Terence Flanagan
Ceist:117. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding a grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5025/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraGrant Payments
Ceisteanna (117)
Freagraí scríofa
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.
Mental Health Services Provision
Ceisteanna (118)
Billy Timmins
Ceist:118. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Health the facilities available in counties Carlow and Wicklow for persons under 18 years of age who may be suffering from mental health difficulties; the way to access these services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5036/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service issue this question has been referred 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.
Cancer Screening Programmes
Ceisteanna (119)
Brendan Griffin
Ceist:119. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding mammography; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5039/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
BreastCheck provides cancer screening for women aged 50-64 years. BreastCheck utilises digital mammography as it is the most advanced method available, giving enhanced image quality and significant reductions in the radiation dose associated with screening examinations. The improved images lead to higher detection rates for cancer which is seen as a positive. This facilitates earlier treatment of known cancers. Digital mammography does not play any part in causing these cancers.
The National Cancer Registry (NCR) is the statutory body with responsibility for the collection and analysis of information relating to the incidence of cancer and related tumours in Ireland.
The interval cancer figures referred to were included in a 2012 report from the Registry: 'Breast Cancer Incidence, Mortality, Treatment and Survival in Ireland: 1994-2009'. This data refers to the number of interval cancers diagnosed in the period 2000-2009 for women aged 50-64 screened in the period 2000-2007. It should be noted that BreastCheck did not commence national roll-out until late 2007.
Breast cancer survival in Ireland has improved significantly in recent years due to a combined approach of screening, symptomatic detection and improved treatment. Breast cancer five year survival is estimated at 81% for people diagnosed between 2006-2011, which represents an increase from 72% for the diagnosis between 1994-1999.
Quality assurance processes and measurements are a vital aspect of the BreastCheck programme and their ‘Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Mammography Screening’ are consistent with those of the European Reference Organisation for Quality Assured Breast Screening and Diagnostic Services which is the EU standard.
The overall benefits of breast screening are clear. Breast screening helps to diagnose breast cancer at an early stage when it is easier to treat, thus exposing the women involved to less extensive surgical treatment and giving them better chances of good recoveries and improved quality of life.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (120)
James Bannon
Ceist:120. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health when a medical operation will take place in respect of a person (details supplied) from County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5045/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In relation to the particular patient query raised by you, 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.
Departmental Functions
Ceisteanna (121)
Mattie McGrath
Ceist:121. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if there is assistance for medical card holders who have experienced a chimney fire to help with fire brigade charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5048/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Unfortunately, the matter the Deputy has raised is not a matter for me or my Department.
Orthodontic Services Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (122)
Robert Troy
Ceist:122. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure a person (details supplied) receives an appointment for orthodontic care without further delay as that person has been waiting for over two years for this care. [5049/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (123)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:123. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5063/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The 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.
Audiology Services Provision
Ceisteanna (124)
Marcella Corcoran Kennedy
Ceist:124. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Offaly who has been on an audiology waiting list for over a year will be called for treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5086/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
Nursing Home Services
Ceisteanna (125)
Terence Flanagan
Ceist:125. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding nursing homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5093/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Health Information and Quality Authority is the independent authority established under the Health Act 2007 to drive continuous improvement and to monitor safety and quality in Ireland’s health and personal social care services. Since 2009 all designated centres for older people, i.e. public, private and voluntary nursing homes, have been registered and inspected by HIQA.
There are 566 designated centres for older persons. In 2014 HIQA completed 762 inspections. At least one inspection took place in 97% of the total number of registered centres. Inspections may be announced or unannounced and are planned as part of HIQA’s annual schedule of monitoring and registration renewal. In 2014 58% of inspections of older person’s centres were unannounced.
The majority of announced inspections related to the registration renewal programme where the announcing of the inspection enables greater participation of residents and relatives as they are aware in advance of when inspectors will be in the centre.
HSE Reports
Ceisteanna (126)
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:126. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 705 of 4 November 2014, if the Health Service Executive has provided him with a report on this matter as requested; and, if so, if he will provide a copy of same. [5094/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I am in touch with the Health Service Executive in relation to this particular case and will write to the Deputy when I have all the details available to me.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (127)
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:127. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that interim support is provided in respect of a child (details supplied) in Dublin 11 who was referred to the early intervention team in June 2014, and yet is still awaiting a commencement date. [5095/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the issue raised by the Deputy relates to an individual case, this is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. I have asked the HSE to look into the particular matter raised and to reply directly 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.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (128)
Tom Fleming
Ceist:128. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite a referral in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry. [5116/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
Services for People with Disabilities
Ceisteanna (129)
Michael McCarthy
Ceist:129. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health the amount of funding that was provided for Network First domiciliary service (details supplied) in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5117/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I am informed by the Health Service Executive (HSE) that Network First Domiciliary Service is service-user focused, community based, value for money, personalised & quality in-home support service.
