Written Answers Nos. 816-829
816. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 665 of 30 May 2023, for a breakdown of the funding for new measures in mental health services; what this funding will be spent on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35329/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
817. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health for an update on primary care psychology waiting lists, by CHO and by age, for the years 2020 to 2022 and to date in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35330/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
818. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health for an update on the appointment of the national youth mental health lead; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35332/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
819. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive an initial assessment by a hospital for scoliosis in view of the severe impact this condition is having on this child’s life. [35337/23]
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.
820. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health how many children are waiting for an initial review/assessment for scoliosis in Crumlin Hospital at the present time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35350/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
821. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for a child to be assessed by Crumlin Hospital for scoliosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35351/23]
View answer822. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health what measures he is implementing or planning to implement to reduce the waiting times for a scoliosis assessment in Crumlin Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35354/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 821 and 822 together.
I sincerely regret that children can experience long waiting times for scoliosis treatment, and I remain conscious of the burden that this places on them and their families.
Last year I approved an ambitious plan from Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) to reduce the number of children waiting for spinal orthopaedic procedures (scoliosis/spina bifida) by the year end, with significant current and capital funding committed to implement the plan.
This funding is providing additional theatre access at Temple Street and Crumlin, diagnostic MRI capacity and enabling further activity and paediatric theatre lists at Cappagh Hospital, also known as Cappagh Kids.
The additional activity is targeted at reducing the number of children waiting long periods for orthopaedic procedures (including scoliosis and spina bifida).
We did make progress. In 2022, 47% more scoliosis procedures were carried out than in 2021; if we compare to pre-pandemic levels, this represents a 34% increase.
Despite undertaking a record number of spinal procedures in 2022, corresponding reductions in the waiting list were offset by significant increases in demand and referrals compared to previous years, with a 30% increase in additions to the spinal surgery list compared to 2021. Whilst the growth in referrals is stabilising in 2023, this latent Covid-19 demand has resulted in increased outpatient activity.
The HSE and CHI have developed a plan for 2023 to continue and build on the work done in 2022.
To the end of June in 2023, CHI and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh have completed 219 spinal procedures. The figure includes 101 Spinal Fusion surgeries as well as 118 other spinal procedures, and represents 89% of the projected activity to the end of June and 46% of the targeted activity for the full year 2023.
In relation to the average waiting time for a child to be assessed for scoliosis in CHI at Crumlin, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
823. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to address medicine shortages, with over 300 medicines in short supply, according to Health Products Regulatory Authority data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35379/23]
View answerAt any given time, shortages of medicines can occur in any country. Increases in demand for medications and medicines shortages have been observed in the UK, throughout the EU and across the world in recent months.
Ireland has a multi-stakeholder medicine shortage framework in place, operated by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) on behalf of the Department of Health. The multi-stakeholder framework includes representation from the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare professionals, the HSE, the Department of Health and patients.
In European law, pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers must ensure an appropriate and continuous supply of the medicines they market. When a potential shortage issue is identified, pharmaceutical companies should notify the HPRA as soon as possible. If the shortage cannot be prevented, then, where possible, the HPRA will work with other framework stakeholders to reduce the potential impact on patients. The Department of Health maintains regular contact with the HPRA regarding medicines shortages.
In Ireland, whilst individual brands or strengths of a medication may be temporarily unavailable, for the vast majority of medicines supplied in Ireland, there are alternatives, such as different strengths, brands or similar classes, to ensure continuity of care.
Unfortunately, there are a multitude of reasons why a medicine may not be available including: shortages of raw materials; manufacturing difficulties; sudden unexpected increase in demand; or product recalls due to potential quality issues.
The HPRA publishes a list of medicines currently in short supply on its website (Medicines Shortages (hpra.ie) 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 to hand.
Any patient concerned of a medicine shortage are advised to discuss their treatment and alternative options with their doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional.
824. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the up-to-date position regarding a primary care centre at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35405/23]
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.
825. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the proposed reduction in hours of SouthDoc services based in Fermoy, County Cork; the rationale for this reduction; and details of the planned timeline. [35415/23]
View answerSouth-West Doctors-on-Call Limited is an Out-of-Hours Family Doctor service for urgent medical care in Counties Cork and Kerry with its administrative headquarters and call centre in Killarney, Co Kerry. It has a membership of over 500 GPs and a network of 26 treatment centres throughout the region which include overnight and non-overnight centres. SouthDoc has a fleet of 19 vehicles, which are fully equipped for home visit situations.
SouthDoc provides a medical service to a population of approximately 736,000 in addition to the 3.3M visitors to the area and dealt with over 231,000 patient contacts in 2022. As a community-based Out-of-Hours Family Doctor service, which is provided across the two counties of Cork and Kerry, SouthDoc constantly reviews the service provision to ensure its continued effectiveness. There are many factors involved in the delivery of the service including local General Practitioners, locum doctors, local staff, and infrastructure. All these elements are supported by a bespoke IT system, Patient Management System, as well as a Call Centre where patient calls are acknowledged, documented, and triaged.
SouthDoc is in continuous contact with the HSE to ensure appropriate service provision. I have been assured that, in recognition of the range of stakeholders involved, any review of service which would impact on SouthDoc patients or public would involve appropriate advance engagement.
The HSE has in place an SLA with SouthDoc for a quantum of service with an associated funding stream for the CHO 4 Region. SouthDoc continues to provide this quantum of service from 18.00 to 08.00 each weekday and 24 hours cover at weekends and public holidays. SouthDoc does not have any plans to alter this quantum of service commitment. All patients in the CHO 4 Region whose GPs are members of SouthDoc are entitled to access the service and there are no plans to change or withdraw access to the service from the population as a whole or any specific cohort. SouthDoc also provides care in the Out-of-Hours to patients who are not registered with any GP as well as visitors to the CHO 4 Region and there are no plans to limit their access to the service.
SouthDoc is committed to the long-term continuation of the provision of the Out of Hours service in the North Cork Region. There are no plans to close any treatment centres in this area. There are no plans to withdraw the availability of or access to SouthDoc’s services in Fermoy or for patients in the North Cork area generally. North Cork GPs are valued members of the SouthDoc co-operative and there are no plans to withdraw access to SouthDoc’s services from their patients.
There are also no plans to withdraw the availability of the centres in the wider region, including in East Cork, from service and/or for when in-person consultations are deemed clinically necessary by a doctor.
SouthDoc as with any service continuously reviews the allocation of Doctors, both member GPs and Locum Doctors, to ensure the most effective allocation of their clinical skills and expertise to ensure the safest and most effective service.
As part of this on-going review, the level of demand on the service, against the back drop of a chronic shortage of Doctors, has necessitated a review of the allocation of Doctors on the regional Red eye Service (22.00-08.00). This will be done through reforming their rosters.
These adjustments relate to the Doctors’ rosters only and will not impact the service provision on the Red Eye duty. The capacity of the Red Eye Service is more than sufficient to deal with any upsurge in patient demand.
SouthDoc will retain 11 GPs within the Red Eye service which is capable of dealing with approximately 500 patients. This is far in excess of current demand which is on average 100 patients per night and is therefore well resourced to meet the demand during Red Eye times of 22.00 - 08.00 across Cork and Kerry.
It is important to emphasise that if an individual in Fermoy requires care, that care will be provided by appointment in the Fermoy Treatment Centre or via Home Visit depending on clinical condition of the patient as assessed by the consulting Doctor. There is no reduction in service within the Red Eye Service and existing resources can meet the demand comfortably.
In summary, the SouthDoc Out of Hour’s service remains available to the patients and full access to the services provided by them. The SouthDoc Treatment Centres facility in North Cork will continue to be by appointment. Any patients that may require a Home Visit due to their clinical condition will be treated accordingly. All patients continue to be dealt with by appointment only and this will remain unchanged.
826. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health what efforts he and his Department are making in conjunction with the HSE to ensure the best levels of out-of-hours GP care for regional towns and rural areas, especially in the east Cork area. [35416/23]
View answerSouth-West Doctors-on-Call Limited is an Out-of-Hours Family Doctor service for urgent medical care in Counties Cork and Kerry with its administrative headquarters and call centre in Killarney, Co Kerry. It has a membership of over 500 GPs and a network of 26 treatment centres throughout the region which include overnight and non-overnight centres. SouthDoc has a fleet of 19 vehicles, which are fully equipped for home visit situations.
