Written Answers Nos. 776-790
776. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health the number of step-down beds that are available in the health service, now that Mount Carmel Hospital, Dublin 14, is open; the number of these that are in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38009/15]
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 it will follow up the matter with the HSE.
777. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health the number of emergency department attendances, in January 2014; in January 2008; the total number of attendances in emergency departments in 2014 and in 2008; the number of emergency department admissions, in January 2008 and in January 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38010/15]
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.
778. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health the number of beds available under the fair deal scheme in January 2008 and in January 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38011/15]
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 it will follow up the matter with the HSE.
779. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive has advertised for a consultant urologist for Letterkenny General Hospital, County Donegal, to replace the previous consultant (details supplied) who resigned in February 2015. [38020/15]
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 up the matter.
780. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number on waiting lists at Letterkenny General Hospital, County Donegal, awaiting surgery under its urology department for the years 2011 to 2014, and in 2015 to date. [38021/15]
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 up the matter.
781. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if referrals of breast cancer patients can be extended beyond County Donegal to increase the number of these patients at Letterkenny General Hospital to facilitate the appointment of a second consultant breast surgeon and further to secure the long-term viability of breast cancer services at the hospital. [38022/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra783. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health his views that the centralisation of breast cancer referrals from general practitioners in County Donegal to University Hospital Galway and away from Letterkenny General Hospital is good practice; and if this practice is consistent with securing the long-term sustainability of breast cancer services at Letterkenny General Hospital. [38024/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 781 and 783 together.
A comprehensive symptomatic breast cancer service is provided to patients in the West/North West region at the Symptomatic Breast Unit in Galway University Hospital and the satellite service in Letterkenny General Hospital.
The satellite service in Letterkenny was established arising from the particular geographic circumstances applying in Donegal. It has been the practice to offer appointments to patients from other counties in the Saolta Hospital Group region in Galway and this has worked well since the re-organisation of symptomatic breast care services several years ago. The service in Letterkenny is augmented by surgeons who are based in Galway travelling to Letterkenny General Hospital periodically to carry out clinics there.
The centralising of triaging of breast cancer referrals for the entire Saolta Group to Galway University Hospital, which commenced in May this year, is consistent with providing a uniform service to patients across the Saolta Hospital Group. This approach will not impact on the long-term sustainability of breast cancer services at Letterkenny General Hospital.
782. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if the service level agreements between the Health Service Executive medical education and training unit and the College of Anaesthetists, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland require the colleges to ensure the fair and equal distribution of training posts for junior doctors to hospitals throughout the State, and reflects the service requirements of the executive in hospitals across the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38023/15]
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 it will follow up the matter with the HSE.
784. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the number of speech and language therapists employed by the Health Service Executive on a full-time equivalent basis in each of the years 2007 to 2014, and in 2015 to date. [38026/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, it has been 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 it will follow up the matter with the Executive.
785. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health the up-to-date position of a medical card appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38027/15]
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 which will follow up the matter with it.
786. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an operation at Cork University Hospital for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38028/15]
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.
787. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if he has studied the research compiled by the National Association of General Practitioners, which reveals that the patient waiting time is now, on average, 34 hours; his plans to address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38036/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra823. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health his plans to deal with the general practice care (details supplied) which is at maximum capacity, as the current waiting time for a patient seeking a routine appointment with a general practitioner has soared from an average of just under ten hours in 2010 to over 34 hours and 25 minutes, and a patient seeking an urgent appointment with a general practitioner has gone from just over two hours and eight minutes to five hours and 12 minutes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38155/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 787 and 823 together.
I am aware that the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP) published a press statement on 27 October with results from a survey of GPs concerning waiting times. It is difficult to comment on this survey in the absence of further information on the survey methodology and the basis on which comparisons were made as between wait-times in 2010 and in 2015.
The Government is committed to the continued development of primary care and to modernising the scope and content of GP contracts. In this context, the HSE, the Department of Health and the Irish Medical Organisation are currently engaged in a comprehensive review of the General Medical Services (GMS) and other publicly funded health sector contracts involving GPs. This review is taking place within the context of the Framework Agreement which was signed by the above named parties in June 2014. Among the topics comprehended by the review process is the issue of supports for General Practice in remote rural areas and in urban/deprived areas.
