Written Answers Nos. 285-306
285. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if an immediate date will be confirmed for scoliosis surgery for a person (details supplied); the number of people on the waiting list for this type of surgery and the timeframe involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13365/24]
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 these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
286. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that funding is provided to allow for the employment of the required neurologist for the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise; if he will confirm that they have received correspondence from the Neurological Alliance of Ireland who is campaigning to have a neurologist situated in the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13370/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
287. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE chiropodists employed by the HSE working in CHO9 by location in 2023 and to-date in 2024, in tabular form. [13373/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
288. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of a primary care centre (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13375/24]
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.
289. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions No. 1043 of 2 November 2021 and 1672 of 26 July 2022, when the HSE plans to develop a primary care centre at the site referred to in Ratoath, County Meath; if the plans are included in the HSE's current capital program; the overall cost and timeline for completion of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13376/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
290. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health the steps his Department is taking to increase the number of GPs in County Kildare (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13378/24]
View answerGPs are self-employed practitioners and therefore may establish practices at a place of their own choosing. There is no prescribed ratio of GPs to patients and the State does not regulate the number of GPs that can set up in a town or community.
Where a vacancy arises in a practice with a GMS contract, the HSE becomes actively involved in the recruitment process to find a replacement GP. As of the start of the month, there are 25 GMS vacancies across the country, and no GMS vacancies in County Kildare.
A GMS patient, a person that holds a medical card or GP visit card, who experiences difficulty in finding a GP to accept them as a patient, having unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in the area (or fewer if there are fewer GPs in the area), can apply to the HSE National Medical Card Unit which has the power to assign a GMS patient to a GP's GMS patient list in accordance with the GMS contract.
Persons who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis and can make enquiries directly to any GP practice they wish to register with. As private practitioners, it is a matter for each individual GP to decide whether to accept additional private patients.
The Government is aware of the workforce issues currently facing general practice, including the limited access to GP services in certain areas, and is working to ensure that general practice is sustainable in all areas into the future.
Under the 2019 GP Agreement additional annual expenditure provided for general practice was increased by €211.6m. This provided for significant increases in capitation fees for participating GMS GPs, and new fees for additional services and increased practice supports. The GP Agreement 2023 further increased GP capitation fees, increased the existing subsidy rates for practice staff, and introduced a grant support for additional staff capacity as well a practice staff maternity leave support.
The number of doctors entering GP training has been increased significantly in recent years, with 286 new entrants in 2023 and 350 places planned for new entrants for this year. Annual intake to the GP training scheme has been increased by over 80% from 2015 to 2023, and the number of new entrant places to be available this year is a 22% increase on last year's intake alone.
Furthermore, GP recruitment is ongoing under the joint non-EU GP Training Programme between the HSE and ICGP. 112 non-EU GPs were recruited last year under the training programme and it is planned to recruit up to 250 more non-EU GPs to Ireland this year. The placement of GPs under the programme is targeted to rural and underserviced areas.
Finally, my Department and the HSE have commenced a Strategic Review of General Practice. The review, with input from key stakeholders, is examining the broad range of issues affecting general practice including issues related to GP capacity. When completed, the review will set out the measures necessary to deliver a more sustainable general practice into the future.
291. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if a review has been carried out into the impact of the cessation of child developmental checks under the national healthy childhood programme for children in areas of Dublin mid-west (details supplied) due to staff shortages in the public health nurse service; if so, if the report will be made available; and if not, if a review will be considered at the earliest opportunity in order to assess the real consequences of the lack of service provision in the area. [13379/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
292. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if there is a process through which parents who have been unable to access developmental checks for their children due to staff shortages in their area, can access an appointment in an alternative location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13380/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
293. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health if the HSE will provide its conclusions and its determination of a complaint (details supplied); if he will outline all of the actions taken at the facility since the complaint was made to address the shortfalls and risks detailed in the complaint; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13397/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
294. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health to list the number of public health nurses covering the Dublin 8, 10 and 12 areas; the catchment population they cover; the length of time there has been a vacancy or absence of cover due to staff holidays, unfilled posts or illnesses in the past two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13398/24]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
295. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health what measures are taken in the case of a vacancy in a local public health nurse's position to address a backlog which has built up when the new person is put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13399/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
296. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health the current waiting times for elderly home support services in counties Louth and Meath, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13402/24]
View answer299. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health the number of people that were on the waiting list for homecare packages in counties Louth and Meath, at the end of each year from 2018 to 2023, in tabular form. [13406/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 296 and 299 together.
