Written Answers Nos. 1698-1717
1698. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the steps that are being taken to increase the supply of home care workers to meet the level of approval of hours for home care by the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2257/23]
View answerCommitment, retention, training, career development, and pay and conditions of care workers in these The Government is committed to addressing the critical shortage of home care workers as an urgent priority. For this reason, I established the cross departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group in March 2022 to examine and formulate recommendations to address the challenges in frontline carer roles in the home support and long-term residential care sectors. Working closely with key stakeholders, the Group examined the sector. The Report of the Strategic Workforce Advisory Group on Home Carers and Nursing Home Healthcare Assistants was published on 15th October 2022. Providing an overview of the work of the Group and its key findings, the report presents a suite of 16 recommendations spanning the areas of areas of recruitment, pay and conditions of employment, barriers to employment, training and professional development, sectoral reform, and monitoring and implementation. I have strongly endorsed all of the Advisory Group’s recommendations and am committed to their full implementation as a priority. This will be overseen by an Implementation Group, which will be chaired by the Department of Health. On 16th December 2022 the Government announced the authorisation of 1,000 employment permits for non-EU/EEA home support workers, as recommended by the Advisory Group. This promises to significantly reduce the current shortage of home support workers in Ireland. More broadly, the Health Service Executive has begun the recruitment process for 128 interRAI Care Needs Facilitators to progress the national rollout of interRAI as the standard assessment tool for care needs in the community. InterRAI standardised outputs will be used to determine prioritisation and levels of care required. This will facilitate effective, efficient, fair and transparent care needs assessment, planning and appropriate service delivery. The HSE is also currently undertaking a recruitment process for a number of key posts to support and enable the establishment of a National Home Support Office.
1699. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the total budget per month and the amount spent per year on paediatric aids and appliances by an organisation (details supplied) in CHO4 in each of the years 2020 to 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2292/23]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive (HSE) has responsibility for the provision of aids and appliances under the Community Funded Schemes, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1700. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the current waiting times for aids and appliances for those under 18 years of age in CHO4; the length of time that they have been waiting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2293/23]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive (HSE) has responsibility for the provision of aids and appliances under the Community Funded Schemes, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1701. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will outline his engagement with gynaecological experts and Down syndrome groups to develop specialist gynaecology services for individuals with Down syndrome. [2294/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1702. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of autistic individuals with an intellectual disability who are currently listed as active CAMHS patients in each CHO, in tabular form. [2295/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1703. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on a waiting list for home care packages; the number who are experiencing delayed discharge from hospital due to a delay in accessing home care; and the extent of the waiting lists for home care packages by CHO and LHO, in tabular form. [2296/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1704. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will immediately work with the HSE in CHO 4 to put in place a plan to ensure none of the acute mental health unit beds in Bantry General Hospital are closed. [2297/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1705. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 322 of 10 November 2022 and 574 of 6 December 2022, the service developments that took place between 8 June and 15 June 2017 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2299/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1706. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if the Commission for Public Service Appointments was informed by the HSE in advance of the recruitment of psychologists to posts within the Cork Adult Mental Health Services and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services’ local interviews and appointments by transfer (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2300/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1707. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the total funding for HSE dental services in the past five years in CHO 4; the number of children awaiting dental services in CHO4, broken down per LHO; their waiting times; the number of orthodontists available to the HSE in this area; the criteria that are being applied that determine whether a child qualifies for HSE-funded orthodontic treatment; the number waiting for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2301/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1708. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will immediately ensure that all persons who require a medication (details supplied) are reimbursed regardless of whether the prescription comes from a consultant, an NCDH, or a GP. [2302/23]
View answerAs part of Budget 2023, I announced €32.2 million in funding for Women’s Health Initiatives in 2023, to include dedicated funding for Cariban® (doxylamine/pyridoxine). The dedicated funding for Cariban® will help women who experience hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness, during pregnancy. Cariban® is an Exempt Medicinal Product, i.e., it is not licensed with the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) in Ireland.
The Health Service Executive (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. Following the recommendations of the HSE Medicines Management Programme, Cariban® is now available on an individual patient basis for those patients who meet the criteria under the community drug schemes – the General Medical Services scheme (GMS) and the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) – from January 2023 where Consultant Obstetrician initiated.
Under the community drug schemes, Exempt Medicinal Products must be Consultant initiated. However, whilst the original prescriber of Cariban® must be a Consultant and specialist in the relevant field, the HSE will accept a GP prescription subsequent to the initial hospital prescription for approved patients.
1709. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details on the current availability of adult ADHD services in each LHO in CHO 4. [2303/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1710. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the status of the HSE proposals to limit home birth services for women and pregnant people living within 30 minutes of a maternity hospital. [2304/23]
View answerAs the HSE's 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.
1711. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health when all outstanding Covid recognition payments will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2314/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.
1712. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Health if he will consider reviewing the reimbursement of the anti-nausea drug pyridoxine, doxylamine commonly known by the brand name cariban for those who are pregnant; if he will consider making it available for non-consultant doctors to prescribe to any pregnant persons suffering nausea; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2315/23]
View answerAs part of Budget 2023, I announced €32.2 million in funding for Women’s Health Initiatives in 2023, to include dedicated funding for Cariban® (doxylamine/pyridoxine). The dedicated funding for Cariban® will help women who experience hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness, during pregnancy. Cariban® is an Exempt Medicinal Product i.e., it is not licensed with the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) in Ireland.
