Written Answers Nos. 1577-1596
1577. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the current waiting times for bone density scans for patients at each hospital in the Saolta group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1771/23]
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.
1578. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal can expect to receive an appointment for cognitive behavioural therapy in Letterkenny University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1774/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1579. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the level of spending on new medicines and extension indications by the HSE in 2022; if the €30 million allocation was spent in full; if any unspent allocations were returned to the Exchequer by the HSE or diverted to other expenditure areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1775/23]
View answerThe HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
The HSE in its decision making considers the 5 year budget impact of each new medicine notwithstanding that the budget of the HSE is set on an annual basis. The year 1 costs of most medicines represent a fraction of the overall costs of those medicines when fully introduced.
The HSE has increased the approval of new medicines in 2021 and 2022 (in comparison to the 2 previous years (2019 and 2020)).
The HSE has confirmed that:
- In 2022, 30 new medicines and 30 new uses of existing medicines were approved at an additional cost of €178m over the first 5 years.
- In 2021, 29 new medicines and 21 new uses of existing medicines and 2 expansions of reimbursement were approved at an additional cost of €477m over the first 5 years of those decisions.
1580. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health when nursing home facilities can make additional applications to the HSE pandemic bonus scheme on behalf of former employees who are no longer employed at a facility. [1786/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.
1581. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the facilities and specialists that a GP can refer a person to by each CHO, in cases in which the person believes they have ADHD and wish to be diagnosed and appropriately treated by a psychiatrist and get access to medication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1787/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1582. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the total number of persons who attended the emergency department at Portlaoise Hospital in 2022; and the monthly breakdown of same. [1788/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1583. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the total number of patients attending each of the emergency departments in the State in 2021 and 2022. [1789/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1584. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE speech and language therapists working in Cashel Hospital in the years 2020 to 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if this number will be further increased. [1804/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1585. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Tipperary awaiting an appointment for cardiology services, by wait times, in tabular form. [1805/23]
View answer1586. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Tipperary awaiting an appointment for neurology services, by wait times, in tabular form. [1806/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1585 and 1586 together.
It is recognised that waiting times for many scheduled appointments and procedures were too long before and have been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant work continues to positively impact on waiting times and improve pathways to elective care, acute hospitals are still impacted by operational challenges arising from the pandemic and the current pressures on Emergency Departments.
The Health Service Executive (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 set targets to reduce both the number of people waiting for care and the length of time they are waiting. Positive progress was made in 2022 in relation to both targets, despite negative impacts throughout the year on scheduled care from continued COVID-19 surges, emergency department pressures and other operational factors, including staff hiring. In 2022, there were c.1.56m patients removed from the Waiting list and c.1.53m patients added to the waiting list – a net reduction of c.30k (4%). Long waiters were significantly reduced in 2022: the number of patients exceeding the 18-month maximum wait time target for new outpatient (OPD) appointments target decreased by c.59.0k (38.5%) and the number of patients exceeding the 12-month maximum wait time target for in-patient day case (IPDC) procedures and GI Scopes has decreased by c3.8k (22.6%) and c.3.5k (86.5%) respectively.
Through the 2022 Plan, €350m funding was allocated to the HSE and the NTPF to provide additional public and private activity to reduce the waiting list backlogs that were exacerbated during the Pandemic, but also as the first stage of an ambitious multi annual approach, to lay the foundations for important reforms that will deliver sustained reductions in waiting lists.
For 2023, funding of €443 million is being allocated to tackle Waiting Lists, some €360m of which is targeted at acute hospital waiting lists. The plan to utilise this part of the funding is being developed by the Department of Health in conjunction with the HSE and NTPF. This will include details of new capacity planned for 2023 as well as important reforms that will improve capacity in the public hospital system.
In relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, the information in the attached document, provided to my Department by the NTPF, outlines the number of children in County Tipperary who are waiting on the Inpatient-Daycase (IPDC) and Outpatient (OPD) waiting lists by time band for Cardiology and Neurology at the end of December 2022.
1587. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health the number of children on waiting lists who are awaiting first contact with their children’s disability network team nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1813/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1588. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health the average time spent on waiting lists for children awaiting first contact with their children’s disability network team nationwide, broken down to indicate the number of children awaiting longer than 18 months, 12 months and 6 months in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1814/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1589. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE staff per specialty currently working in each children’s disability network team in County Wicklow; the number of vacancies in each; if he will provide a timeline for vacancies to be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1815/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1590. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE psychiatrists currently in CAHMS in County Wicklow; the number of vacancies available; the timeline for filling them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1816/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1591. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for CAHMS services in County Wicklow; the number of children on the waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1817/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1592. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health when a nursing home worker (details supplied) can expect their Covid recognition payment. [1823/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.
1593. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the reason that a recruitment campaign (details supplied) for qualified paramedics who are registered with the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council includes competency-based assessments; the reason that applicants to a similar recruitment campaign for intermediate care operatives do not have to undergo competency-based assessments, despite both campaigns requiring candidates to be on the practitioner-level PHECC register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1828/23]
View answer1594. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to reports of issues with the multiple-choice question stage of a recruitment campaign for qualified paramedics (details supplied); his views on same; the engagements that he has had with the National Ambulance Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1830/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1593 and 1594 together.
As these are operational matters I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1595. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if a recruitment agency (details supplied) has been contracted to supply paramedic cover for the National Ambulance Service; if so, if he will provide details of this arrangement; the number of agency staff employed to date; the number of staff his Department intends to employ through this agency recruitment campaign; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1831/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1596. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health his views on the registration status of applicants to the National Ambulance Service who fail competency-based questions (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1832/23]
View answerThe Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) is the independent statutory body with responsibility for standards, training and education in pre-hospital emergency care, including the registration of practitioners and fitness to practice. Accordingly, I have asked the PHECC to respond to the Deputy on this matter with her question enclosed, as soon as possible.