There are approximately 20 GMS vacancies throughout the country. This represents less than 0.1 % of all GMS contracts held nationally. Of those vacancies, 10 are in rural areas (i.e. centres with a population less than 1,500). Without exception, locum arrangements are in place for all vacancies to ensure continuity of services to the relevant communities.
Over 2,400 GPs currently hold a contract with the HSE under the GMS Scheme compared to some 2,100 GPs in 2009; this is due to an increase in training places in recent years and the elimination of restrictions on access to GMS lists on foot of the Health (General Practitioner Services) Act 2012. The HSE is also exploring with the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) the potential to further increase GP training places over the coming years.
788. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 73 of 22 October 2015, the name of the orthopaedic surgeon who has been retained by the surgical symphysiotomy payment scheme. [38042/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Surgical Symphysiotomy Payment Scheme is operating very well since it was established on 10 November 2014. It was estimated that 350 women would apply to the Scheme, but in fact 578 applications have been accepted by the Scheme and as at 23 October 2015, 317 offers have been made.
Judge Clark has confirmed to my officials that she consults leaders in the fields of obstetrics, gynaecology, orthopaedics, pelvic surgery and radiology to assist her in assessing applications. The consultants concerned are eminently qualified in their respective fields to do this work. As the operation of the Scheme is independent, it is a matter for the Judge to decide what or whose medical expertise is required. The Judge will publish details of these experts in her final report to the Minister, but she is not prepared to have them personally challenged in their role as her advisers at this stage.
It may be useful to point out to the Deputy that “surgical symphysiotomy” means a procedure undertaken for obstetric purposes, involving the cutting of the pubic symphysis, which excludes the spontaneous separation of the pubic symphysis during childbirth. The majority of women who applied to the scheme had undergone this procedure and a proportion of that cohort had significant disability as a result of the procedure. Their awards were either €50,000 or €100,000, depending on the extent of the disability resulting from the procedure. A further amount of €150,000 is awardable where a symphysiotomy was carried out immediately following caesarean section and caused significant disability.
A “pubiotomy” means a procedure undertaken for obstetric purposes, which cuts through the pubic bone. A very small percentage of the Applicants had undergone this procedure. Pubiotomy carries an award of €100,000 once the procedure is established and €150,000 if significant disability is established.
789. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 76 of 22 October 2015, the reason oral testimonies are not being heard. [38043/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Surgical Symphysiotomy Payment Scheme is operating very well since it was established on 10 November 2014. It was estimated that 350 women would apply to the Scheme, but in fact 578 applications have been accepted by the Scheme and as at 23 October 2015, 317 offers have been made.
The Scheme has brought to an end years of uncertainty and costs for women who have undergone surgical symphysiotomy. The Scheme was designed following meetings with all three support groups, two of which have welcomed its establishment. It was set up to give women who do not wish to pursue their cases through the courts an alternative option in which payments are made to women have had a surgical symphysiotomy, whether or not negligence is proven. The Scheme is voluntary and women did not waive their rights to take their cases to court as a precondition to participating in the Scheme.
In the interest of accountability, the Scheme requires each Applicant to prove that she had a surgical symphysiotomy or pubiotomy in order to be considered for the assessment of an award. The level of proof required is clearly set out in the terms of the Scheme. As the Scheme is designed to be simple, straight forward and non-adversarial, the women are not expected to give oral testimonies as they might do in a court setting. I understand, however, that Judge Clark, Assessor for the Scheme has met with women in different parts of the country, where she considered it necessary, particularly in cases where women have been unable to locate hospital records.
I believe that Judge Clark operates the Scheme in a generous manner within its terms and in accordance with the principles of justice and fairness.
The Government has given careful and detailed consideration to this complex and sensitive matter. It believes that the provision of the Scheme, together with the ongoing provision of medical services by the HSE, including medical cards, represents a comprehensive response to this issue, which should help bring resolution for the women, many of whom are elderly, and their families.
790. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will examine and expedite an application for a medical card by persons (details supplied) in County Kerry, as they have submitted all relevant information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38046/15]
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.