The Health Service Executive (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. Following the recommendations of the HSE Medicines Management Programme, this product is now available on an individual patient basis for those patients who meet the criteria under the Community Drug Schemes – the General Medical Services scheme (GMS) and the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) – from January 2023 where Consultant Obstetrician initiated.
Under Community Drug Schemes, Exempt Medicinal Products must be Consultant initiated. However, whilst the original prescriber must be a Consultant and specialist in the relevant field, the HSE will accept a GP prescription further to the initial hospital prescription for approved patients.
1713. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if the unfortunate experience and delay of a person (details supplied) in getting their hip operation will be resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2318/23]
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.
1714. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that sub-clause 7.2.2 of the 2021 IPHA Framework Agreement which requires off-patent brands to 40% of the ex-factory price of that medicine is not consistently applied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2330/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1715. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made by the Health Service Executive’s corporate pharmaceutical unit regarding a reimbursement application submitted fourteen months ago by a company (details supplied) for a commonly-used generic antibiotic, nitrofurantoin, prescribed for urinary tract infections. [2331/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1716. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the reason that the 2021 IPHA Framework Agreement does not include a dedicated reimbursement mechanism for older commonly-used generic drugs for which the pricing framework is not applicable due to the significant number of years since the drugs’ patent has expired. [2332/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Oireachtas put in place a robust legal framework in the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 which gives full statutory powers to the HSE to assess and make decisions on the reimbursement of medicines, taking account of a range of objective factors and expert opinion as appropriate.
Section 21(2) of the 2013 Act sets out the factors that the HSE must take into account when setting the relevant reimbursement prices proposed by the supplier of a medicine, which are as follows:
(a) the equivalent relevant prices (if practically available) of each item in all other Member States where the item is marketed, (b) the relevant prices of therapeutically similar listed items, (c) the potential therapeutic benefits in each case, (d) the budget impact of each item, (e) the ability of suppliers to meet demand, (f) the resources available to the Executive, and, (g) any agreement on pricing in place with industry
The HSE has also agreed and set out standard processes with industry in relation to the assessment of pricing and reimbursement applications for medicines. In that context, the 2021-2025 multiannual agreements with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA), and Medicines for Ireland (MFI), represent an important step in reducing the cost of medicines and improving access to innovative new medicines for patients. The IPHA represent the originator and on-patent biopharmaceutical industry; MFI represent the non-originator, and off-patent biopharmaceutical industry in Ireland.
These Agreements provide stability to the medicines reimbursement market for the State and for Industry, thus facilitating sustainable and affordable access to medicines for patients in Ireland over the term of the agreement.
Negotiations towards these new Agreements with industry began in May 2021, against a backdrop of a growing annual drugs budget, up from €1.95bn in 2016 to almost €2.25bn by 2020.
As part of a pricing and reimbursement application for generic and biosimilar medicines, there are already dedicated reimbursement mechanisms in the agreements. Reimbursement is automatically approved, provided the pricing is in line with the generic and biosimilar (and hybrid) pricing framework/agreements. The pricing of such medicines is linked to the price of the originator or patented medicine.
As part of a pricing and reimbursement application for a new chemical entity, the manufacturer submits a price application form (PAF) for a medicine it wishes the HSE to include on its reimbursement list / for hospital pricing approval. Under the IPHA agreement, the price included in the PAF must be no more than the average price based on 14 nominated states. The states include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (UK). This is referred to as external reference pricing (ERP) whereby the price in a ‘basket’ of reference countries is used to derive an acceptable price for the originator or patented medicine.
Under the terms of the 2021 IPHA Framework Agreements, there is scope for the Department of Health, the HSE, and industry to continue to maintain their engagement throughout the lifetime of the agreements on all matters pertaining to the agreements.
1717. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health if he will meet with an association (details supplied) to discuss updating the dental treatment service scheme and upcoming legislation affecting their sector; if so, when he expects to do so; if he will respond to correspondence from the association in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2333/23]
View answerThe Chief Dental Officer and other officials in my Department met with the Clinical Dental Technicians Association of Ireland (CDTAI) in March 2022 to discuss a range of issues relating to current and future provision of oral healthcare services in Ireland.
The National Oral Health Policy provides the framework for comprehensive reform of oral healthcare services. Resources are being made available in 2023 for new clinical leadership and policy implementation leadership posts in the HSE to facilitate and drive substantive service reform through implementation of the Policy.
My Department is working closely with the HSE to ensure the establishment of focused implementation structures for the Policy to drive implementation. These implementation structures will provide a mechanism to incorporate stakeholder input from the oral healthcare profession.
The Policy also sets out that necessary legislative and regulatory issues will be addressed. Development of an updated regulatory policy for the oral healthcare profession and giving it effect through legislative change, to underpin the necessary service reforms and align with the regulation of other healthcare professions, is a priority for my Department. The Department will engage with the necessary stakeholders regarding this work.
