Written Answers Nos. 367-381
367. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding home help service in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 13; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3556/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive 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.
368. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has been refused an over-70s medical card even though he satisfies the financial assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3570/15]
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.
369. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive an appointment for a hip replacement surgery from Cappagh hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3579/15]
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.
370. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the proposals regarding St. Joseph's Hospital, Ardee, County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3585/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive 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.
371. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update for assistance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3591/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs 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.
372. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3596/15]
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.
373. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a date for a medical procedure in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3597/15]
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.
374. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health his views on a file (details supplied) sent to him in June 2014 regarding the death of a person in Castlebar hospital on 15 February 2013; if he will refer this matter to the Health Information and Quality Authority and apologise to the person's family for the substandard care the person received between his admission on 7 February 2013 and his death in Castlebar hospital on 15 February 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3615/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to extend my sincerest condolences to the family of Mr. Paige. However, as you can appreciate, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on an individual case. I have therefore, requested the HSE to issue a comprehensive response to this case.
375. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will re-examine the list of drugs that are available on the medical card for persons who suffer with multiple sclerosis; the drugs that are currently available; the further medications that are requested to be included and are under consideration or have been refused by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3630/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the community drug schemes in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply 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.
376. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the arrangements being considered in respect of the provision of disability services at a location (detail supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3631/15]
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.
377. Deputy Gabrielle McFadden asked the Minister for Health the average time the Health Service Executive national recruitment service processed applications for nursing positions of whatever scale and grade in the years from 2010-2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3638/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra378. Deputy Gabrielle McFadden asked the Minister for Health the average time the Health Service Executive national recruitment service processes applications for nursing positions of whatever scale and grade; the action being taken to address processing times in the event of any delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3639/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 377 and 378 together.
I 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.
379. Deputy Gabrielle McFadden asked the Minister for Health his views on delays in processing applications for nursing positions of whatever scale and grade and that this is an urgent matter in view of the current nurse shortage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3640/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are nearly 35,000 nurses currently employed in our health service. Each year approximately 1,500 nurses complete the nursing degree programme. This is the number seen as necessary to maintain nursing numbers at the level required to support service delivery.
There was a requirement to reduce public service numbers and maximise savings in the public service from the time of the downturn in the economy. The embargo on recruitment introduced by the HSE in 2007, followed by the moratorium on recruitment resulted in a fall of about 4,500 in nursing numbers between 2007 and the middle of 2013. Nursing numbers have increased by nearly 500 in the past 12 months. This increase can be attributed to the very positive initiatives undertaken by the HSE to reduce reliance on agency and to offer contracts of employment where agency can be replaced by full time posts. It is noteworthy that the number of nurses who have made requests for verification to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland – a requirement if they intend leaving the country - fell by 400 in 2014, meaning that this additional number wish to remain in Ireland.
The HSE has the capacity to recruit where it is necessary to deliver front-line services. This is reflected in the current recruitment campaign where the HSE is actively recruiting to fill 1,600 approved nursing posts. These are across all grades and all divisions of the register spanning acute hospitals, community, ID and mental health.
Many of these posts are currently being filled on a temporary or an acting basis. Following a high profile online campaign at the end of 2014 the HSE is currently processing 3,700 applications for nurses (all divisions of the register across all areas) to meet current needs. These applicants will be interviewed and their applications processed over the next number of weeks.
However, there will always be certain posts that are difficult to attract suitably qualified candidates to and individual strategies are developed for these in conjunction with the line managers. Where front-line staffing shortages exist, the HSE makes alternative arrangements to ensure continued service provision, including recourse to agency cover. However, it is preferable that sufficient numbers of nurses are recruited to permanent posts to support the most efficient and effective delivery of services.
380. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Health his plans to intervene in the ongoing dispute between nursing unions and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland regarding increased registration fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3677/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am concerned regarding the implications for the health service and patient safety should the current impasse over the annual retention fee increase continue. I have therefore written last week to the President of the Board of NMBI and asking that options be explored to bring a resolution to issues surrounding the annual retention fee. I recognise that the Board must meet its obligations within the financial resources available. At the same time this demands that obligations are met on the most economic basis possible and all planned expenditure can be demonstrated as necessary.
I have again requested that the Board of NMBI re-engage in discussions with the staff associations, as a matter of urgency. An outcome must be found which secures the Board’s minimum financial operating requirements but avoids a scenario where nurses and midwives are removed from the Register for non-payment of fees with potential consequences for service availability.
I will continue to monitor the situation closely in the interests of patient safety and continuity of care.
I have offered that both my officials and I are available to engage with the Board should that be of assistance.
The Board is an independent body, answerable to the Oireachtas, with the responsibility to ensure that it has the financial capacity to undertake all its legal obligations. The cost of enacting the additional requirements under the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 was set out in the Regulatory Impact Analysis that was carried out prior to the enactment of the legislation.
It was also made clear at the time of the legislation that the Board would continue to be self-funding and needed to plan and cost how it would fulfil its legal obligations. Following detailed negotiations with the Executive and Board members in 2013 it was agreed in October 2013 that an initial once-off sum of €1.6m would be granted by the Department to the Board to cover 2013/2014 costs, but that the Board would have to increase its income in 2015 to undertake its commitments in the legislation. The Board of the NMBI made the decision to increase the annual registration fee at its meeting on 17 September 2014.
381. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the details of oversight and governance of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, NMBI; if in view of the spending of State funds and unilateral increases in registration fees, the NMBI should be open to scrutiny to ensure financial appropriateness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3688/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Board is governed by the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 and is a legal entity in its own right. Its accountability to the Minister for Health is set out in statute and in this regard the Minister may for example direct the Board to amend a statement of strategy submitted to him under section 18. Having regard to the relevant sections of the Act, there is a certain amount of accountability to the Houses for example the Act requires the Minister to lay a copy of the statement of strategy before each House of the Oireachtas. The Minister can also lay the business plan submitted to him before the Oireachtas and the annual reports are also laid before each House of the Oireachtas by the Board. Further all rules made under section 13 and approved by the Minister must be laid and annulled. It should be noted that the Board’s accounts are also examined by the Comptroller and Auditors General’s Office. In this regard the accounts for 2012 and 2013 were recently published and arrangements will be made to lay them before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
The Board is an independent body, with the responsibility to ensure that it has the financial capacity to undertake all its legal obligations. The cost of enacting the additional requirements under the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 was set out in the Regulatory Impact Analysis that was carried out prior to the enactment of the legislation.
It was also made clear at the time of the legislation that the Board would continue to be self-funding and needed to plan and cost how it would fulfil its legal obligations. Following detailed negotiations with the Executive and Board members in 2013 it was agreed in October 2013 that an initial once-off sum of €1.6m would be granted by the Department to the Board to cover 2013/2014 costs, but that the Board would have to increase its income in 2015 to undertake its commitments in the legislation. The Board of the NMBI made the decision to increase the annual registration fee at its meeting on 17th September, 2014.
I am concerned regarding the implications for the health service and patient safety should the current impasse over the annual retention fee increase continue. I have therefore written last week to the President of the Board of NMBI asking that options be explored to bring a resolution to issues surrounding the annual retention fee. I recognise that the Board must meet its obligations within the financial resources available. This also demands that obligations are met on the most economic basis possible and all planned expenditure can be demonstrated as necessary. I requested that the Board of NMBI re-engage in discussions with the staff associations, as a matter of urgency. I have offered that both my officials and I are available to engage with the Board should that be of assistance.
An outcome must be found which secures the Board’s minimum financial operating requirements but avoids a scenario where nurses and midwives are removed from the Register for non-payment of fees with potential consequences for service availability. I will continue to monitor the situation closely in the interests of patient safety and continuity of care.
