Written Answers Nos. 650-666
651. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if, in relation to the news that there were orthopaedic surgeries with unlicensed implants performed at Temple Street Hospital, he will advise whether HIQA was notified of the increased infection rates and above-normal repeat surgeries; if so, the action HIQA took; and if not, the reason therefor. [42521/23]
View answerThe Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) have informed me that they are not routinely notified of infection rates and above-normal repeat surgeries and there is no requirement on services to routinely provide this to HIQA.
The use of non-CE spring implants in surgeries in Temple Street Childrens Hospital is a very serious matter. Firstly, a clinical review of the three patients involved is currently under way.
I am writing to the CEO of HIQA to request that they conduct an independent review of the use of the non-CE spring implants during spinal surgery in Temple Street. This review would also include review of the controls and oversight processes and governance within CHI on the use of surgical implants / implantable medical devices, including the processes around regulatory requirements and notifications, which was raised by some advocacy groups.
652. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Health if he will add age-related macular degeneration to the eligible illnesses on the long-term illness scheme (details supplied). [42523/23]
View answerThe Long-Term Illness (LTI) Scheme was established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act 1970 (as amended). Regulations were made in 1971, 1973 and 1975, prescribing 16 conditions covered by the Scheme. These are: acute leukaemia; mental handicap; cerebral palsy; mental illness (in a person under 16); cystic fibrosis; multiple sclerosis; diabetes insipidus; muscular dystrophies; diabetes mellitus; parkinsonism; epilepsy; phenylketonuria; haemophilia; spina bifida; hydrocephalus; and conditions arising from the use of Thalidomide.
Under the LTI Scheme, patients receive drugs, medicines, and medical and surgical appliances directly related to the treatment of their illness, free of charge. While there are currently no plans to extend the list of conditions covered, it is important to remember that the LTI Scheme exists within a wider eligibility framework.
This Government has put a significant focus on improving access to and the affordability of healthcare services, advancing substantial policy, legislation and investment to deliver expanded eligibility.
In 2022, a range of measures were delivered including the abolition of public inpatient charges for children, reductions in the Drug Payment Scheme threshold to €80 per month, and the introduction of free contraception for women aged 17-25.
In 2023, a further range of measures facilitated better access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. These include an expansion of GP care without charges to children aged 6 and 7, and to people earning no more than the median household income, the abolition of all public in-patient hospital charges for adults, and the extension of the free contraception scheme to include women aged 26-30.
These measures continue to create a health and social care service that offers affordable access to quality healthcare.
People who cannot, without undue hardship, arrange for the provision of medical services for themselves and their dependants may be eligible for a medical card under the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme. In accordance with the provisions of the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for a medical card is determined by the HSE. Medical card eligibility is primarily based on an assessment of means and is not granted on the basis of any particular condition.
In certain circumstances the HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, even though an applicant exceeds the income guidelines, where he or she faces difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from illness.
Under the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS), no individual or family pays more than €80 a month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The DPS is not means tested and is available to anyone ordinarily resident in Ireland. The DPS significantly reduces the cost burden for families and individuals with ongoing expenditure on medicines.
Individuals may also be entitled to claim tax relief on the cost of their medical expenses, including medicines prescribed by a doctor, dentist, or consultant. Relief is at the standard tax rate of 20%.
653. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Health whether the Government has commissioned any opinion polling related to any aspects of abortion provision since 2019 and to date in 2023; and if so, what questions were asked; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42525/23]
View answerThe Review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 commenced in line with statutory and Government commitments in December 2021. The Review assessed the effectiveness of the operation of the legislation. As part of the first phase of the review, information and evidence on the operation of the Act was collected from a range of stakeholders. As part of this process the general public was afforded the opportunity to contribute through a public consultation. The public consultation closed on the 1st April 2022, and nearly 7,000 submissions were received. The final report of the public consultation is available on the Government of Ireland website.
654. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if his Department supports the decision of the European Parliament to adopt a common EU framework to allow the sale of human embryos and other bioproducts through its approval of new rules on the management of substances of human origin (SoHO), which took place at a plenary session 12 September 2023 in Strasbourg; if his Department contributed any policy analysis or objections to this proposal prior to the vote; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42565/23]
View answerIn July 2022, the European Commission submitted the proposal for a Regulation on standards of quality and safety for substances of human origin (SoHO) intended for human application. Repealing Directives 2002/98/EC and 2004/23/EC, the proposal combines provisions on blood, tissues and cells in a broader legal framework covering and strengthening standards of quality and safety for all substances of human origin (except organs), including those previously unregulated at EU level.
