Seán Haughey
Ceist:925 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Health and Children if manual lymphatic drainage-combined decongestive therapy will be provided to medical card holders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15499/02]
Written Answers. - Medical Cards.
Seán Haughey
Ceist:1177 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Health and Children where manual lymphatic drainage combined decongestive therapy services are provided here for the treatment of lymphoedema; if there is a clinic in St. James's Hospital, Dublin which can be availed of by a medical card holder residing in the Northern Health Board area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16983/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 925 and 1177 together.
The GMS scheme is a treatment based scheme which provides a range of services free of charge to medical card holders. In instances where, as part of a prescribed treatment protocol, referral to specialist services is deemed necessary by the patient's general practitioner, such specialist services should be provided free of charge for the patient in the normal out-patient clinics or as a public in-patient.
Responsibility for determining the eligibility of a medical card holder to a particular course of treatment in other settings free of charge rests with the relevant health board. I have been informed by the Eastern Regional Health Authority that this therapy service is available in St. James's Hospital, which is prepared to provide the service free of charge to a medical card patient from the Northern Area Health Board area who has been referred in the normal manner by the patient's general practitioner.
Question No. 926 answered with Question No. 893.