Robert Troy
Ceist:177. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the number of persons living in community homes in County Westmeath and County Longford in each of the years 2011 to 2015 to date. [40976/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraCommunity Care
Ceisteanna (177)
Freagraí 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 within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
Mental Health Services
Ceisteanna (178)
Robert Troy
Ceist:178. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for adults and children to receive treatment for mental illnesses in County Longford and County Westmeath in each of the years 2011 to 2015 to date. [40977/15]
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 within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
Mental Health Services Provision
Ceisteanna (179)
Robert Troy
Ceist:179. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the facilities in place for persons in need of long-term psychiatric help in County Longford and County Westmeath. [40978/15]
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 within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
Hospital Staff Data
Ceisteanna (180)
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:180. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the number of consultants, doctors, nurses and general practitioners in hospitals in each of the years 2012 to 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40993/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this 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.
Hospital Accommodation Provision
Ceisteanna (181)
Gerry Adams
Ceist:181. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the case of a patient (details supplied) in the National Rehabilitation Hospital in County Dublin who is due to be discharged to a nursing home on 16 December 2015; the treatment plan that is in place for this person; and if, due to injuries, the person will be retained in the hospital, where the appropriate staff and facilities are to treat the person's condition. [40994/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí 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.
Parliamentary Questions
Ceisteanna (182)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:182. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the referral of parliamentary questions to the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40995/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Health Service Executive has a commitment to answer 75% of Parliamentary Questions referred to it for direct reply within fifteen working days. Its performance against this target is monitored by my Department through regular meetings with the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the HSE.
As the Deputy is aware, I introduced a procedure whereby if a Deputy has not received a response within fifteen working days he/she may contact my private office and the matter will be followed up on their behalf.
Medical Card Applications
Ceisteanna (183)
Joanna Tuffy
Ceist:183. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Health if a medical card will be reinstated for a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40998/15]
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.
General Medical Services Scheme
Ceisteanna (184)
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Ceist:184. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the action he is taking to address the widely reported practice of general practitioners charging medical card holders for blood tests; if he will clarify whether or not a medical card holder can be refunded by his Department or by the Health Service Executive for such a charge; if so, how this can be done; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41006/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Under paragraph 11 of the General Medical Services (GMS) contract, a general practitioner (GP) is expected to provide his/her patients who hold a medical card or GP visit card with all proper and necessary treatment of a kind generally undertaken by a GP and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which GPs cannot reasonably be expected to possess.
Under paragraph 27 of the GMS contract, a medical practitioner shall not demand or accept any payment or consideration whatsoever in reward for services provided by him/her, or for travelling or for other expenses incurred by him/her or for the use of any premises, equipment or instruments in making the services available.
In circumstances where the taking of blood is necessary to either (a) assist in the process of diagnosing a patient or (b) monitor a diagnosed condition, the GP may not charge that patient if they are eligible for free GMS services under the Health Act, 1970, as amended.
The HSE has written periodically to all GMS GP contract holders, most recently in March 2014, and clarified the position in relation to charging for phlebotomy services.
The HSE continues to deal with complaints from GMS patients on a case by case basis. In such circumstances, the Executive will, where appropriate, arrange for a refund of charges incorrectly applied by a GP for phlebotomy services and it will re-coup the value of same from payments due to that GP under the GMS Scheme.
If a GMS patient believes that he/she has been incorrectly charged for routine phlebotomy services, he/she can make a complaint to the HSE local office, who will deal with the matter in accordance with the HSE’s Complaints Policy.
The HSE/Department and the IMO, under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in February 2015, have commenced talks on a new GP contract. A priority of these discussions will be the inclusion of chronic disease management for patients. The appropriate arrangements in relation to phlebotomy services will be considered in this context.