Written Answers Nos. 584-603
584. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update in relation to a project (details supplied); if progress has been made by the legal team in pursuing a resolution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3010/23]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive (HSE) holds responsibility for the provision, along with the maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
585. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health when it is expected work will commence on the new development at St. Vincent’s Community Hospital, Mountmellick, County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3014/23]
View answerAs 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.
586. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the current supports available to parents and families bereaved by sudden unexplained death in childhood. [3020/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
587. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the measures that the Government is undertaking to research, raise awareness andcollate information regardingsudden unexplained death in childhood; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3021/23]
View answerMy Department funds health research in Ireland through the Health Research Board. The Health Research Board is not currently funding any research projects on sudden unexplained death in childhood.
The HRB would welcome proposals on any health-related topic, including in this important area. The HRB has a suite of grant programmes always open or planned, whether the project focuses on clinical care, population health, or health services research. Funding is available for people (at any career stage, in academic or embedded in practice) and is available for projects. I would encourage researchers and clinicians to apply.
I am also aware that this issue would benefit from further international research, as recently there has been limited publications on this topic.
588. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Health the amount of moneys that have been paid to GP practices for the services rendered under the general medical services scheme agreement of 2019 - payments in respect of delivery of opportunistic case finding and chronic disease prevention programme (details supplied) in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3026/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
589. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the timeline of the HIQA assessment report on the proposal to add the chickenpox vaccine to the national vaccination schedule for children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3027/23]
View answerThe immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The committee's recommendations are based on the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland and international best practice in relation to immunisation. It makes recommendations on vaccination policy to my Department. NIAC continues to revise recommendations to allow for the introduction of new vaccines in Ireland and to keep abreast of changes in the patterns of disease. Therefore, the immunisation schedule will continue to be amended over time. All vaccines administered through the Primary Childhood Immunisation Schedule are provided free of charge.Varicella (chickenpox) is an acute infectious disease caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Primary infection with varicella results in varicella (chickenpox). Recurrent infection results in herpes zoster (shingles). The Varicella vaccine is not currently included as part of the routine childhood immunisation schedule. I can confirm that HIQA are currently carrying out a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and, on completion, the outcome of the HTA will form the basis of decision making in relation to the inclusion or otherwise of the varicella vaccine in the National Immunisation programme. It is expected that the HTA will be completed in the coming months.
590. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if Sunosi, which is produced in Ireland and has a successful record treating persons with narcolepsy, is or will be made available on the medical card; and, if so, if this drug will be prescribed by a GP or only through a hospital. [3114/23]
View answerThe Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drug schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
In October 2022, the HSE approved the drug Sunosi® (solriamfetol) for reimbursement under High Tech Arrangements subject to managed access for adult patients with narcolepsy (with or without cataplexy), in accordance with the proposed place in therapy as a second-line treatment.
However, the company that holds the marketing authorisation for Sunosi® (solriamfetol) has not yet launched the product in Ireland.
591. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the case of a person (details supplied), a terminal cancer patient who is suffering from dysphagia, who was referred to University Hospital Limerick for a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy procedure in 2022 and has yet to receive an appointment date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3115/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
592. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if an increased home care package can be provided as soon as possible in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3119/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
593. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify that the contract for the national standardised list of community-funded aids and appliances and prescribing criteria is in place; and if he will outline the requirements for the equitable distribution of aids and appliances in each CHO for people who are blind or vision-impaired. [3126/23]
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.
594. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will meet with an organisation (details supplied) to address the ongoing risk of medicine shortages. [3127/23]
View answerThe Department of Health has recently received a request for a meeting with this organisation which is now under consideration.
Medicine shortages are increasingly prevalent worldwide over the past decade. The causes of such shortages are multi-factorial, including shortages of raw materials, manufacturing difficulties, increased demand, product recalls due to potential quality defects, and industry consolidations. Medicine shortages can originate at any point in the supply chain. They can involve and impact many stakeholders in different ways, as the supply models and clinical use of therapies can vary across national health systems.
