Written Answers Nos. 170-182
170. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Health the reason there is no independent mechanism to investigate a relative's allegations (details supplied) of serious psychological, emotional and financial abuse of a vulnerable person while in the care of the Health Service Executive. [25501/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra171. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Health the reason the Health Service Executive refuses to arrange an independent assessment, as suggested by a qualified clinical psychologist, on foot of a relative's allegations (details supplied) of serious psychological, emotional and financial abuse of a vulnerable person while in the care of the executive. [25502/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 170 and 171 together.
As the Deputy's questions relate to service matters, they have been referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply. 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 up the matter with the HSE.
172. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 591 of 16 June 2015, if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare qualifies for a medical card on discretionary grounds given ongoing poor health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25540/15]
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.
173. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding medical expenses in respect of a child (details supplied) in County Cork, which were incurred during the processing of an application for a medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25542/15]
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.
174. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the dental care of a child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25545/15]
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.
175. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the position regarding St. Vincent's Hospital in Dublin 3 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25551/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If you have not received a response within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
176. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an application for a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25561/15]
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.
177. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health his views on claims that one in three of the persons currently in nursing homes could live at home if they were supported to do so; that the number of Ireland's older generation in nursing homes is 35% greater than the average in the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25565/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraGovernment policy will continue to prioritise facilitating older people to remain in their own homes and communities for as long as possible, and ensuring that appropriate residential care is available when it is needed.
When the stage is reached where an older person can no longer remain at home, the State provides financial support through the Nursing Homes Support Scheme for those who need long-term residential care. The Scheme aims to ensure that long-term nursing home care is accessible and affordable for everyone and that people are cared for in the most appropriate settings.
The Scheme is currently the subject of a Review. This review is considering the Scheme’s long term sustainability as well as looking at how well the current model of provision is balancing residential care with care in the community, and whether this needs to be adjusted to better reflect what older people want.
While there will always be a need for long-term residential care, older people have consistently said that they want to be facilitated and supported to stay in their own homes and communities for as long as possible.
The HSE provides a range of community-based services aimed at ensuring older people receive safe, timely and appropriate care and treatment at the lowest level of complexity, and as close to home as possible. Services are provided on a prioritised basis based on a care needs assessment and availability of resources.
In its National Service Plan (NSP) for 2015 the HSE stated that it will continue to progress the strategic realignment of services to provide home care and community support services in order to maximise the potential of older people in their own homes and communities. The levels of home supports planned for in the NSP are:
- 10.3 million hours of home help service supporting 50,000 people - this is same level of service as 2014;
- 13,800 people in receipt of home care packages at any one time - this includes an additional 600 people supported under the delayed discharges initiative;
- 190 people in receipt of an intensive home care package at any one time - these packages were introduced for the first time in 2014 for people with more complex care needs.
178. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health his plans to design and deliver a wide-ranging communications campaign for the public, along the lines of the under-six general practitioner publicity campaign, in relation to citizens' rights under the European Union cross-border services directive. [25566/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra180. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will initiate and introduce a wide-ranging communications campaign designed to make the public more aware of their rights under the cross-border Directive 2011/24/EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25568/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 178 and 180 together.
The Health Service Executive operates the EU Directive on Patients’ Rights in Cross Border Healthcare in Ireland. In line with practice in other EU Member States, the HSE, through the National Contact Point (NCP) office, provides information for patients on the Cross-Border Directive on its website - http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/schemes/cbd/ - and also by phone. The principal function of the NCP (which is the mechanism specified under the Directive for the dissemination of information on the Directive by Member States) is to facilitate exchange of information for patients concerning their rights and entitlements relating to receiving healthcare in another Member State, in particular the terms and conditions for reimbursement of cost and the procedures for accessing and determining those entitlements.
The NCP also has a responsibility to ensure that all enquirers are informed of the right to healthcare, if any, that they may have through the European legislation on the coordination of social security schemes (EU Regulation 883/04) and which may be more beneficial to them. The NCP is able to inform patients what the cost of their treatments would be in Ireland to allow them make a comparison with the costs they are being quoted for comparable treatment in another Member State.
Similar to other healthcare schemes operated by EU Member States under Community legislation, access to healthcare abroad under the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive is based on patients following public patient pathways, hence the HSE has in particular concentrated on informing the doctors who make the referrals. For example, prior to the transposition of the Directive the HSE met with the ICGP and various consultants at hospital level to inform them of the provisions of the new Directive. The HSE has also participated in an EU Patients Forum conference which was held in Dublin in April to inform patient groups of the Directive.
Additionally, the HSE is at this time actively engaged with consultants representing two specific cohorts of patients to facilitate access to certain diagnostics and treatment for which there are long waiting lists in Ireland. The HSE welcomes requests from Hospital Medical Boards to present and inform the doctors of the provision to refer patients to other EU/EEA countries for healthcare under the terms of the Directive.
179. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the reason that the number of intensive home care packages was almost two thirds under target in April 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25567/15]
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.
181. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health when a full medical card will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if the matter will be expedited. [25570/15]
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.
182. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if an operation to remove cataracts will be arranged as a matter of urgency in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [25571/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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 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.
