Written Answers. - Health Board Services.
John Gormley
Ceist:
442
Mr. Gormley
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Irish Family Planning Association has had to suspend services to medical card holders from its clinic in Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin, due to the fact that the Northern Area Health Board can no longer afford to subsidise such services; his plans to provide funding to the IFPA from other sources; and his views on the situation whereby they will have to turn away thousands of medical card holders.
[25009/03]
Liz McManus
Ceist:
506
Ms McManus
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
his views on whether family planning services are an integral part of primary care services; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some family planning service providers who receive health board funding for the provision of services to medical card holders are obliged to manage the delivery of their services through limiting appointments to medical card holders in order to work within a budget; his views on whether the management of medical card clients is contrary to equality of access and choice in primary care such as family planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25596/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 442 and 506 together.
Each health board is obliged to ensure that an equitable, accessible and comprehensive family planning service is provided in its area. The Department issued guidelines to the health boards in 1995 on the provision of family planning services to all persons in their area who need such services. These services are provided primarily through general practitioners, non-governmental organisations and, to some extent, maternity hospitals/units. Significant additional funding –€5.73 million – was provided for the development of family planning and pregnancy counselling services between 1999 and 2002.
I understand that in August 2000, the Northern Area Health Board, in partnership with the Irish Family Planning Association, initiated a family planning-women's health service at the Irish Family Planning Association's premises in Cathal Brugha Street. The services provided are complementary to those available to medical card holders through their own general practitioner and they are intended to provide an element of choice for medical card holders in the area of reproductive health.
In 2003, a budget of €140,000 was made available to the Irish Family Planning Association for the provision of services to medical cardholders. This represented an increase of 10% on the previous years allocation. The Irish Family Planning Association were asked to take appropriate steps to manage the delivery of services within their allocation, but failed to do so, and have suspended services to medical cardholders with effect from 13 October 2003.
I am advised that officials from the Northern Area Health Board will shortly be meeting with the management of the IFPA to review the situation. Medical cardholders in the area are, of course, still entitled to access reproductive health services through their general practitioners.
With regard to the provision of funding to the IFPA from other sources, I should point out that the Crisis Pregnancy Agency has allocated substantial amounts to the IFPA for crisis pregnancy counselling services and post-crisis pregnancy supports. In 2002, a total of €94,356 was provided for (i) crisis pregnancy counselling services in Sligo, Waterford, Donegal and Dundalk, (ii) post-abortion support groups in eight IFPA centres and (iii) for the development of the association's web page. To the end of 2003, a sum of €74,977, out of a total allocation of €222,164, will be paid to the IFPA for similar crisis pregnancy counselling services and post-abortion supports. I understand that the Crisis Pregnancy Agency has made a commitment to provide continued funding for these services from 2004 onwards. The exact level of funding for these services is to be agreed with the IFPA before the end of 2003.