Medicine shortages and their prevention are not unique to Ireland. Similar increases in demand and medicines shortages have been observed in the UK, throughout the EU and across the world at present. In the case of medicines used most often in Ireland, there are typically multiple alternatives available from various sources that remain available to ensure continuity of treatment. Of the products currently in short supply, alternative treatments are available for every single product.
Management of medicines shortages necessitates a multi-faceted, multi-stakeholder response to ensure patient safety, continuity of care and protection of public health. To that end, at the request of the Department of Health, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) has assumed a coordinating function in Ireland’s response to managing medicine shortages when they occur. The HPRA is generally informed of a medicine shortage by the relevant pharmaceutical company. Shortages can also be notified to the HPRA by other stakeholders across the health system. In each case, the HPRA will work with relevant stakeholders as necessary, including the HSE, to coordinate an effective approach to the management of a confirmed product shortage. The HPRA engages with stakeholders to coordinate actions and share information to prevent or mitigate the impact of medicine shortages when they occur.
The HPRA publishes a list of medicines currently in short supply on its website with the reason for the shortage and expected dates for the return of supply. The information is available to assist healthcare professionals in managing medicine shortages when they arise and reduce their impact on patients. The information relating to shortages on the HPRA website is dynamic and changes depending on the current information the HPRA has to hand, including removal from the list when a shortage has been resolved.
The HPRA continues to work with all marketing authorisation holders to increase supply to the market. They also continue to offer regulatory flexibility where possible to suppliers. Through this close engagement the HPRA has secured additional stock of many products currently in short supply for the Irish market.
Patients or their carers who have any concerns in relation to temporary alternative products provided because of medicine shortages are advised to speak with their pharmacist or other healthcare professional involved in their care.
595. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if a group has been established by his office or any other institution of his Department or HSE for the purpose of carrying out investigations into maternal deaths; if so, if he can clarify the rationale for such a group; the reason that such investigations are not conducted, as a matter of course, by HIQA; the budget for this group; the source from which it is allocated; the way that the group is constituted, including membership and governance structures; the person or body that the group reports to; if the establishment of the group has been subject to Houses of the Oireachtas or Cabinet-approval; and when reports and finding of the group will be made public. [3128/23]
View answerSerious adverse events in maternity care have a devastating impact on the families concerned. It is vital that our health services take steps to ensure serious adverse events in maternity care are appropriately reviewed and responded to at a national level.
The HSE’s Incident Management Framework was launched in 2018 and updated in 2020. The HSE’s Incident Management Framework is applied to the management of individual incidents and is the mechanism for incident investigations in the HSE, including maternal deaths. In line with the HSE’s Incident Management Framework reports relating to service user incidents are personal to the service user and their relevant person(s) and as such are not generally published.
In addition to these processes, funding of €540,000 was provided from Budget 2022 through the Estimates process for the establishment of the HSE’s Obstetric Event Support Team within the HSE’s National Women and Infant Health Programme (NWIHP). I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the queries regarding operational matters of the HSE’s Obstetric Event Support Team.
In relation to the Deputy’s query regarding Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA). HIQA has developed the “National Standards for Safer Better Maternity Services”. HIQA have an associated monitoring programme and by their continued monitoring of services, HIQA acts to drive compliance with National Standards and promote quality improvement and shared learning.
596. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will immediately provide the necessary capital funding to retain 18 beds in the acute mental health unit in Bantry Hospital. [3129/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
597. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Health if he will provide data compiled by the HSE of recorded protests against abortion including the date, time, number present and any other recorded information from 2019 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3154/23]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has advised that most of the feedback they have received with regard to protests has been provided verbally by members of the Termination of Pregnancy, Clinical Advisory Forum, on an ad hoc informal basis. In this regard, they have heard of protests outside the Coombe, Cork University Maternity Hospital, University Maternity Hospital Limerick and the National Maternity Hospital at various intervals.