The proposal also
• supports the continued provision of SoHO therapies, now and in the future, based on high safety and quality standards and up-to-date technical rules,
• extends protective measures to new groups of patients, to donors and to offspring born from assisted human reproduction,
• aims to improve harmonisation across Member States, facilitating cross-border exchange of SoHO and improving patient access to the therapies they need,
• creates conditions for safe, effective and accessible innovation in a unique sector driven by public health services, and voluntary and unpaid donations,
• improves crisis preparedness and resilience to safeguard access to therapies, and
• implements digital-ready policies.
The Regulation will allow Member States to introduce more stringent measures for the regulation of SoHO if required.
The proposed Regulation is currently under discussion in parallel by the Council and the European Parliament, and the final text has not yet been agreed or adopted.
655. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 664 of 20 June 2023, the number of complaints submitted for review under the Dignity at Work policy by HSE employees and subsequently screened out by HSE employee relations personnel as not meeting the criteria for this process, in each CHO and hospital group area in 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; the percentage of cases deemed as such; and the duration in each case that the employee waited for this verdict, from the time they submitted the complaint. [42573/23]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in respect of this matter.
656. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the case of a person (details supplied) who was employed as home help by the HSE during the Covid pandemic period, has applied for the Covid recognition payment and was approved, but has yet to receive the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42575/23]
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.
657. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health to review a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42627/23]
View answerRegarding the case enclosed by the Deputy, I can confirm that the HSE National Ambulance Service (NAS) is liaising closely with both the family of the patient and the sports club concerned.
I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly with any further pertinent information it may have in regard to the specific incident.
658. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Health the reason that a person (details supplied) is waiting so long for their driving test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42631/23]
View answerAwaiting reply from Department.
659. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Health to provide the number of calls logged to MyOptions annually from 2019 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42631/23]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters it has been referred to the HSE for answer.
660. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if, further to a response provided by the HSE (details supplied), he will confirm that the lack of a full public health nurse service in the CHO7 region is the reason for the delay in the discharge of a patient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42642/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
661. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the amount of money that a GP can claim in reimbursements, broken down by category, in tabular form, as part of the provision of antenatal care during pregnancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42651/23]
View answerGPs are private practitioners, most of whom hold one or more contracts with the HSE for the provision of healthcare services without charge on behalf of the HSE. Under the GMS scheme, GPs are reimbursed by the HSE for services provided to all medical card and GP visit card holders on their panel through annual capitation payments for each patient as well as fee-per-item payments for certain services. GP practices also receive a range of financial supports under the GMS scheme.
The Maternity and Infant Care Scheme provides an agreed programme of care to expectant mothers ordinarily resident in Ireland. This combined medical service is provided by the family GP and a hospital obstetrician and includes a schedule of alternating examinations at the GP’s practice and a maternity unit/hospital, as well as two post-natal visits to the GP. The fees payable to GPs under the scheme are set out in the Health Professionals (Variations of Payments to General Practitioners) Regulations 2016, as shown below.
GP Fees for services rendered under the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme
|
Description |
Amount |
|
Patient’s first visit |
€38.42 |
|
Visits 2-8 (per visit) |
€27.67 |
|
Visit 9 |
€38.42 |
|
Where complete services are provided — patient’s first pregnancy |
€242.85 |
|
Where complete services are provided — pregnancies other than the patient’s first pregnancy |
€270.52 |
|
Additional visits by patients with major conditions, e.g. diabetes, hypertension — fee per visit subject to maximum of 5 visits |
€27.67 |
|
Emergency delivery |
€230.53 |
662. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the reason that most dentists in Kilkenny will not take medical cards for dentures (details supplied). [42656/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
663. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the registration of psychologists under CORU; and what remedy exists for any persons who have been provided with psychological services, such as educational assessments, by persons unqualified for same. [42657/23]
View answerAwaiting reply from Department.
664. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the registration of psychologists under CORU; and what remedy exists for any persons who have been provided with psychological services, such as educational assessments, by persons unqualified for same. [42657/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, CORU is Ireland’s multi-profession health and social care regulator. CORU’s role is to protect the public by regulating the health and social care professions designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended), including setting the standards that health and social care professionals must meet to be eligible for registration and maintaining registers of persons who meet those standards.
Seventeen health and social care professions are designated for regulation by CORU. There are currently registers open for eleven professions and CORU is continuing the substantial work required to open the registers for the remaining designated professions of Social Care Workers; Psychologists; Counsellors and Psychotherapists; Clinical Biochemists; and Orthoptists.
The Psychologists Registration Board (PSRB) was established in 2017. The work of the PSRB includes consideration of the titles to be protected, the minimum qualifications to be required of existing practitioners, the qualifications that will be required for future graduates, and drafting the Standards of Proficiency and Criteria for Education and Training Programmes.
Regulating a new profession is a complex and lengthy process, requiring careful consideration and preparatory work to ensure that it is effective in protecting the public. Psychology has been a uniquely challenging profession to regulate due to the diversity of its specialisms (for example clinical psychology, counselling psychology, occupational and work psychology, sports and performance psychology) and the fact that there is no common education pathway or standards for entry to the profession.
In 2020 a public consultation on the draft Standards of Proficiency and Criteria for Education and Training Programmes developed for the profession revealed significant issues and a lack of consensus on how to proceed with regulation. Key areas of disagreement among the profession are around the minimum level of qualification required for entry to the profession, the number of placement hours, and the appropriateness of practice placement settings.
Having reached an impasse, CORU wrote to me on behalf of the PSRB in September 2021 seeking guidance on how to proceed. Having considered the matter with due regard to the complexity of this profession, its diverse specialisms (including non-health and social care specialisms), the lack of consensus among the profession on how to proceed, and risks to the public of delays in opening a register, I wrote to CORU in August 2022 requesting that the PSRB consider a dual-stream and phased approach to regulating the profession. This approach will allow the PSRB to prioritise regulating the psychology specialisms which present the greatest risk to public safety, while simultaneously continuing to work towards the long-term objective of protecting the title of ‘psychologist’.
CORU wrote to wrote to me on 3 March 2023 with the PSRB’s recommendations on which specialisms should be prioritised for regulation, using an evidence and risk-based methodology. I have accepted the PSRB’s recommendations to prioritise regulation of clinical, counselling, and educational psychology. On 24 April 2023 I wrote to CORU requesting the PSRB to proceed to immediately regulate these three specialisms, while progressing work to protect the title of psychologist in parallel.
The PSRB has now commenced its work to establish the education and training standards for entry to each of these three specialist divisions, and to identify technical legislative amendments required to enable the opening of these divisions of the register.
In parallel, an Expert Advisory Group is being convened by CORU to examine and make recommendations on a regulatory model that will facilitate regulation of the psychology profession. This will include international regulatory and professional experts. The Expert Advisory Group is working towards making recommendations to the Psychologists Registration Board and Council by the end of 2023.
Owing to the significant body of preparatory work that the PSRB are required to undertake, it is not possible to say with any degree of accuracy when the profession of psychologist will be fully regulated. I would anticipate that these registration boards will require a number of years to complete their work.
Whilst work to regulate the psychology profession is ongoing, patients and service users have existing rights and access to remedy under consumer protection law, specifically the Consumer Protection Act 2007 and the Consumer Rights Act 2022. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is the statutory body responsible for promoting compliance with, and enforcing, competition and consumer protection law in Ireland. The CCPC operates a consumer helpline to provide information to consumers about their rights.
In addition to consumer protection measures, consumers entering into contracts may also have remedies under contract law and should seek independent legal advice. Where a crime may have been committed by a practitioner presenting fraudulent qualifications, a report should be made to An Garda Síochána.
665. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health to provide a full list of those who were paid the €1,000 Covid bonus payment, broken down into the different groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42672/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
666. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway, has a representative radiologist at the weekly multidisciplinary team meetings in GUH to present cases from Portiuncula Hospital; if patients with complex cancers in Portiuncula Hospital have their cases heard in a timely manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42680/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
