Pat Deering
Ceist:222. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health when persons (details supplied) in County Carlow will recieve a decision on their medical card application; and if he expedite a response [43512/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraMedical Card Applications
Ceisteanna (222)
Freagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
Medical Card Eligibility
Ceisteanna (223)
Tom Fleming
Ceist:223. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if persons who are eligible for medical cards/general practitioner visit cards and through no fault of their own incurred medical costs which should have been covered by the medical card/GP visit card scheme, are now entitled to claim a refund for medical expenses incurred due to a Health Service Executive delay or mix up; the process for making a claim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43516/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Since 1 July 2011, the Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) is responsible for the national administration of the Medical Card/GP Visit Card schemes. If persons feel they have an entitlement to a refund, they should submit all relevant receipts to the Customer Relations Management Unit, Primary Care Reimbursement Service, HSE. Claims for refunds are processed on a case by case basis. If persons had eligibility and, through no fault of their own incurred medical costs which should have been covered by the GMS scheme, they are reimbursed that amount.
HSE Governance
Ceisteanna (224)
Billy Kelleher
Ceist:224. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the reason the contract between the Health Service Executive and a company (details supplied) was extended for another four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43522/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As these are service matters, they have been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (225)
Billy Kelleher
Ceist:225. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he or the Health Service Executive have information collated on the number of people who are on out patient lists who when contacted will no longer require or need the appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43523/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
Ministerial Meetings
Ceisteanna (226)
Billy Kelleher
Ceist:226. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he has met Health Information and Quality Authority recently and if they had particular areas of concern; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43525/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I last met with the Chairperson and the Chief Executive Officer of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) on 20th July 2012. I would expect to have a further meeting before the end of the year. A range of important issues, which are of mutual concern, are discussed at these meetings. Outside of my formal meetings with HIQA, my officials are in regular contact with HIQA to deal with and progress the range of issues that arise.
Ministerial Meetings
Ceisteanna (227)
Billy Kelleher
Ceist:227. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he has met the cancer registry recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43526/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I have not met with the National Cancer Registry recently, but officials of my Department have a regular and positive working relationship with the Director of the Registry and his staff. I would be happy to meet with the Registry should the occasion arise.
Accident and Emergency Departments Waiting Times
Ceisteanna (228)
Billy Kelleher
Ceist:228. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if the waiting times on trollies in accident and emergency departments are based on average waiting times; if he will outline the waiting time actually calculated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43527/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The number of patients on trolleys is reported as the aggregate number of such patients, as counted by the INMO, at 8 a.m. from Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays. Separately, SDU collates the number of patients waiting 0-6 hours, 6-9 hours, 9-18 hours and over 18 hours, in order to allow detailed analysis of patient attendance and admittance patterns in Emergency Departments. These detailed figures are collected three times daily, 7 days per week, and shared with hospitals on an operational basis.
The waiting times are calculated from the time a decision to admit the patient is made in the ED to the time the patient is admitted to the hospital. This method of calculation has been used by the INMO since 2005. In line with SDU recommendations, hospitals are moving to measurement of Patient Experience Time (PET), which calculates waiting time from the time a patient registers in the Emergency Department.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (229)
Billy Kelleher
Ceist:229. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the number of patients treated from the elective waiting in patient lists in 2011 and in 2012 and also to include numbers treated from the in patient waiting lists in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43528/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service issue, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
Hospital Accommodation Provision
Ceisteanna (230)
Billy Kelleher
Ceist:230. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the actions he is taking on the hospitals that have the longest length of stay for patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43529/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
It is important to note that across the acute hospital sector as a whole, reduction in costs will come from greater efficiencies where possible, including shorter Average Length of Stay (AvLOS) which is key to the delivery of agreed activity levels with fewer beds, and therefore less staffing. This in turn reduces the number of bed days needed. This year, general AvLOS has been reduced from 7.2 days to the HSE Target Plan of 5.8 days. In particular, implementation of the HSE’s Acute Medicine Clinical Care Programme has saved 121,000 bed days to date in 2012. The HSE transitional care initiative is also instrumental in shortening unduly lengthy and inappropriate stays in acute beds for patients, by putting in place 190 transitional care beds and 150 rehabilitation beds this year to which patients can move when appropriate. In terms of surgery, the realignment of services away from inpatient and towards day-case services is in line with international best practice: 2012 has, for the first time, seen agreed targets with all specialties in relation to AvLOS and day case rates for surgical care. The continued implementation of these Programmes and Initiatives is improving access to services, quality of care and the cost-effectiveness of the service provision.
The funding pressures now being experienced in the health services mean that the acute sector must reduce its costs in order to deliver the agreed level of activity within the resources available to it. This means that we must concentrate on maximising efficiency and getting the best possible services for patients from the budgets available to us. However, this on its own is not sufficient. Activity levels in our acute hospitals have been running ahead of the levels set in the approved HSE Service Plan and therefore it is inevitable that activity levels must also be reduced. This will be a significant challenge, and in meeting it we must be flexible and responsive to service needs, in order to ensure that essential services are protected and that patient safety and quality remain paramount.
During 2012, as part of its performance improvement role, the SDU committed limited funds for short periods of time to facilitate the reduction of numbers waiting on trolleys in Emergency Departments, where these numbers were determined to be exceptionally high. Some of the funding provided was directed towards measures for patients whose length of stay had been prolonged due to lack of immediately available assistance and/or accommodation in order to facilitate an appropriate discharge. The types of measures utilised include temporary funding of nursing home beds, purchase of temporary home care or assisted discharge packages, increased access to diagnostic facilities and additional staffing for weekend and holiday periods. The Department of Health continues to work with the HSE to ensure that the contingency plans are operating satisfactorily and that all critical front line services continue to be delivered across all regions. This includes using the provision of the Public Service Agreement to bring about greater flexibilities in work practices and rosters, and maximising redeployment to achieve more efficient delivery of services. Staff resources will continue to be allocated to areas of greatest priority.