asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that a patient (name supplied) was deprived of his old age pension book by Dublin Health Authority on the grounds that he was receiving institutional care when he was receiving surgical treatment; and if he will advise the Health Authority to clarify the position of these patients before taking their pension books.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Retention of Old Age Pension Book.
151.
I have had inquiries made from the Dublin Health Authority and I understand that when this patient was admitted to St. Kevin's Hospital on 6th May last, he was treated as a patient receiving institutional assistance. Later, in mid-June, he was transferred to the surgical department and for the short period he was there and during a recent further brief stay in this department, he was treated free of charge under section 15 of the Health Act, 1953. All of the remainder of his stay in St. Kevins and in Bru Chaomhín was as a patient receiving institutional assistance. What has given rise to misunderstanding in this case is that no deduction from current pension was made during the initial period of institutional assistance and the charges made during the period of surgical treatment were intended to cover this earlier period. On further consideration of this, the Health Authority have decided to make a refund for the period of surgical treatment.
The Health Authority take care to establish that patients are receiving institutional assistance, as distinct from acute medical or surgical treatment, before asking for their pension books.
The information which the Minister has is not quite correct. The information given to me by an official of the Department is that while the pensioner was receiving surgical treatment his pension book was in the possession of the authorities and the statement made by them to me was that the man would not know what to do with his pension book, would not know what to do with the money. The fact is, they retained his pension book while he was receiving surgical treatment.
That is right.
This is terribly important. The patient is still receiving medical treatment following his opertion. They are not entitled to take his pension book from him. I have medical evidence to the effect that he is still receiving medical treatment.
The Deputy has his own communication with the Department of Health, obviously, but the Minister was informed that the health authority take care to establish that patients are receiving institutional assistance, as distinct from acute medical or surgical treatment, before asking for a pension book.
They did not do this in this case. While this man was receiving treatment his pension book was retained by the health authority and they had no right to retain it.
Maybe the Deputy did not get it—the answer is rather confusing. Charges made during the period of surgical treatment were made to cover the earlier period of institutional assistance before surgical treatment was instituted.
He was admitted as a medical case and, as such, the authority had no right to take his pension book. He is now receiving medical treatment and they have his pension book and this is contrary to what the Minister said, that the man is now a case of institutional care. He is not. He fell in the hospital and is now receiving treatment as a result.
Is the Deputy clear on who should make the decision as to whether he is receiving institutional assistance or acute medical or surgical treatment?
Civil servants are making these decisions and they are not in a position to decide.
Who would the Deputy like to make it? Somebody has to.
I do not think civil servants are in a position to decide this question.
Is it the health authority?
This is a very important matter concerning the old age pensioner who was deprived of his pension by the authority. They have no reason at all to deprive him of his pension book. I am asking that that be clarified.
This is not the Department of Health.
I think the Department of Health have some say in the matter. I am asking the Minister for Labour acting on behalf of the Miniter for Health to ask Dublin Health Authority to make sure that they clarify the situation before taking a pension book from an old age pensioner. It is a simple as that.
If the Deputy will accept that the health authority are the responsible people for making this decision and not the Civil Service.
I am saying public servants—Dublin Health Authority— civil servants—I fail to differentiate between them.
It would be better if we get down to definitions before we start arguing.
We are talking about the Dublin Health Authority.
We are talking about the Dublin Health Authority who make this decision as to whether a patient is having institutional assistance or acute medical or surgical treatment before asking for the pension book.
Is this not a matter that could be rectified in retrospect if an error has been made?
I think is has been rectified. The patient had obviously been in for institutional assistance, required acute surgical treatment and the money taken during that period of acute surgical treatment was for the period prior to that when he was in receipt of institutional assistance.