated to all Hospital Groups.
- Data contains urgent, routine and surveillance/planned activity which is currently not broken down in detail, as such this includes surveillance/planned activity which may not be exceeding planned date.
- Data is still undergoing validation at Hospital and Hospital Group level.
- Data does not take into account local nuances at site level (Site profile developed to support understanding of same).
- The purpose of this aggregate data is to provide a National Level overview of the number of patients waiting for modalities of CT, MRI and Ultrasound.
- This report is not intended to be used for the active management of hospital diagnostics waiting list, local reports and mechanisms should continue to be used for the management of diagnostics waiting lists at hospital level.
In Q1 2022, there were a total of 236,380 patients reported on the waiting list from all sites, this represents all outpatients waiting, urgent, semi urgent, routine and planned/surveillance (where diagnostic access is planned at particular time intervals).
828. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health the number of family forums that have been established under each Children’s Disability Network in County Wexford. [23352/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
829. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health if there are vacancies in the Disability Network Team for counties Roscommon and Galway; the number of vacancies that exist; and the timeframe these vacancies have existed. [23367/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
830. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1722 of 26 April 2022, if the legally binding instrument that emerges from the negotiating process will be brought before the Houses of the Oireachtas for debate; if a majority vote will be required before the instrument is transposed into Irish law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23406/22]
View answerOn 1 December 2021, the members of the World Health Organisation reached consensus to begin the process to negotiate a convention, agreement or other international instrument to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. Put simply, the aim of such an instrument is to protect public health and to help save lives in the event of future pandemics.
An Intergovernmental Negotiating Body has been established and met for the first time on 24 February 2022. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Body is due to meet again by 1 August 2022 to discuss progress on a working draft of an agreement. A progress report is expected to be delivered to the 76th World Health Assembly in 2023, with the aim of adopting the instrument by 2024.
As provided for in the Constitution, the conclusion of an international agreement is an exercise of the executive power of the State in connection with its external relations and is therefore concluded by or on the authority of the Government. In practice this means that Government approval must be sought for the signature, ratification or approval of every international agreement.
As the proposed instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response is currently in the very early stages of negotiation, it is not possible at this time to determine the precise legal ramifications of the instrument, nor has it been determined what form the instrument shall take.
The requirements of the Irish Constitution will, of course, be respected in Ireland’s position towards the negotiations and my Department will engage with the Office of the Attorney General in relation to any concerns that may arise in this regard.
831. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the Departmental review of the dental medical card scheme as of May 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23427/22]
View answerThe Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) is the national dental scheme for medical card holders over the age of 16. Services are provided by private dentists who hold a contract with the HSE. Following consultation with the Irish Dental Association, I gave approval on the 13th of April, for the implementation of new measures to provide for both expanded dental health care for medical card holders and increased fees for dental contractors in the hope that more dentists will see more medical card patients.
The changes to the Scheme came into effect from the beginning of May 2022.
These changes to the Scheme are interim measures designed to secure services for medical card holders pending a more substantive reform of dental services to align with the National Oral Health Policy. Work on that longer-term project has already commenced.
833. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if a matter raised in correspondence by a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; the status of this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23448/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
834. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be offered a place in a nursing home. [23451/22]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
835. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if Beaumont Hospital is short five neurology nurse specialists (details supplied); if so, the efforts that are being made to fill these posts; when the posts will be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23452/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
836. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if matters raised in correspondence by a person (details supplied) in relation to Huntington's disease will be reviewed; the status of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23458/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
837. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps that he is taking to provide chiropody services for public patients in CHO4; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23462/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
838. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will request the HSE to lift the ban on water births with immediate effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23463/22]
View answerAs 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.
839. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the protocols and supports that are in place to facilitate pregnant women and people that seek home births. [23464/22]
View answerAs 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.
840. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the details of the number of midwives employed in each CHO; the breakdown of the number of midwives per area within each CHO; the number of full-time midwives; and the number that work on a part-time basis in tabular form. [23465/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