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE recently ended the industrial action which commenced on 6 October 2023. As a consequence, members in these grades were not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result of the accumulated backlog, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
297. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health the total number of children on a waiting list for their first appointment to CAMHS in CHO8, by county; the breakdown under the various lengths of time that they have been on the waiting list, in tabular form. [13403/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
298. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health the average length of treatment an individual receives in the CAMHS system in each of the CHOs. [13405/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
300. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health for an update on negotiations in relation to the dental treatment service scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13407/24]
View answerThe Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental care, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Services available annually and on demand include an examination including preventative elements, two fillings, extractions, and a scale and polish. More complex care, such as dentures, additional fillings and a broader range of treatments for patients with additional needs and high-risk patients, are available subject to the approval of the local HSE Principal Dental Surgeon.
To support practitioners to provide care under the Scheme, I approved and funded a range of measures that were put in place on 1 May 2022 to introduce and reintroduce elements of preventative care and increase the fees paid to dental contractors for most treatment items by 40-60%. In 2023, 154,864 additional treatments were provided under the DTSS, with over 26,700 extra patients treated when compared with 2022.
In the longer term, the Government is committed to reforming dental services, including the DTSS, through the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy (NOHP), Smile agus Sláinte. The HSE's Strategic Reform Lead is driving policy implementation across the organisation and moving forward with developing new services for both adults and children in line with the Policy.
The Policy also contains a range of strategic workforce planning actions to increase workforce capacity, in support of improving patient's access to care. To support this work, my Department is currently finalising a workforce census for oral healthcare.
301. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health the number of GPs currently practicing in the counties Louth and Meath, respectively; the number of new GPs who have taken up work in each of those counties in each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13408/24]
View answerGPs are self-employed practitioners and therefore may establish practices at a place of their own choosing. There is no prescribed ratio of GPs to patients and the State does not regulate the number of GPs that can set up in a town or community.
Under the GMS scheme, the HSE contracts GPs to provide medical services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders. Currently there are 2,530 GPs contracted to provide services under the GMS Scheme, and a further 599 GPs hold some other contract with the HSE for the provision of health services such as services under the Primary Childhood Immunisation Scheme or National Cancer Screening Service.
In relation to the numbers of HSE contacted GPs in Louth and Meath, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday, 6 October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
302. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health the number of people in the counties Louth and Meath, respectively who are without a GP and are currently on a waiting list for one; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13409/24]
View answerGPs are self-employed practitioners and therefore may establish practices at a place of their own choosing. There is no prescribed ratio of GPs to patients and the State does not regulate the number of GPs that can set up in a town or community.
Under the GMS scheme, the HSE contracts GPs to provide medical services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders. Currently there are 2,530 GPs contracted to provide services under the GMS Scheme, and a further 599 GPs hold some other contract with the HSE for the provision of health services such as services under the Primary Childhood Immunisation Scheme or National Cancer Screening Service.
Where a person that holds a medical card or GP visit card, experiences difficulty in finding a GP to accept them as a patient, the person concerned having unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in the area (or fewer if there are fewer GPs in the area) can apply to the HSE National Medical Card Unit which has the power to assign a GMS patient to a GP's GMS patient list in accordance with the GMS contract.
Persons who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis and can make enquiries directly to any GP practice they wish to register with. As private practitioners, it is a matter for each individual GP to decide whether to accept additional private patients. Accordingly, the HSE does not maintain information on patients on waiting lists for registration with a GP on a private basis.
303. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the impact on current drug reimbursement waiting times that he expects to see as a result of the recruitment of 36 new staff within the decision-making reimbursement process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13410/24]
View answerAs recommended by the working group I established following the publication of the Mazars ‘Review of the Governance Arrangements and the Resources in place to support the HSE’s reimbursement and pricing decision-making process’ in February 2023, funding for an additional 34 WTE for the agencies involved in the HSE’s medicines pricing and reimbursement system has been allocated by Government.
These additional staff, to be hired across 2024, will allow each agency to operate to its full potential, ensuring timely and efficient assessment of applications.
Investing in this capacity will support agencies to operate to the fullest of their ability, providing timely and efficient evaluation of medicines for reimbursement. It is hoped this will indicate a commitment to positive collaboration and incentivise more timely applications from industry.
Alongside the approval of additional resources for the agencies involved in the HSE’s medicines pricing and reimbursement system, The HSE will have €30 million to spend on new drugs in 2024. This comprises €20 million of new development funding and a further €10 million, to be generated through HSE efficiencies, which will also be re-invested in new drugs.
This includes the establishment of a sustainability taskforce which will seek to drive efficiency in the HSE’s pharmaceutical spending.
Policy and operational options are being pursued, including enhancing the penetration of generic and biosimilar medicines to improve the sustainability of medicine expenditure and to maximise patient access to new and innovative treatments. This ensures that the substantial investment in medicines is maximised to treat even more patients with new innovative therapies in the years to come.
More detail on the measures to be implemented in 2024 are set out in the HSE’s National Service Plan (NSP). These include a commitment to deliver increased visibility on the steps / progress made by each individual medicine through the HSE assessment and approval processes. My Department will monitor the performance of the HSE in delivering the NSP through an established DoH-HSE performance engagement model. The model provides for structured engagement at various levels within both organisations to identify service delivery challenges and agree and implement improvement actions.
304. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health the status of the independent review of the radiation therapist profession, which was agreed between the HSE, his Department and an organisation (details supplied) under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Committee, which has been underway since December 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13433/24]
View answerFirstly, I would like to acknowledge the incredibly important role of Radiation Therapists in the provision of cancer services in this country.
The independent review of the Radiation Therapist profession was agreed between the HSE, Department of Health and SIPTU, under the auspices of the WRC. This strategic review has been considering issues such as organisation structure, career development in line with Health and Social Care Professional Frameworks, strategic workforce planning and recruitment and retention strategies.
The Radiation Therapist review commenced in December 2022 and a report including recommendations is currently being drafted.
All outcomes of the review will be given due consideration by the Department of Health. Implementation of any recommendations from the review are subject to approval from the Departments of Health and Public Expenditure and Reform in line with public service pay policy.
305. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health the number of people who have participated in the Laura Brennan HPV vaccination catch-up programme to date; the targets set for the programme; if he will report on the programme extension review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13434/24]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the numbers involved in the Laura Brennan HPV Vaccination Catch-Up Programme.
In relation to any extension, I can confirm that the HSE and the Department are working together to review available options in relation to the programme.
306. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health the amount of funding to date which has been allocated to the National Skin Cancer Prevention Plan 2023 - 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13435/24]
View answerAs the HSE is leading on implementation of the National Skin Cancer Prevention Plan 2023-2026, this is a service matter and I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Action 1.4 of the National Skin Cancer Prevention Plan 2023-2026 is to "Develop and deliver an annual SunSmart communications plan to raise awareness of skin cancer prevention behaviours". The SunSmart campaign has run in 2021, 2022, 2023 and planning is currently underway for 2024. This campaign is rolled out across social media, radio and digital audio. The Department, through Healthy Ireland, has co-funded this campaign with the HSE every year, and allocations are outlined in the table below.
|
Year |
Allocation |
|
2021 |
60K |
|
2022 |
60K |
|
2023 |
60K |
|
2024 |
75K |
