Written Answers Nos. 201-213
201. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the protests at Limerick maternity hospital, which are causing distress to people trying to access medical care; if he will take immediate action to implement the safe access zone legislation; and if he will provide a definite date for when this will happen. [29981/23]
View answerI am committed to ensuring that anyone seeking a termination of pregnancy can access services in safety and with privacy & dignity. To this end I secured cabinet approval to legislate for the designation of safe access zones around healthcare premises to safeguard access to termination of pregnancy services on the 27 July 2022.
Since that time, officials from my Department have worked with the Office of the Attorney General, and other relevant stakeholders, to draft the text of the bill. This legislation is currently being finalised and will be progressed through the Houses in the coming weeks.
203. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health to outline his meetings and those of his Department, respectively, with community pharmacists and their representatives to date in 2023. [30046/23]
View answerUnder Section 42(14) of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 the pharmacy fee structure must be reviewed every third year after 2020. My Department is currently carrying out a review and Department officials have arranged to meet with the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) on 20th June 2023 in that regard.
Department officials held meetings this year with the IPU in relation to the free contraception scheme for women aged 17 -25, which was launched on 14th September, 2022, and extended to 26 year old women from 1st January 2023.
Department officials also met with the IPU and with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) to discuss Third Country Qualifying Route and Delineation of Retail Pharmacy Business vs Retail Areas. Officials also met with the PSI separately to discuss Workforce Planning.
A meeting was also held this year between Department officials and the IPU in relation to medicines shortages and the Windsor framework.
204. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health if HSE statistics for 2022 on the volume of medical items dispensed under State schemes are, or will be, available to him before the said statutory deadline of 30 June 2023. [30047/23]
View answerThe regulations governing the pharmacy fee structure are set out in the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 (No. 34 of 2017) and in S.I. No. 639 of 2019, the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 (Payments to Community Pharmacy Contractors) Regulations 2019, which put the current fee structure in place, with effect from 1 January 2020.
Under Section 42(14) of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017, the current pharmacy fee structure must be reviewed every third year after 2020. My Department is currently carrying out a review.
Data in respect of the number of items dispensed by community pharmacists under the community drug schemes is available on the Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) website at the following link:
www.sspcrs.ie/portal/annual-reporting/report/pharmacy
This data includes the year 2022 and is being considered as part of the ongoing review.
206. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive has established an implementation group to progress the operational recommendations made in the Report of the Independent Review of the Operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018; the chair and membership of the group; its relationship with the clinical advisory forum on termination of pregnancy services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30050/23]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
208. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1755 of 18 April 2023, if he will outline any progress around preventing medical card holders being charged for blood tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30055/23]
View answerThere is no provision under the GMS GP contract for persons who hold a medical card or GP visit card to be charged for routine phlebotomy services provided by their GP which are required to either assist in the diagnosis of illness or the treatment of a condition. The HSE has advised GPs that where a blood test forms part of the investigation or necessary treatment of a patient’s symptoms or conditions, this should be free of charge for patients who hold a medical card or GP visit card.
It is still intended to raise the issue of GMS GPs charging medical card or GP visit card holders for routine phlebotomy again with the relevant GP representative body at an appropriate time. In the meantime, the position remains that where a patient who holds a medical card or GP visit card believes he or she has been incorrectly charged for routine phlebotomy services by his or her GP, then that patient should report the matter to their HSE Local Health Office who will investigate the complaint with the GP concerned and, where appropriate, arrange for a refund of charges incorrectly applied.
210. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health when the special recognition pandemic payment will issue to a person (details supplied), as the delay is causing financial hardship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30058/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
I would also like to remind the Deputy that it is against Department policy to comment on individual cases.
211. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the absolute number of people who have already taken up the Laura Brennan HPV vaccination catch-up programme to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30066/23]
View answer212. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the efforts being made to ensure eligible people avail of the Laura Brennan HPV vaccination catch-up programme. [30067/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 211 and 212 together.
The 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.
In line with NIAC's advice, I asked the HSE to facilitate and operationalise the Laura Brennan HPV Vaccination Catch-Up Programme.
The Programme commenced on 8 December 2022 with the opening of the HSE’s online registration portal for the programme. The Laura Brennan HPV Vaccine Catch-Up Programme continues to be rolled out to eligible people across the country and offers an additional opportunity to join the free vaccination programme which continues until the end of 2023.
The catch-up programme offers HPV vaccination to:
• girls and boys in secondary school who were eligible to receive HPV vaccine in 1st year but who did not receive it; and
• women up to the age of 25 years who have left secondary school and who did not receive the vaccine when eligible.
In relation to HPV vaccine uptake rates, the National Immunisation Office have advised my Department that approximately 3,160 people have availed of HPV vaccination through the Laura Brennan HPV Vaccination Catch-Up Programme to date.
Nationally, the HSE has utilised video-on-demand, out-of-home social media, radio ads and media opportunities to raise awareness about the catch-up programme to date. Additional bursts of activity are planned until the programme completes at the end of December 2023.Community Healthcare Organisations (CHOs) are undertaking their own activities to raise awareness about local clinics, for example, they have supported awareness stands in 3rd level institutions, availed of local media opportunities, used social media and addressed queries from eligible people to raise awareness. The HSE is now working to reach harder to reach groups, for example, vaccination teams will offer the HPV vaccine to eligible people in prisons and special care units. CHOs are also working with education training boards to reach people who may have left education early.
The more young people who get vaccinated, and women who get routinely screened for cervical cancers, the better the spread of HPV infection can be controlled.
People should visit www.hpv.ie for information and to book an appointment in their local area.
213. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health when the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 Key Performance Indicators Report for 2022 will be published and made publicly available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30068/23]
View answerThe National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 Key Performance Indicators December 2022 has been prepared and is due to be published shortly alongside the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 Implementation Report 2022 at the link below:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/b27fe-national-cancer-strategy-2017-2026-implementation-report-2022/
