Thursday, 30 Jun 2022

Written Answers Nos. 281-300

Health Services Staff

Questions (281)

Catherine Connolly

Question:

281. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 99 of 17 May 2022, if he will report on his Department’s role on the recently established Strategic Workforce Advisory Group which will examine and make recommendations around strategic workforce challenges in front-line carer roles in home support and nursing homes; the number of meetings attended to date by representative from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34630/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

Following a call for submissions from relevant stakeholders, I established the cross-departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group in March 2022. The remit of the Group is to identify—and formulate recommendations to address—strategic workforce challenges in the home-support and nursing home sectors. Accordingly, the Group is examining issues such as the recruitment, retention, training, career-development, and pay and conditions of front-line carers in these sectors so that solutions can be found. 

To date the Group has met four times and is scheduled to meet again in July. The Group’s deliberations have been informed by a structured programme of stakeholder-engagement consisting of a series of bi-lateral meetings and a facilitated workshop, which was held on 23rd May. Engagement with key stakeholders in the home-support and nursing home sectors continues to inform the Group’s exploration of the issues arising. 

In addition, the work of the Group will be informed by an evidence review of the role, function, and supply of home-support workers in four European countries, which the Department of Health has  commissioned from the Health Research Board. This will provide insight into home-support workers’ employment-conditions internationally. 

A report outlining the Group’s key findings and recommendations will be submitted to me by September 2022.

Mental Health Services

Questions (282)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Question:

282. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment for psychiatry services in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35070/22]

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.

Disabilities Assessments

Questions (283, 284)

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

283. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the status of the establishment of the National HSE disability office group that is being set up to develop a revised approach to assessment of need under the Disability Act 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35072/22]

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

284. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the updated timeline for the resumption of preliminary team assessments given the March 2022 High Court judgment stating that the assessment of need standard operating procedure failed to comply with the Disability Act 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35073/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 283 and 284 together.

As these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Question No. 284 answered with Question No. 283.

Hospital Overcrowding

Questions (285)

Patricia Ryan

Question:

285. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health his plans to produce a plan for each hospital to tackle chronic overcrowding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35084/22]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I have been engaging with the HSE to address ED overcrowding for some time. In April I requested that the HSE set out the short term, immediate actions to alleviate the current situation in EDs, and ensure the system is best positioned for next winter. I also requested the development of a longer-term programme for reform and improvement of unscheduled care, to ensure that EDs are in a position to cater for expected increases in demand driven by population growth and an aging population.

I met with senior officials from the HSE on a number of occasions, most recently on 23rd June, to discuss the immediate responses required to tackle the pressures currently being faced by all 29 Emergency Departments across the country. I wrote to the HSE on 27th June to request the HSE urgently commence the implementation of the short-term measures identified for each ED.

My Department and the HSE will continue to work together to develop a programme building on these measures with a suite of longer-term actions to deliver systemic change to how unscheduled care is delivered. The overarching aim of this programme is to transform unscheduled care delivery across the full patient flow continuum in a structured, systemised and governed manner which is measurable and sustainable. This programme will adopt a 3-year phased approach. 

The programme will be developed according to the ‘Five Fundamentals of Unscheduled Care’, which were designed and developed as an integrated framework to support sustainable and scalable unscheduled care improvement in line with the Sláintecare vision and goals. The Fundamentals were developed through an international review of published frameworks for improving unscheduled care performance. The five areas of focus are:

- Leadership, Culture and Governance

- Patient Flow at Pre-Admission

- Patient Flow at Post-Admission

- Integrated Community and Hospital Services

- Using Information to support sustainable Performance Improvement.

The patient will be at the centre of all initiatives. This framework follows a robust programmatic approach ensuring a standardised improvement approach is taken nationally while allowing for local bespoke improvement initiatives to be developed and locally owned. Enablers including data, reporting systems and project management will be provided in order to effect and sustain change. The approach is underpinned by the ethos – ‘clinically led, excellently managed’.

I will update the Dáil further as this plan progresses.

Care of the Elderly

Questions (286, 287)

Patricia Ryan

Question:

286. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the number of older people in each county who avail of boarding out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35091/22]

Patricia Ryan

Question:

287. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the amount his Department spends on boarding out for older people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35092/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 286 and 287 together.

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

Question No. 287 answered with Question No. 286.

Hospital Appointments Status

Questions (288)

Robert Troy

Question:

288. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite a medical appointment for a person (details supplied). [35104/22]

Written answers

Minister for Health

Under 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.

Medicinal Products

Questions (289)

Joe Carey

Question:

289. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Health when he expects uromune to become available in Ireland for the treatment of recurrent urinary tract infections given that it is currently available through various special access programs in countries around the world, including the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Australia and New Zealand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35116/22]

Written answers

Minister for Health

Department officials have consulted with the Irish medicines regulator, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), on this matter. The HPRA has advised that Uromune is not authorised nationally in Ireland, nor is it centrally authorised by the European Medicines Agency.  The HPRA has also advised that, while there are some international clinical trials investigating the use of Uromune in the context of urinary tract infections, it  has not received any application to conduct a clinical trial with this medicine in Ireland.  

