Tuesday, 20 Jun 2023

Hospital Appointments Status

Questions (652)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

652. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when an appointment will be expedited for a child (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29317/23]

View answer

Written answers

Under 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.

Nursing Homes

Questions (653)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

653. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a fair deal application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29318/23]

View answer

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Question No. 654 answered with Question No. 566.

Cancer Services

Questions (655, 656)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

655. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of expanding the bowel screening programme to people aged 55 to 74 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29340/23]

View answer

Thomas Pringle

Question:

656. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of expanding the BreastCheck screening to women aged between 45 and 74 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29341/23]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 655 and 656 together.

I 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.

Under commitments in the Programme for Government, BreastCheck eligibility has been expanded to women aged 69 years since 2021. The Programme for Government also commits to expanding the age range for BowelScreen to those aged 55 to 74, and the HSE plans to commence this in 2023 with expansion to those aged 59, in addition to the current age range of 60 to 69.

Any decisions about further changes in cancer screening, including further extension of the age ranges, will be made on the advice of the 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.

I am pleased to report that the Committee is already progressing work on the further expansion of the our cancer screening programmes, and has asked HIQA to evaluate the evidence for the further expansion of the age range eligibility for both the BowelScreen and BreastCheck programmes.

An exact costing cannot be provided for expansion at this time, as the financial cost is but one factor that will be considered in the decision-making process. Due to the complex nature of the evaluation process and the criteria against which a decision is made, it would be impossible to accurately quantify the cost of expansion until a full evidential assessment is completed.

Under Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, an updated European Council Recommendation on cancer screening was published in December 2022. The updated Recommendation recommends extended screening for colorectal (bowel) cancer and breast cancer, along with other recommendations in relation to cervical, lung, prostate and gastric cancer screening. The NSAC will consider this Recommendation and advise me and the Department of Health on the evidence as it applies to Ireland.

Ireland will also be actively engaged with the significant ongoing collaborative work at European level to take forward the updated Recommendation on cancer screening.

Question No. 656 answered with Question No. 655.

Hospital Charges

Questions (657)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

657. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of abolishing parking charges at public hospitals for cancer patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29342/23]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.

Medical Cards

Questions (658)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

658. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing medical cards to all cancer patients upon diagnosis to cessation of treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29343/23]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Health

Under the Health Act 1970, eligibility for a medical card is based primarily on means. The Act obliges the HSE to assess whether a person is unable, without undue hardship, to arrange general practitioner services for himself or herself and his or her family, having regard to his or her overall financial position and reasonable expenditure.

The issue of granting medical or GP visit cards based on having a particular disease or illness was previously examined in 2014 by the HSE Expert Panel on Medical Need and Medical Card Eligibility. The Group concluded that it was not feasible, desirable, nor ethically justifiable to list medical conditions in priority order for medical card eligibility. In following the Expert Group’s advice, a person’s means remains the main qualifier for a medical card.

However, every effort is made by the HSE, within the framework of the legislation, to support applicants in applying for a medical card and, in particular, to take full account of the difficult circumstances in the case of applicants who may be in excess of the income guidelines. The HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, even though an applicant exceeds the income threshold where they face difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from an illness. Social and medical issues are also considered when determining whether undue hardship exists for an individual accessing general practitioner or other medical services.

Furthermore, the HSE also has a system in place for the efficient provision of medical cards in response to emergency situations i.e., in circumstances where persons are in need of urgent ongoing medical care or are receiving end of life care. In these cases, a medical card is issued within 24 hours of receipt of the required patient details and completed medical report by a healthcare professional. Additionally, patients who have been certified by their treating Consultant as having a prognosis of 24 months or less are also now eligible for a medical card without a means assessment.

Finally, it should be noted that since 2015 medical cards are awarded without the need of a financial assessment to all children under 18 years of age with a diagnosis of cancer within the last five years.

With regard to the estimated cost of providing a medical card in the manner sought, this information is not readily available, and it is therefore not possible to provide an estimate of the cost of the proposal.

Prescriptions Charges

Questions (659)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

659. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of abolishing prescription charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29344/23]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Government is committed to making healthcare more accessible and affordable and has introduced several reductions in the cost of healthcare.

On 1 November 2020, prescription charges under the General Medical Services (GMS) scheme were reduced as follows:

- For persons over 70, the charges were reduced to €1 per item with a maximum monthly charge of €10 per person or family per month.

- For persons under 70, the charges were reduced to €1.50 per item with a maximum monthly charge of €15 per person or family.

It is estimated that the minimum cost of abolishing prescription charges for all eligible persons would be approximately €60 million per annum.

This estimation is subject to the following caveats:

- That demographic changes may impact the number of eligible persons

- That the removal of prescription charges may result in a change in claimant behaviour.

Medicinal Products

Questions (660)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

660. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of reducing the threshold of the drugs payment scheme to a maximum of €72 per patient per month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29361/23]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) provides for the refund of the amount by which expenditure on approved prescribed medicines or medical and surgical appliances exceeds a named threshold in any calendar month. The DPS is not means tested and is available to anyone ordinarily resident in Ireland.

The DPS threshold was reduced twice in 2022:

From €114 to €100 per month on 1 January 2022.

From €100 to €80 per month on 1 March 2022.

Therefore, currently, under the DPS, no individual pays more than €80 a month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The DPS significantly reduces the cost burden for people with ongoing expenditure on medicines.

The estimated minimum cost of reducing the DPS threshold to €72 per month is €13.2 million per annum.

Public Sector Pay

Questions (661)

Anne Rabbitte

Question:

661. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health the reason the public service record of a person (details supplied) is not being considered on entry point level given they have a pervious service record; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29362/23]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Health

Determining the starting pay for someone being recruited to the Health Service Executive is a matter for the HSE themselves as the employer based on existing incremental credit policies. On that basis, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.

It is important to note however, that incremental credit can only be considered where it is provided for in existing policies, and where the grade and tasks are analogous with similar or the same tasks being undertaken, similar or the same level of responsibility, similar or the same reporting structures etc.

Healthcare Infrastructure Provision

Questions (662)

Neasa Hourigan

Question:

662. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 599 of 25 April 2023 and 622 of 16 May 2023, if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the change of scope of works to the Carraig Mór intensive care mental health facility (details supplied) in Cork ; if these changes involve an increase in bed capacity; if so, by how much; the number of service-users who will be accommodated on site when the building works are complete; if these will include service-users referred for acute admissions as well as long-stay residents; the breakdown of bed capacity for each cohort; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29365/23]

View answer

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Healthcare Infrastructure Provision

Questions (663)

Neasa Hourigan

Question:

663. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 599 of 25 April 2023 and 622 of 16 May 2023, the reason the HSE cited a figure publicly in 2021 of €4.5 million to renovate the Carraig Mór mental health facility in Cork without accounting for design team costs, site works, surveying works, VAT and other essential costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29366/23]

View answer

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Health Services Staff

Questions (664)

Neasa Hourigan

Question:

664. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the number of grievance and dignity at work cases submitted by HSE employees to management and recorded by employee relations in each CHO in 2022 and to date in 2023; the duration in each case that the employee waited or is waiting for a grievance or dignity at work hearing to take place since submitting their complaint, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29367/23]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Health

I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Question No. 665 answered with Question No. 566.

Mental Health Services

Questions (666)

Mark Ward

Question:

666. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health his views on the number of inpatient beds for CAMHS; if he will explain the difference between the numbers cited in Parliamentary Question No. 626 of 31 May 2022 and those in the Mental Health Commission’s Annual Report 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29380/23]

View answer

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.