Tuesday, 9 Jun 2015

Written Answers Nos. 780-798

Hospital Appointments Delays

Ceisteanna (780)

Denis Naughten

Ceist:

780. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for urgent and non-urgent arrhythmia clinic appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21921/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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.

Drugs Payment Scheme Coverage

Ceisteanna (781)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

781. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if the drug nadolol, which is used to treat Long QT syndrome, has been removed from the drugs payment scheme; and if so, if it will be re-instated with immediate effect. [21926/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

There are currently no products authorised in Ireland containing Nadolol, nor are there any applications pending with the Health Products Regulatory Authority for such products.

Nadolol was previously authorised under the brand name Corgard, however, these authorisations were withdrawn by the marketing authorisation holder Sanofi in 2000. The product is however still authorised in some European countries. The Health Products Regulatory Authority has received notification from wholesalers that products containing Nadolol have been imported into Ireland under the notification scheme for exempt medicinal products.

The Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 sets out the rules and criteria around reimbursement of medicinal products. Under the Act the HSE can only add items to the reimbursement list which have a marketing authorisation.

In exceptional circumstances the Act authorises the HSE to fund reimbursement of items not on the reimbursable list for individual patients provided the patient requires that item for clinical reasons and that there is no listed item which is a suitable alternative for that item in so far as the patient is concerned.

The HSE has confirmed that it has funded Nadolol for individuals when applications are made which provide evidence which allows the HSE to utilise the exceptional criteria provided under the 2013 Act.

Hospital Appointments Delays

Ceisteanna (782)

Denis Naughten

Ceist:

782. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the current waiting time in the Mater Hospital, Dublin 7, for urgent and non-urgent cardiology outpatient appointments; the waiting time for inpatient treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21935/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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.

Autism Support Services

Ceisteanna (783, 796)

Ciara Conway

Ceist:

783. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Health the number of children currently waiting on a full diagnostic assessment for autism in Waterford University Hospital; if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the waiting list times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21937/15]

Ciara Conway

Ceist:

796. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details as to the composition of the autism team in University Hospital Waterford; if all the positions are covered; the number of psychologists on the team who can do a full diagnostic assessment; the length of time it will take, and the progress that has been made in recruiting a psychologist who can carry out a full diagnostic assessment; the Health Service Executive's plan, in the absence of a fully trained psychologist, to undertake the assessment procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22049/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 783 and 796 together.

As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive 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 Consultant Recruitment

Ceisteanna (784)

Mick Wallace

Ceist:

784. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 139 of 19 November 2014, if he will provide a progress update on the recruitment for a consultant dermatologist in University Hospital Waterford; if any of the three such posts there have been permanently filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21954/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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 Consultant Recruitment

Ceisteanna (785)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Ceist:

785. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the current status of unfilled hospital consultants' posts. [21955/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

I have asked the HSE to look into this matter and to respond to the Deputy directly. 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 (786, 787)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Ceist:

786. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the massive increase in numbers waiting for surgery, for over a year, in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9; if a particular plan has been, or will be, put in place to address these waiting lists, in view of the fact that they include those in chronic pain, along with those waiting for essential spinal surgery; if there is a plan for recruiting anaesthetists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21956/15]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Ceist:

787. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details on the increase in numbers waiting for surgery for over a year in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9; if any particular plan has been, or will be, put in place to address these waiting lists at the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21957/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 786 and 787 together.

As these are service matters, 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.

Question No. 788 answered with Question No. 686.

Nursing Staff Recruitment

Ceisteanna (789)

Mick Wallace

Ceist:

789. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health if there is a respiratory nurse currently working in Wexford General Hospital with asthma patients; if not, his plans to recruit one in the near future; if he will provide details of the services available in Wexford General Hospital for asthma patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21992/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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.

Services for People with Disabilities

Ceisteanna (790)

Finian McGrath

Ceist:

790. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will support a matter (details supplied) regarding services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22004/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

Each Local Health Office area in the Health Service Executive (HSE) has a dedicated Disability Manager to co-ordinate the delivery of services to people with disabilities. It is open to the individual and their family to pursue this matter with the Disability Manager for their area who can be contacted at Coolock Health Centre, Cromcastle Road, Coolock, Dublin 5, telephone [phone].

As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the 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 Appointments Status

Ceisteanna (791)

Denis Naughten

Ceist:

791. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon will receive an appointment; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22018/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

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 should take the matter up with the consultant and the hospital involved. In relation to the specific case raised, 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 Procedures

Ceisteanna (792)

Colm Keaveney

Ceist:

792. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in being called for a procedure in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22020/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

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 should take the matter up with the consultant and the hospital involved. In relation to the specific case raised, 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.

Magdalen Laundries

Ceisteanna (793)

Clare Daly

Ceist:

793. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the reason an internal Health Service Executive report in relation to the Bessborough Mother and Baby Home, County Cork, commissioned in 2012 as part of the McAleese inquiry into the Magdalen laundries, was not passed on to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs; and the action that was proposed on foot of same. [22034/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The Department of Health and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs were represented on the Magdalen Laundries Interdepartmental Committee chaired by Dr. Martin McAleese.

I am aware that the Health Service Executive provided a draft report on the Bessboro Mother and Baby Home to the secretariat of the Committee. The representatives of the two Departments received a copy of the draft report at that time, when the Committee was examining routes of entry into Magdalen Laundries (including from mother and baby homes). The author of the report advised that the report's conclusions remained conjecture pending further forensic validation and I understand that the HSE subsequently advised that aspects of the report on Bessboro had been referred to the National Director of Quality and Patient Safety within the HSE.

As Deputy Daly will be aware, the Government has established the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters, chaired by Judge Yvonne Murphy, to provide a full account of the experiences of woman and children who lived in mother and baby homes over the period 1922-1998 in accordance with the detailed Terms of Reference approved by the Government.

Hospital Appointments Administration

Ceisteanna (794)

Michael McGrath

Ceist:

794. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details, for each of the Cork hospitals, and broken down by specialty and discipline, for example, cardiac, renal, paediatric and so on; the number of outpatient, and separately surgical, appointments cancelled by the hospital-Health Service Executive in 2013 and separately in 2014; if he will provide an overall breakdown of the reason for the cancellation of these appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22041/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

With regard to the detailed queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service matters, 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.

Orthodontic Services Provision

Ceisteanna (795)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

795. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding orthodontic braces in respect of a child (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22047/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive (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.

Question No. 796 answered with Question No. 783.

Hospital Accommodation Provision

Ceisteanna (797)

Joan Collins

Ceist:

797. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 494 of 21 April 2015, if he will provide an update (details supplied). [22077/15]

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, she can contact my Private Office and they will follow the matter up with the HSE.

Medical Card Applications

Ceisteanna (798)

Tom Fleming

Ceist:

798. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will urgently examine an application for a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22081/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

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.