Written Answers Nos. 1333-1352
1333. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the total number of persons awaiting a psychologist report for MHID services in each of the CHO 8 areas; the current expected waiting time for an assessment; if he plans to expand services within this area in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63857/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1334. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the reason that no physiotherapy services have been established in the Cahir primary care centre in County Tipperary; if he will list all of the public physiotherapy services that are available in south Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63859/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1335. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health the way that those who qualify for free nappies for their children can access the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63860/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1336. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) will receive an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63861/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1337. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 5 of 8 December 2022, if he will outline the 35 recommendations from the Maskey Report to improve service delivery; the 17 national and local actions that have been implemented; if he will provide a timeline for the remainder of the actions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63863/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1338. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health when the HSE review of CAMHS in north Kerry is expected to be completed; when the review commenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63864/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1339. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a breakdown of the 237 whole-time equivalent public health nurse vacancies by CHO; the number of these that were filled by CHO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63865/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1340. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the National Community Nursing Oversight Group; when it was established; the professionals that are involved in the group; the process for their appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63866/22]
View answerAs this matter is under the remit of the HSE, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1341. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if there is a monthly limit on the number of nappies that can be supplied for children and or adults with disabilities by a public health nurse. [63876/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1342. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when facilities will be provided at a clinic (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63877/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1343. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be called for surgery. [63880/22]
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.
1344. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 612 of 6 December 2022, when the person (details supplied) will be moved to a suitable facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63881/22]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1345. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health when a child will be seen for therapies (details supplied); and the dates for same. [63884/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1346. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if any consideration has been given to fast-tracking the medical registration of Ukrainian health care professionals in order to ensure that any available doctors and nurses are in a position to assist in our health staff recruitment crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63887/22]
View answerOfficials from my Department have been working closely with colleagues in the six health profession regulators to examine ways to support all Ukrainian health practitioners arriving in the State. The regulators fully recognise the importance of assisting these practitioners and have been actively examining the measures that might need to be taken to support them to join their registers where possible and to gain employment in the health service.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Medical Council is the statutory agency responsible for the registration and regulation of doctors in Ireland. It is committed to supporting doctors arriving from Ukraine seeking to work in this jurisdiction. The Medical Council has established an internal working group to examine ways in which it can support these doctors, it has met with the Ukrainian Ambassador to Ireland and it has a dedicated email address and webpage with information for Ukrainian doctors.
The HSE has also been heavily engaged in this and is working on providing employment pathways for those with health care qualifications and experience. The HSE is currently exploring the possibility of observer roles in clinical areas while doctors are awaiting full registration and is working closely with the Medical Council in this regard. The HSE has a web portal open to Ukrainian practitioners who wish to register their interest in working in healthcare and it communicates regularly to inform them of updates in relation to their profession.
It has become clear that medical English language training is particularly required to assist many of the applicants to meet the standards necessary for registration. In this regard, I am pleased to advise the Deputy that I recently approved a funding package for medical English language training to assist Ukrainian doctors and dentists in gaining registration here. The HSE are currently finalising the application and operational details and will be communicating shortly with Ukrainian practitioners, in conjunction with the regulators and the Ukrainian Embassy.
Further funding will also be made available to support Ukrainian health care professionals to meet additional costs which may be associated with achieving recognition and which may be outside the control of the regulators, such as professional competence exams. These supports will ensure that practitioners will not be precluded from registering because of financial barriers.
I would like to assure the Deputy that I fully appreciate the importance of assisting health professionals from Ukraine to gain registration here. However, it is important that this is done in a safe manner which recognises the differences in training and language that exist between our systems of medical education and practise. The medical language training as well as the creation of suitable roles in the health service will greatly assist those in meeting the standards for registration and it is expected that significant progress will be made this year.
1347. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health the options that are available for a medical card holder to get a new dentist when their previous dentist has stopped taking medical card holders as patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63892/22]
View answerThe Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental care, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Services available annually and on demand include an examination including preventative elements, two fillings, emergency extractions, and a scale and polish. Since May 1st 2022, there has been additional prevention treatments included and a 40-60% increase in fees across most treatment items. More complex care, such as dentures, and a broader range of treatments for patients with additional needs and high-risk patients are also available.
The DTSS is a “choice of dentist” scheme which does not require the patient to register with a particular dentist and enables medical card holders to attend any DTSS contractor directly without recourse to the HSE. Where access to a dentist is difficult, local HSE services assist patients who make enquires and make lists of DTSS contractors available to medical card holders. In exceptional circumstances the HSE directly assists patients to access emergency dental treatment by contacting private contractors or arranging treatment through HSE-employed dentists.