Moreover, to assist the Department with their appearance before the Health Committee, the HSE undertook a media search of such protests. The list used by the Department before the Committee is synopsis from this exercise, (copy as follows). Just to note that this information is all publicly available online and the list should not be taken to be exhaustive.
|
Location of Protest |
Date of Protest |
|
GP surgery Galway |
January 2019 |
|
NMH |
May 2019 |
|
NMH National Maternity Hospital |
July 2019 |
|
NMH National Maternity Hospital |
August 2019 |
|
Outside GP surgery (location not specified) |
December 2019 |
|
Outside GP surgery, Navan |
December 2019 |
|
Outside GP surgery, Dun Laoghaire |
January 2020 |
|
Outside GP surgery, Dun Laoghaire |
August 2020 |
|
Outside GP surgery, Dublin |
August 2020 |
|
Castlerea Primary Care Centre. |
August 2020 |
|
GP surgery, Goatstown area |
December 2021 |
|
GP surgery, Rathfarnham area |
January 2022 |
|
GP surgery, Rathfarnham area |
February 2022 |
|
GP surgery, Dun Laoghaire |
March 2022 |
|
GP surgery, Milltown area, Dublin |
March 2022 |
|
GP surgery, Goatstown area |
July 2022 |
|
GP surgery, Stepaside area |
August 2022 |
|
GP surgery, Dun Laoghaire |
September 2022 |
|
GP surgery on SCR Dublin |
November 2022 |
|
GP surgery, Dun Laoghaire |
December 2022 |
|
Castlerea Primary Care Centre |
December 2022 |
598. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 521 of 15 November 2022, the length of time 'it takes an assessor to complete an overseas completed application from India and the Philippines; the average length that it takes an assessor paid a daily and half daily rate of €250 and €125; the length of time that it takes the new cohort of assessors who are paid €8,30 per file assessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3158/23]
View answerAs the specific issue raised by the Deputy refers to the operational responsibilities of the NMBI, I have referred the matter to the NMBI for its attention and direct response to him.
599. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a timeline for when the review into the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 will be concluded; if the research that was commissioned as part of the review will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3165/23]
View answerThe Minister for Health commenced the Review of the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 in line with statutory and Government commitments.
The Review is assessing the effectiveness of the operation of the legislation and will be conducted in a fair and transparent manner.
The Review is being led by an independent Chair Marie O’Shea and comprises of 2 main phases. As part of the first phase of the review, information, and evidence on the operation of the Act has been collected from women who use the service, and from health professionals that provide the service; the views of the public were also sought.
A very substantial amount of work has been completed to date and very informative data collected, which is feeding into the review.
The Chair is awaiting key research from a study, CORALE, being carried out at Trinity College Dublin, that is examining Section 22 of the Act regarding conscientious objection. This research is underway, with input from lawyers, hospital doctors, GPs and strategic managers. The data will inform the Review. However, as this data will not be available until January 2023, there has been a slight set back in completion time. The opinion of the Chair is that this data is vitally important, given that it will assist in understanding how section 22 is operating.
It is the intention that the review will be made available to the Minister no later than the 7th February 2023.
600. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide clarification on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3176/23]
View answerMy Department has consulted with the Health Products Regulations Authority (HPRA). The HPRA confirms that the companies that supply levothyroxine products to Ireland have confirmed that there is no shortage of their products.
However, the HPRA received a specific query from a community pharmacy regarding a levothyroxine oral solution product. The wholesaler responsible for the product distribution, Allphar, has confirmed that it has stock and is arranging supply to the pharmacy.
601. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the progress made to fill the vacant consultant neurologist post at University Hospital Waterford; and when the selected candidate is expected to be in position. [3183/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
602. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the current repair times in place for wheelchair users when repairs are required to their wheelchairs in the Waterford city area; the recommended and average timeframe for repairs to take place at present; if an alternative is available should there be a backlog; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3184/23]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive (HSE) have responsibility for the provision of aids and appliances, including wheelchairs, under the Community Funded Schemes, I have asked HSE to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
603. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health when an appointment will issue to a person (details supplied). [3187/23]
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.