It is available to families that have members with moderate to profound Intellectual Disabilities, living in and/or attending services in the Co. Louth and south Co. Monaghan catchment area.
It operates by encouraging families to use their local support networks in adapting to and coping with the needs of rearing children and caring for adults with specialist needs.
The funding provided by the HSE to Network First for the years 2011-2014 is as follows:
|
Year |
Network First Funding |
|
2011 |
€105,087.50 |
|
2012 |
€ 92,164.50 |
|
2013 |
€ 80,800.00 |
|
2014 |
€ 78,699.78 |
Medical Card Applications
Ceisteanna (130)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:130. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5124/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The 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.
Hospice Services Provision
Ceisteanna (131)
Billy Timmins
Ceist:131. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the provision of a hospice in County Wicklow; the status of the application; if it has received approval; the location of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5125/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
This is a matter in the first instance for the Heath Service Executive. However, very recently, accompanied by a HSE representative, Minister Varadkar met with a delegation from the Wicklow Hospice Foundation to discuss this project. On that occasion Minister Varadkar agreed to do all that he can to facilitate the projects completion, and the HSE representative was able to clarify the conditions that must be met from the Executive's perspective (these are in line with what has been applied to other similar projects). Minister Varadkar and I believe that there is now a clear road map in place for the project to progress.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (132)
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Ceist:132. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the details of patients on waiting lists in Waterford University Hospital, for outpatient appointments, inpatient procedures and other lists, who have been waiting for six months, 12 months, one year, two years and more than two years, broken down by specialty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5128/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
Nursing Homes Support Scheme Review
Ceisteanna (133)
Denis Naughten
Ceist:133. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the reason for the ongoing delay in publishing the review of the nursing home support scheme; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that those making oral submissions were informed that it would be completed by the end of January 2015; if his Department has received a copy of the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5134/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
When the Nursing Homes Support Scheme commenced, a commitment was made that it would be reviewed after three years. The reason for allowing this period to elapse was to ensure that the Scheme had bedded in and that established trends would be available in order to inform the work of the Review. The Review is being carried out by my Department in collaboration with the HSE, with analysis and recommendations provided by an external service provider on specific issues which required specialised expertise.
A call for written submissions to inform the review was made on the 16th June 2012. In total 61 submissions were received from a broad range of individuals, nursing homes, statutory bodies, groups representing the interest of older people, private/commercial bodies and organisations in the community and voluntary sector. A summary report of the submissions was published on the Department's website in December 2012.
The Terms of Reference for the Review are:
Taking account of Government policy, demographic trends and the fiscal situation:
1. To examine the on-going sustainability of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme;
2. To examine the overall cost of long-term residential care in public and private nursing homes and the effectiveness of the current methods of negotiating/setting prices;
3. Having regard to 1. and 2. above, to consider the balance of funding between long-term residential care and community based services;
4. To consider the extension of the scheme to community based services and to other sectors (Disability and Mental Health); and
5. To make recommendations for the future operation and management of the scheme.
The elements of the Review that relate to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme itself are well-defined, but an effective assessment of the Scheme for the future requires consideration of where it fits within the spectrum of services and supports for older people, and of how the make-up of and balances within this spectrum may change over time. This exercise is much broader than was first envisaged and the time needed was therefore also somewhat longer. However work is well advanced and it is expected that the Review will be completed by the end of this quarter.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (134)
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:134. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of persons currently on the waiting list to see a consultant cardiologist at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9; the average waiting time to see the consultant; and the steps being taken to reduce the waiting time. [5150/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
Hospital Appointments Status
Ceisteanna (135)
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:135. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of patients who failed to turn up for appointments, or alert hospitals of their inability to attend in public hospitals in 2013, 2014 and to date in 2015; and the international comparison rates for this phenomenon in health systems, for example, the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. [5151/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
Medicinal Products Availability
Ceisteanna (136)
Billy Kelleher
Ceist:136. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that Sativex has been sanctioned for use on the Irish market; the date it will become available on the medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5178/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
On the 18th of July 2014 the Health Products Regulatory Authority granted a marketing authorisation for cannabis based medicinal product Sativex® to be marketed in Ireland. The remaining timeframe for making the product available for prescribing in Ireland is the responsibility of the holder of the product authorisation, GW Pharmaceuticals PLC and their European partner Almirall.
The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the GMS and community drug schemes in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. Decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds by the HSE on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics. They are not political or ministerial decisions.
The HSE received an application for inclusion of Sativex® under the Community Drugs Schemes High Tech Arrangements in early September 2014. Sativex® is indicated for the relief of symptoms of spasticity for people with multiple sclerosis where other conservative treatments have failed to provide adequate benefits.
A Health Technology Assessment on Sativex® has been completed by the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics which did not recommend reimbursement of Sativex® at the submitted price.
The Report by the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics is an important input to assist the HSE in its decision making process and informs further discussions between the HSE and the supplier. No further comment can be provided at this time as the assessment process is ongoing.