SouthDoc provides a medical service to a population of approximately 736,000 in addition to the 3.3M visitors to the area and dealt with over 231,000 patient contacts in 2022. As a community-based Out-of-Hours Family Doctor service, which is provided across the two counties of Cork and Kerry, SouthDoc constantly reviews the service provision to ensure its continued effectiveness. There are many factors involved in the delivery of the service including local General Practitioners, locum doctors, local staff, and infrastructure. All these elements are supported by a bespoke IT system, Patient Management System, as well as a Call Centre where patient calls are acknowledged, documented, and triaged.
SouthDoc is in continuous contact with the HSE to ensure appropriate service provision. I have been assured that, in recognition of the range of stakeholders involved, any review of service which would impact on SouthDoc patients or public would involve appropriate advance engagement.
The HSE has in place an SLA with SouthDoc for a quantum of service with an associated funding stream for the CHO 4 Region. SouthDoc continues to provide this quantum of service from 18.00 to 08.00 each weekday and 24 hours cover at weekends and public holidays. SouthDoc does not have any plans to alter this quantum of service commitment. All patients in the CHO 4 Region whose GPs are members of SouthDoc are entitled to access the service and there are no plans to change or withdraw access to the service from the population as a whole or any specific cohort. SouthDoc also provides care in the Out-of-Hours to patients who are not registered with any GP as well as visitors to the CHO 4 Region and there are no plans to limit their access to the service.
SouthDoc is committed to the long-term continuation of the provision of the Out of Hours service in the North Cork Region. There are no plans to close any treatment centres in this area. There are no plans to withdraw the availability of or access to SouthDoc’s services in Fermoy or for patients in the North Cork area generally. North Cork GPs are valued members of the SouthDoc co-operative and there are no plans to withdraw access to SouthDoc’s services from their patients.
There are also no plans to withdraw the availability of the centres in the wider region, including in East Cork, from service and/or for when in-person consultations are deemed clinically necessary by a doctor.
SouthDoc as with any service continuously reviews the allocation of Doctors, both member GPs and Locum Doctors, to ensure the most effective allocation of their clinical skills and expertise to ensure the safest and most effective service.
As part of this on-going review, the level of demand on the service, against the back drop of a chronic shortage of Doctors, has necessitated a review of the allocation of Doctors on the regional Red eye Service (22.00-08.00). This will be done through reforming their rosters.
These adjustments relate to the Doctors’ rosters only and will not impact the service provision on the Red Eye duty. The capacity of the Red Eye Service is more than sufficient to deal with any upsurge in patient demand.
SouthDoc will retain 11 GPs within the Red Eye service which is capable of dealing with approximately 500 patients. This is far in excess of current demand which is on average 100 patients per night and is therefore well resourced to meet the demand during Red Eye times of 22.00 - 08.00 across Cork and Kerry.
It is important to emphasise that if an individual in Fermoy requires care, that care will be provided by appointment in the Fermoy Treatment Centre or via Home Visit depending on clinical condition of the patient as assessed by the consulting Doctor. There is no reduction in service within the Red Eye Service and existing resources can meet the demand comfortably.
In summary, the SouthDoc Out of Hour’s service remains available to the patients and full access to the services provided by them. The SouthDoc Treatment Centres facility in North Cork will continue to be by appointment. Any patients that may require a Home Visit due to their clinical condition will be treated accordingly. All patients continue to be dealt with by appointment only and this will remain unchanged.
827. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health if he will make a commitment to work with his Department and the HSE to stop the planned reduction of out-of-hours GP services under SouthDoc in east Cork. [35417/23]
View answerSouth-West Doctors-on-Call Limited is an Out-of-Hours Family Doctor service for urgent medical care in Counties Cork and Kerry with its administrative headquarters and call centre in Killarney, Co Kerry. It has a membership of over 500 GPs and a network of 26 treatment centres throughout the region which include overnight and non-overnight centres. SouthDoc has a fleet of 19 vehicles, which are fully equipped for home visit situations.
