Written Answers Nos. 352-366
352. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in the processing of a medical card application in respect of persons (details supplied) in Dublin 9; and when a decision will be made. [3447/15]
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 issued to Oireachtas members.
If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
353. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will receive an appointment for life-saving heart surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3467/15]
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 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.
354. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1112 of 17 September 2014 regarding the reviews of the national ambulance service, if the national capacity review, the Health Information and Quality Authority audit and the Health Service Executive special performance and quality review have been completed; the changes to be made to emergency ambulance services as a result of these reviews; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3469/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs 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.
355. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if the announced employment of additional home help staff will involve people from the current panel (details supplied). [3473/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. 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.
356. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon will receive a hospital appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3482/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved. 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.
357. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if a rheumatologist has been appointed to Mayo General Hospital; if not, when the appointment will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3483/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. 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.
358. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has been left waiting for in excess of three months for a space in the National Rehabilitation Hospital; if he will arrange to have this matter reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3497/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs 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.
359. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the shortage of occupational therapists in Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore, County Offaly resulting in a person (details provided) receiving only 20 minutes of occupational therapy a day despite suffering a serious spinal and brain injury three months ago; if he will arrange to have the matter reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3498/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs 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.
360. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Health the amount that was generated through parking charges at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, for the years 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3507/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs 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.
361. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that emergency funding is secured for accommodation upgrades for public nursing homes whose future has been cast in doubt due to their failure to meet Health Information and Quality Authority’s new accommodation standards; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that up to 21 of these facilities, including two in County Tipperary, may not be re-registered by HIQA this year due to their failure to meet this standard; the steps being taken to prevent any such closures; the cost to the State of carrying out these upgrades; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3516/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra407. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Health the way it is planned to meet the Health Information and Quality Authority requirements in respect of a nursing home (details supplied) in County Tipperary; if a fully costed and funded plan has been submitted to HIQA; if not when it will forward a plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3873/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 361 and 407 together.
There are currently 119 public residential units providing a mixture of long-stay and short-stay residential care. All of these, including St Conlon’s Nursing Unit, Nenagh and Dean Maxwell Community Nursing Unit, Roscrea are registered with HIQA. Notwithstanding the problems that some facilities face with structures and facilities, the vast majority of their residents receive excellent levels of care. Without these public facilities many older people would simply have nowhere to go, other than our acute hospitals which are already under pressure. It is therefore very important that the services provided by public facilities be maintained.
Demand for capital investment for the Community Nursing Unit programme far exceeds the funding available, and investment must therefore be allocated as effectively as possible based on the HSE's assessment of priorities.
HIQA has indicated that a number of units do not fully meet the standards one would expect to find in a modern nursing home. This is not surprising given the age and structure of many of our public nursing homes. However, there is adequate flexibility available within the terms of existing legislative provisions, and through ongoing discussions between the HSE and HIQA, for solutions to be found. In this context the HSE has been working with HIQA over the past number of months to meet the re-registration requirements of these units, and my Department is closely monitoring the situation.
362. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the new vaccination against meningitis B, Bexsero, here; when a decision will be made as to whether this drug will be made available in this jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3521/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra404. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the decision of the national immunisation advisory committee on the new vaccine against meningitis B; and if he will act to ensure early adoption of this in our vaccine programme. [3865/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 362 and 404 together.
The immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The NIAC is a committee of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland comprising of experts in a number of specialties including infectious diseases, paediatrics and public health.
NIAC has issued guidance in relation to the use of the Meningitis B vaccine in the control of clusters or outbreaks of Meningococcal B disease.
My Department has recently received a letter from the Chairman of NIAC regarding the introduction of the Meningitis B vaccine into the Primary Childhood Immunisation Schedule. This matter will be considered by my Department.
363. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health further to recent media reports, when the investigation into the severe shortage in supplies of commonly used medicines, including Eltroxin, will commence; the expected timeframe for completion of the investigation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3550/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra364. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the terms of reference for the Health Products Regulatory Authority investigation into the severe shortage in supplies of commonly used medicines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3551/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra365. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health his views on the practice of Health Products Regulatory Authority approved licence holders exporting medicines to the UK and other export markets; the reasons such exporting is taking place; his plans to ensure this practice does not continue to adversely affect the supply of medicines domestically; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3552/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra366. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to ensure that the supply of Eltroxin is adequately maintained prior to the completion of the Health Products Regulatory Authority investigation into severe shortage in supplies of commonly used medicines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3553/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 363 to 366, inclusive, together.
Eltroxin, which contains the active substance levothyroxine, is a long established medicine that is used to control hypothyroidism, congenital hypothyroidism and juvenile myxoedema. It is marketed in tablets containing 25, 50 and 100 micrograms and is the subject of a marketing authorisation in Ireland.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) became aware of shortages of Eltroxin tablets during the week of 1 December 2014. On becoming aware of the shortage the HPRA contacted the manufacturer. This was not however a formal investigation but part of the HPRA's activities in managing disruption in supply of a medicine. It is understood that this shortage was due to a regulatory non-compliance by the manufacturer. The non-compliance was that a registered in-process test was not being applied during manufacture of current batches of Eltroxin. Over the following days, a number of ‘fast track’ regulatory requests (variations), submitted by the manufacturer, were approved by the HPRA in order to allow for the release of batches of tablets onto the Irish Market.
As part of its routine post marketing activities, the HPRA continues to monitor and investigate issues relating to disruption in supply. In the event of a shortage of a medicine to patients, HPRA will attempt to minimise the impact on patients by:
- working with pharmaceutical companies to resolve manufacturing and distribution issues;
- sharing information with the HSE and international partners about alternative sources of supply;
- seeking input from the HSE, patient groups and healthcare professionals on the impact of medicine shortages, to support decision-making;
- taking measures to allow alternative medicines or suppliers to be used;
- having in place a fast track regulatory mechanism (known as ‘batch specific request’) to permit packs of a medicine intended for another market to be modified to meet the requirements of the authorisation to market the product in Ireland;
- operating a notification system relating to the sourcing by distributors of exempt (unauthorised) medicines to meet the special needs of patients. This can include the sourcing of an exempt alternative where there is a shortage of the authorised product.
Parallel exporting is the exporting of medicines intended for use in one market to other countries in the European Economic Area (EEA). EU law provides for the free movement of goods across borders within the EU so the practice of parallel import and parallel export of medicines is legal. Member States may restrict the free movement of goods only in exceptional cases, for example when there is a risk resulting from issues such as public health, environment, or consumer protection. In September 2011, the HPRA wrote to the majority of wholesalers regarding the public service obligations contained in the Irish Medicines Regulations. The HPRA closely monitors the situation and if it is found that a product shortage may have been due to parallel trading, the HPRA will investigate.
At present, the HPRA is not aware of any shortage in supply of Eltroxin in Ireland. It continues to work with the manufacturer concerned to ensure that sufficient stocks of this, and other of its products, are available for patients in Ireland. Based on the information available to the HPRA the shortage of Eltroxin tablets in December 2014 was not caused by parallel trade of the product.