I am aware that there are some towns with no or very few DTSS dentists that have sufficient capacity to accept new patients. For this reason, €5 million of additional funding has been allocated through Budget 2023 on a one-off basis to support the HSE Public Dental Service to provide care this year, including through a HSE ‘safety- net’ service for adult medical card holders who are in need of emergency care and are still struggling to access a local dentist.
1348. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify the rules in relation to children who require after-hours Caredoc or Shannon Doc services but have been told that they cannot be treated or seen without a negative antigen test (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63895/22]
View answerGPs are private practitioners, most of whom hold a contract with the HSE for the provision of health services, such as the GMS scheme for the provision of GP services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders. GP out-of-hour providers are private organisations.
In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, general practice has continued to see patients as necessary, with appropriate infection-control measures in place. No directive has issued from either the Department of Health or the HSE on the requirements for children to provide a negative antigen test to avail of a GP appointment. GPs may test vulnerable patients during consultations where clinically required to diagnose and treat Covid-19 and for the possible prescribing of Covid-19 antiviral medication.
1349. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the large cohort of front-line staff in healthcare settings under section 39 who provide a service on behalf of the HSE who still remain excluded from qualifying for the pandemic special recognition payment; the person or body that decided the eligibility criteria; the methodology that was used in deciding to exclude this cohort of Section 39 frontline staff from the payment; the reason that no independent centralised appeals mechanism was put in place; if his attention has been drawn to the number of this particular cohort that are excluded from the payment; if he will direct his Department and the HSE to conduct research and analysis through engagement with the various representative bodies and organisations to determine the number of this cohort that are involved in order to rectify the situation; if so, the timeline for when the research will be conducted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63896/22]
View answerLast year the Government announced a once-off, ex-gratia COVID-19 pandemic recognition payment for certain frontline public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic.
This payment is for certain eligible public sector healthcare workers, and specific cohorts beyond the public sector as follows:
1. Private sector nursing homes and hospices;
2. Eligible staff working on-site in Section 39 long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities;
3. Agency roles working in the HSE;
4. Health Care Support Assistants (also known as home help / home care / home support) contracted to the HSE.
The above-mentioned cohorts are the only ones covered for this payment. It was tough to draw a line on this matter, but the Government based its decision on the risks which eligible frontline workers faced, following careful consideration and consultation, including with the Labour-Employer Economic Forum.
The Government has expressed sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during what has been a challenging period for our health services. The Government appreciates that those organisations and staff who are not encompassed for this particular payment may feel disappointed. The Department has no plans to research the number of individuals who fall outside the scope of the payment, particularly given that the rollout of this once-off payment is nearing completion.
While undoubtedly immense efforts have been made by other healthcare staff since the onset of this pandemic, it is right that the Government pursue this course to recognise those at greatest risk in the performance of their duties throughout the pandemic, including those who worked in the very acutely affected environments above.
The Government notes that some private sector healthcare employers have already recognised their frontline workers for their extraordinary efforts during the pandemic. I would encourage those other private sector healthcare employers who have not done so to adopt appropriate measures to recognise their employees.
In recognition of the efforts of all workers, volunteers, and the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in remembrance of people who lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government announced a public holiday which took place on 18 March 2022. From February this year there will also be a new permanent public holiday established to mark Imbolc/St Brigid’s Day.
Regarding appeals from ineligible staff within otherwise-covered organisations, these are a matter for individual employers and their HR departments / staff. Employees who wish to dispute their employer’s decision around their eligibility should seek information from their employers on the grievance or appeals process open to them. If employers have outstanding queries regarding implementation of the payment, they can use the contact information provided in the information pack they have received.
It is important to understand that the HSE and the Department of Health cannot themselves administer, or impose, any central one-size-fits-all appeals process for all of these organisations. There are a number of reasons for this, including:
- Many hundreds of varied organisations are involved (estimated at more than 800 covered organisations);
- The staff concerned are not HSE staff, so the HSE does not set their terms & conditions of employment or employment relationships. This also means the HSE cannot properly access the level of information/data required from the many organisations’ staff records in order to gather or verify appeal information;
Finally, I would like to thank all healthcare workers for their extraordinary efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
1350. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the amounts paid from his Department or other bodies funded by his Department to a company (details supplied) for services in the past two years; if these contracts have any provision for extra payments based on performances and so on; the way that an employee who is assessed as fit to work by the company can appeal or seek alternative opinions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63903/22]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
1351. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will outline in detail the hospitals that will benefit from a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63904/22]
View answerAs this is an operational matter for the HSE, I have asked them to reply directly to the Deputy as soon as possible,
1352. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of a wheelchair for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63905/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