SouthDoc provides a medical service to a population of approximately 736,000 in addition to the 3.3M visitors to the area and dealt with over 231,000 patient contacts in 2022. As a community-based Out-of-Hours Family Doctor service, which is provided across the two counties of Cork and Kerry, SouthDoc constantly reviews the service provision to ensure its continued effectiveness. There are many factors involved in the delivery of the service including local General Practitioners, locum doctors, local staff, and infrastructure. All these elements are supported by a bespoke IT system, Patient Management System, as well as a Call Centre where patient calls are acknowledged, documented, and triaged.
SouthDoc is in continuous contact with the HSE to ensure appropriate service provision. I have been assured that, in recognition of the range of stakeholders involved, any review of service which would impact on SouthDoc patients or public would involve appropriate advance engagement.
The HSE has in place an SLA with SouthDoc for a quantum of service with an associated funding stream for the CHO 4 Region. SouthDoc continues to provide this quantum of service from 18.00 to 08.00 each weekday and 24 hours cover at weekends and public holidays. SouthDoc does not have any plans to alter this quantum of service commitment. All patients in the CHO 4 Region whose GPs are members of SouthDoc are entitled to access the service and there are no plans to change or withdraw access to the service from the population as a whole or any specific cohort. SouthDoc also provides care in the Out-of-Hours to patients who are not registered with any GP as well as visitors to the CHO 4 Region and there are no plans to limit their access to the service.
SouthDoc is committed to the long-term continuation of the provision of the Out of Hours service in the North Cork Region. There are no plans to close any treatment centres in this area. There are no plans to withdraw the availability of or access to SouthDoc’s services in Fermoy or for patients in the North Cork area generally. North Cork GPs are valued members of the SouthDoc co-operative and there are no plans to withdraw access to SouthDoc’s services from their patients.
There are also no plans to withdraw the availability of the centres in the wider region, including in East Cork, from service and/or for when in-person consultations are deemed clinically necessary by a doctor.
SouthDoc as with any service continuously reviews the allocation of Doctors, both member GPs and Locum Doctors, to ensure the most effective allocation of their clinical skills and expertise to ensure the safest and most effective service.
As part of this on-going review, the level of demand on the service, against the back drop of a chronic shortage of Doctors, has necessitated a review of the allocation of Doctors on the regional Red eye Service (22.00-08.00). This will be done through reforming their rosters.
These adjustments relate to the Doctors’ rosters only and will not impact the service provision on the Red Eye duty. The capacity of the Red Eye Service is more than sufficient to deal with any upsurge in patient demand.
SouthDoc will retain 11 GPs within the Red Eye service which is capable of dealing with approximately 500 patients. This is far in excess of current demand which is on average 100 patients per night and is therefore well resourced to meet the demand during Red Eye times of 22.00 - 08.00 across Cork and Kerry.
It is important to emphasise that if an individual in Fermoy requires care, that care will be provided by appointment in the Fermoy Treatment Centre or via Home Visit depending on clinical condition of the patient as assessed by the consulting Doctor. There is no reduction in service within the Red Eye Service and existing resources can meet the demand comfortably.
In summary, the SouthDoc Out of Hour’s service remains available to the patients and full access to the services provided by them. The SouthDoc Treatment Centres facility in North Cork will continue to be by appointment. Any patients that may require a Home Visit due to their clinical condition will be treated accordingly. All patients continue to be dealt with by appointment only and this will remain unchanged.
828. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown, in tabular form, of the funding provided for SouthDoc out-of-hours services in the east Cork area for the year 2023. [35418/23]
View answer829. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown, in tabular form, of the funding provided for SouthDoc out-of-hours services in the east Cork area for the year 2022. [35419/23]
View answer830. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown, in tabular form, of the funding provided for SouthDoc out-of-hours services in the east Cork area for the year 2021. [35420/23]
View answer831. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown, in tabular form, of the funding provided for SouthDoc out-of-hours services in the east Cork area for the year 2020. [35421/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 828, 829, 830 and 831 together.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