If the safe and efficacious use of Uromune in the treatment of recurrent urinary tract infections is demonstrated through successful clinical trials, the marketing authorisation holder may choose to apply to the European Medicines Agency or the HPRA to place the medicine on the market. The decision to make such an application can only be made by the marketing authorisation holder. It is important to note that, as Minister for Health, I have no role in the authorisation process for medicinal products.

Medicinal Products

Questions (290)

Denis Naughten

Question:

290. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the steps that are being taken to increase the volume of generic medicines used to fulfil prescriptions to achieve the European Union average of 70%; the estimated savings to the annual drug bill as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35122/22]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 provided for Interchangeability/Substitution, informed by the HPRA list of interchangeable products for medicines with a generic equivalent.

Under the 2013 Act, pharmacists are obliged to offer the lowest cost product on interchangeable list. The HPRA maintains a list of interchangeable products to enable substitution in this way.

Under the 2013 Act, the HSE sets a common reimbursement price for all medicines in any group of interchangeable products (internal reference pricing).

The HSE Medicines Management Programme was established in 2013 and continues to implement measures to assist prescribers in cost-effective prescribing.

Under the 2013 Act, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes, including data concerning prescribing and reimbursement; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Medical Cards

Questions (291, 292, 293, 294)

David Cullinane

Question:

291. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of increasing the medical card threshold by €100, €200, €300 and €400 per week for persons over and for under 70 years by category in tabular form; the level that this would rise to; the number of additional households which would likely qualify for eligibility; the estimated total cost assuming 100% uptake; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35125/22]

David Cullinane

Question:

292. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional cost of expanding full medical card entitlement to 50% and 75% of the population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35126/22]

David Cullinane

Question:

293. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of increasing the general practitioner visit threshold by €100, €200, €300 and €400 per week for persons under 70 tears by category in tabular form; the level that this would rise to; the number of additional households which would likely qualify for eligibility; the estimated total cost assuming 100% uptake; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35127/22]

David Cullinane

Question:

294. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional cost of expanding general practitioner visit card entitlement to 50% and 75% of the population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35128/22]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 291 to 294, inclusive, together.

Eligibility for a Medical Card is primarily based on a financial assessment which is conducted by the HSE in accordance with the Health Act 1970 (as amended). The HSE assesses each medical card application on a qualifying financial threshold. This is the amount of money that an individual can earn a week and still qualify for a card and is specific to the individual’s own financial circumstances. In circumstances where an applicant is still over the income limit for a medical card, they are then assessed for a GP visit card, which entitles the applicant to GP visits without charge.

If an applicant’s income is over the limit for a medical card or GP visit card, they may still qualify for a discretionary card.  

Every effort is made by the HSE, within the framework of the legislation, to support applicants to take full account of the difficult circumstances in the case of applicants who may be in excess of the income guidelines. The HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card/GP visit card, even though an applicant exceeds the income threshold where they face difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from an illness. Social and medical issues are also considered when determining whether undue hardship exists for an individual accessing general practitioner or other medical services.

With regard to the estimated cost of increasing the weekly income thresholds for medical cards and GP visit cards and the additional cost of expanding full medical card and GP visit card entitlement, this information is not readily available at this time. I wish to assure the Deputy that the current medical/GP visit card income thresholds are kept under review and any changes that may be required would be considered in the context of broader Government policy, the annual budgetary estimates process and other issues which may be relevant for consideration.

Question No. 292 answered with Question No. 291.

Question No. 293 answered with Question No. 291.

Question No. 294 answered with Question No. 291.

Tobacco Control Measures

Questions (295, 296)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

295. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if his Department has plans to regulate the e-cigarette market. [35133/22]

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

296. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the commitments made in the programme for Government related to e-cigarettes, including the proposed ban on the sale of these products to persons under 18 years of age; and the proposed licensing system for the retail sale of nicotine inhaling products. [35134/22]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 295 and 296 together.

The Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill will introduce a mandatory licensing system for retailers and prohibit their sale to, and by, persons under 18 years of age. The Bill is currently being drafted by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel. The report on pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Bill is awaited from the Joint Committee on Health.

Question No. 296 answered with Question No. 295.

Healthcare Infrastructure Provision

Questions (297)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

297. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the current position regarding funding for a capital project (details supplied) in Donegal town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35137/22]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.

Medical Cards

Questions (298)

James Lawless

Question:

298. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health if a medical card will be expedited for a person (details supplied) who is in urgent need of a procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35148/22]

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. 

Disability Services

Questions (299, 300)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

299. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of children aged nought to 18 years who are waiting for first-time intervention in all areas of early intervention in each CHO area, by individual area and by each composite LHO within each CHO; the number on the public list; the number on the children's disability network team list, in each CHO, in tabular form; and the length of time that they are awaiting intervention by age. [35155/22]

Seán Sherlock

Question:

300. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of individualised family service plans that have been issued and accepted by each individual children's disability network team, by CHO area. [35156/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 299 and 300 together.

As these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Question No. 300 answered with Question No. 299.