Written Answers Nos. 629-644
629. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health if data on the rates of hoarding as a mental health concern are collected and collated by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22582/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
630. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the steps taken to date in relation to furthering the expansion of the heel prick test for newborn screening in Ireland, with regard to specific testing for Severe Immunodeficiency (SCID); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22584/23]
View answer631. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the further investment, if any, that will be required in terms of staffing and equipment requirements for the purposes of including Severe immunodeficiency (SCID) in the heel prick test for newborn screening in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22585/23]
View answer632. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the anticipated timeline envisaged for including Severe Immunodeficiency (SCID) in the heel prick test for newborn screening in Ireland; when parents in Ireland can expect SCID to be added to such test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22586/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 630, 631 and 632 together.
The expansion of the National Newborn Bloodspot (NBS) Programme is a priority for me, and the National Screening Advisory Committee has been progressing work on this expansion.
In January 2023, I approved a recommendation from the Committee for the addition of T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC)-based screening for all types of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) to the NBS programme. The Committee made its recommendation to me based on their consideration of a comprehensive Health Technology Assessment report from HIQA.
The HSE is now undertaking an extensive body of work to prepare for implementation. Therefore, as your additional queries raised relate to implementation, these are a service matter and have been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to you.
633. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the up-to-date position with regard to the health technology assessment undertaken by HIQA for the purposes of including spinal muscular atrophy in the heel prick test for newborn screening; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22587/23]
View answerI am fully committed to supporting our population screening programmes which are a valuable part of our health service, enabling early treatment and care for many people, and improving the overall health of our population.
Any decisions about changes to our screening programmes, such as screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy, will be made on the advice of our National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC).
This independent expert group considers and assesses evidence in a robust and transparent manner, and against internationally accepted criteria. It is important we have rigorous processes in place to ensure our screening programmes are effective, quality assured and operating to safe standards, and that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms
The expansion of the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening (NBS) programme is a priority for me. As you know, a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) on the addition of an eleventh condition to the NBS programme, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, is now underway by HIQA. I am advised that the NSAC expect HIQA to complete this process over the coming months and that the HTA will be presented to and considered by the Committee at a meeting before the end of this year.
I look forward to receiving a recommendation from the Committee following their consideration of the HTA once it is available.
634. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if an application for home help support can be approved for a person (details supplied). [22594/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
635. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health how a non-national physiotherapist (details supplied) can meet work placement requirements enforced by CORU for physiotherapy practice in Ireland if the restrictions will not allow the applicant to carry out the placement in their current place of employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22597/23]
View answerI can confirm that officials in my Department have been in touch with CORU and they have indicated they have yet to receive an Adaptation Period proposal from the named applicant.
The last correspondence received from the applicant was on the 19th December 2022 indicating they wished to undertake an adaptation period. CORU then responded with the documentation required for the applicant to complete an adaptation period proposal.
Once this documentation is complete, the applicant should submit the proposal to CORU for a decision on its suitability. The decision will be made by the Physiotherapists Registration Board.
All adaptation period proposals submitted by applicants are reviewed based on the information provided i.e. on a case by case basis. All must take place within the state and be supervised by a CORU registered professional.
I trust this information is of some assistance but if any further clarity is required please do not hesitate to get in touch.
636. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health to respond to a formal complaint made against a centre (details supplied) based on the rejection of one of the Alzheimer’s patients attending a person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22598/23]
View answerThe service referred to in the Deputy’s question is one funded by the HSE. As such, complaints in relation to this service can be made via the HSE Your Service Your Say portal. Further information is available on the HSE website.
In addition, the family can raise their concerns directly with the provider in question. Details of the complaints process can be found under the frequently asked questions section of the provider's website.
If the family is not satisfied with the response received, they can take their complaint further by seeking a review from the Office of the Ombudsman.
I would encourage anyone with a dementia diagnosis - and their family - to liaise with their local Dementia Adviser. Contact details can found on the Alzheimer Society of Ireland website.
637. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if he will examine the urgent need of a community health nurse assessment by Cabinteely primary care centre for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22599/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
638. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the status of a primary medical certificate for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22600/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
639. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the difficulties women are facing when trying to access vital medicines for hyperemesis gravidarum; if he will provide an update on the efforts that are being made to resolve the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22611/23]
View answerThe Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for medicine reimbursement decisions under the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
Dedicated funding of €1.3m was provided in Budget 2023 to provide reimbursement support for Cariban® (doxylamine/pyridoxine), for women suffering hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of nausea during pregnancy.
Cariban® is not licensed in Ireland. It is classed as an Exempt Medicinal Product and cannot be added to the formal reimbursement list.
There are three other products containing doxylamine/pyridoxine which are licensed in Ireland. These are Xonvea®, Exeltis® and Navalem®. However, the respective market authorisation holders have not progressed with a pricing and reimbursement application to the HSE under the 2013 Act.
Following a review of the available evidence, the HSE considered the potential for a time-limited, quantity-dependent reimbursement arrangement for women with hyperemesis gravidarum, to access Cariban®, when prescribed by a consultant obstetrician and in line with clear clinical criteria, as set out by the HSE.
The HSE, therefore, put in place an exceptional arrangement which requires that the initial prescriber of Cariban® must be a consultant. The HSE will thereafter accept GP prescriptions for approved patients.
Prior to finalising this exceptional arrangement, the HSE engaged with the National Women and Infants Health Programme and the Programme was in agreement that the burden of the application process was tolerable and that the peer clinical community would welcome any opportunity to progress this matter for women in their care.
Cariban® has been available under this arrangement since the beginning of the year. As of 9th May 2023, 1,190 women have been approved for the product.
However, on the recognition that women suffering hyperemesis gravidarum may need access to Cariban® before their first consultation with their specialist/obstetrician, and in light of the fact that GPs prescribe Cariban® to private patients without an initial prescription from a specialist, I asked the HSE to review the current arrangement and report back to me.
The HSE have confirmed that the review it has undertaken will involve an analysis of current arrangements and of the access to Cariban® provided to patients since January 2023. The review will also include engagement with clinical leads, the HSE Primary Care Reimbursement Service and relevant advocates. To enable meaningful analysis, the HSE advise that several months of data will be required to complete the review. It is envisaged that this review will be completed by July 2023.
In the meantime, the HSE encourages clinicians, along with the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the National Programme for Obstetrics and Gynaecology, other healthcare professionals, and relevant representative bodies to encourage the market authorisation holders of the licensed medicinal products (Xonvea®, Exeltis® and Navalem®) to progress with the formal pricing and reimbursement process in Ireland.
640. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health following the recent pandemic, the health system saw the usage of PPE soar beyond anything the State has ever experienced; the vast majority of this involved single use plastics; n light of the Single Use Plastics Directive 2019 can you inform me the actions that are being taken by the HSE to reduce single use plastics such as PPE in the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22616/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
641. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health his plans to provide for the recognition of long-Covid in children; if his Department has reviewed best practice from other jurisdictions such as the UK NHS’s setting-up of specialist long-COVID services for children and young people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22617/23]
View answer642. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health his plans to integrate services for children into the HSE’s long-Covid services framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22618/23]
View answer652. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health to supply the name of any consultant in the public health service of Ireland who has the knowledge to diagnose and manage long-Covid in children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22682/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 641, 642 and 652 together.
As the matter raised is a service delivery matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
643. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the engagement he has had with employment agencies to ensure the €1,000 Covid bonus payment has been paid to all those workers who are entitled to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22619/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
644. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on proposals to establish an independent inquiry into the use of, and adverse outcomes related to, sodium valproate (epilim) in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22621/23]
View answerWork is currently underway in the Department of Health to bring forward a Memo for Government to establish a Non-Statutory Inquiry into historical use of Sodium Valproate.
This work is now nearing completion and it is expected that the Memo for Government will be brought forward within the coming month.
