Thursday, 15 Jan 2015

Written Answers Nos. 179-88

Health Services

Ceisteanna (179)

Terence Flanagan

Ceist:

179. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding funding for medical treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2019/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

In relation to the individual case raised, the HSE has been asked to investigate the specific issues surrounding this case and respond directly to you. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Speech and Language Therapy

Ceisteanna (180)

Finian McGrath

Ceist:

180. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an appointment for speech therapy in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2029/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As the particular issue raised by the Deputy relates to an individual case, this is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (181)

Finian McGrath

Ceist:

181. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hospital appointment for a knee replacement in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2030/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014,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 been adopted by the Health Service Executive, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up with them.

Health Services

Ceisteanna (182)

Finian McGrath

Ceist:

182. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a residential care in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2031/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he can contact my Private Office and they will follow the matter up with the HSE.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (183)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

183. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if and when a tonsilectomy procedure will be offered in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2044/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014,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 been adopted by the Health Service Executive, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up with them.

General Practitioner Services

Ceisteanna (184)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

184. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding recruitment of general practitioners (details supplied) in the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2048/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

GPs are private contractors who provide services to the public health system under the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme and other schemes.

Under the Health (Provision of General Practitioner Services) Act 2012, a registered medical practitioner:

(a) whose name is included in the Specialist Division of the register of medical practitioners established under section 43(2)(b ) of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007, and

(b) who holds a current certificate of registration within the meaning of section 2 of that Act in respect of the medical specialty “General Practice” recognised under section 89(1) of that Act;

is eligible to apply to the HSE for a contract to provide services to medical card and GP visit card holders under the General Medical Services Scheme. Any GP who holds a GMS contract is eligible to apply for a vacant GMS panel. Such panels are filled through open competition and interview following advertisements in national and medical newspapers. There is no restriction on the HSE placing advertisements for such competitions.

The HSE is currently engaged in a medical workforce planning project, which will include workforce planning for GPs. The Medical Workforce Planning Project underway within the HSE's National Doctor Training and Planning Unit is on target to develop a medical workforce planning system by June 2015. The system will be based on a statistical model of supply and demand which will be informed by expert stakeholders, population and medical workforce data across all medical specialties. Both entrants into and exits from the workforce will be accounted for. Furthermore, a measure of patient need and the demand for medical specialist services will be determined and included in the statistical model. Medical workforce planning for General Practice is included in this work and will be prioritised in the development of workforce projections based on both the supply of GPs and the demand for GP services over the next 20 years.

HSE Funding

Ceisteanna (185)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

185. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if funding will be provided for a smoking area in a day care centre (details supplied) in County Kerry; if funding will also be provided to transport persons from their homes to the centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2051/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service issue I have referred your question to the HSE for direct reply. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Nursing Home Accommodation Provision

Ceisteanna (186, 187, 188, 190)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

186. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to increasing the nursing home accommodation at St. Brigid's Nursing Home, Crooksling, County Dublin, given the recent shortage of step-down bed accommodation in the region and given the suitability of St. Brigid's Nursing Home to meet such requirements; if consideration might be given to re-introducing all previously decommissioned accommodation at the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2071/15]

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

187. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which the current maximum patient capacity at St. Brigid's Nursing Home, Crooksling, County Dublin, might be expanded to meet the step-down bed needs in the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2072/15]

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

188. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which any management-nursing posts remain to be filled at St. Brigid's Nursing Home, Crooksling, County Dublin; the extent to which staff numbers continue to be augmented thereat as required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2073/15]

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

190. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to the provision of sheltered housing or similar back-up facilities for older persons at St. Brigid's Nursing Home, Crooksling, County Dublin, in view of the suitability of such a location for this purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2075/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 to 188, inclusive, and 190 together.

As these are service matters they have been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.