Written Answers Nos. 258-269
258. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health when it is expected the draft legislation in respect of the survivors of symphysiotomy will proceed to the next stage of the legislative process; when it is envisaged that this legislation will be enacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31304/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Private Members Bill in question has been referred to the Select Committee on Justice Defence and Equality for consideration at a date that has yet to be scheduled.
260. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if a medical card will be reinstated in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry. [31317/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has recently reissued to Oireachtas members.
261. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health if private health insurance companies are being charged for patients using beds in public hospitals, when those patients come through the normal public access channels for example via emergency department, that is, not getting any additional service by having health insurance, and if so, if he will provide the details for situations in which this arises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31318/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt present, private in-patients in public hospitals are subject to maintenance charges that generally range from €586 to €1,046 per day when they are accommodated in a private designated bed. However, in an emergency admission if a private designated bed is not available and a private in-patient is accommodated in a public bed, the maintenance charge is currently not levied, although the private in-patient continues to pay the fees of his/her hospital consultant.
The Comptroller and Auditor General has reported that 45% of in-patients treated privately by their consultants were not charged for their maintenance costs because they were not occupying private-designated beds. This situation represents a significant loss of income to the public hospital system and an indirect subsidy to private insurance companies, who cover most private patients. I believe that this situation cannot continue and that the new charge makes sense. Up to now insurers have enjoyed a significant subsidy, where these private patients have only paid a standard €75 charge per day to the hospital even though they have seen and paid their consultant privately.
The gap between the cost of providing this service to private in-patients and the amount that public hospitals are currently allowed to raise from those private patients is estimated to be about €200m per year. The subsidy is equivalent to the cost of treating over 30,000 public patients every year or operating a medium size public hospital. While everyone is entitled to use a public hospital, some people chose to be treated privately, in which case they have chosen to pay the consultant and the hospital. The Government believes that users of private services should pay for the costs of providing these services even when they are provided by a public hospital.
As part of Budget 2013, the Government announced that it would raise €60m in 2013 under this heading, and €115m in a full year. This represents a modest phasing in of the charge – as called for by the insurers themselves - and is a relatively modest extra cost on an industry that pays out some €2 billion in claims costs every year.
The Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 is presently before the Dáil and provides for charges to be levied on all in-patients who are treated privately by their consultant, irrespective of where the patient is accommodated in the hospital and regardless of whether they are admitted directly or through emergency departments.
262. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health if hospitals may access insurance details for patients without the patient's permission; if so, under what legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31322/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraIssues relating to access to personal data, including insurance details, are a matter for the Data Protection Commissioner.
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner is established under the 1988 Data Protection Act. The Data Protection Amendment Act, 2003, updated the legislation, implementing the provisions of EU Directive 95/46. The Acts set out the general principle that individuals should be in a position to control how data relating to them are used.
The Data Protection Commissioner is responsible for upholding the rights of individuals as set out in the Acts, and enforcing the obligations upon data controllers.
The Commissioner is appointed by Government and is independent in the exercise of his or her functions. Individuals who feel their rights are being infringed can complain to the Commissioner, who will investigate the matter, and take whatever steps are necessary to resolve it.
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner is an Independent Office under the aegis of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence.
263. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the number of parliamentary questions written and oral transferred by his Department to the Health Service Executive for reply to Deputies in each of the years 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013. [31333/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department receives an average of 6,000 Parliamentary Questions each year. Around 50% of these questions concern operational issues and are referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to Deputies. Many of these questions relate to individual patients and local day to day operational matters.
The number of Parliamentary Questions referred to the HSE for direct reply from 2010 to date are as follows:
2010 - 2,550 (43% of total tabled)
2011 - 2,464 (48% of total tabled)
2012 - 3,049 (53% of total tabled)
2013 (to date) - 1,772 (50% of total tabled)
The Deputy may wish to note that in the current year, while the Executive's National Service Plan includes a commitment that 75% of questions referred to it for direct response will be answered within 15 working days it is currently answering 81% within this time frame.
Since I took Office I decided that Parliamentary Questions relating to operational issues of a national scale or importance should be answered by myself or the relevant Minister of State instead of being referred to the HSE. Whenever possible these questions are answered on the relevant Dáil sitting day. Where this is not possible because the information is not readily available, a reply is issued as soon as possible thereafter. Of the 259 such questions to date in 2013, 255 (98%) have been answered in full.
There is ongoing contact between my Department and the HSE's Parliamentary Affairs Division and we will continue to monitor response times and emphasise the importance of issuing timely and comprehensive replies to Deputies.
264. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will examine a referral to Cork University Hospital for cataract treatment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31342/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2013, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has recently been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.
In relation to this particular query raised by the Deputy, I have asked the Health Service Executive to investigate the situation and respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
265. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 688 of 28 May 2013, when a response will issue from the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31355/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the HSE issued a response to the Deputy on the 19th of June.
266. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Health if the post of chief dental advisor to his Department was filled recently by way of an open public competition; and if not, the reasons for same. [31357/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Health has been unable to fill the post of Chief Dental Officer on a full time basis due to the moratorium on recruitment. Accordingly, it was agreed with the HSE that the HSE National Oral Health Lead would be released to the Department for two days each week to undertake the functions of Chief Dental Officer, with effect from 20 May 2013. The arrangement will be reviewed after 3 years.
268. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if he will review the recent decision to refuse a medical card in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31371/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has recently reissued to Oireachtas members.
269. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to downgrade the services available to persons using Bantry General Hospital, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31385/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service issue, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
