Written Answers Nos. 254-265
254. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of medical card holders who were prescribed anti-depressant medication by local health area in each of the years 2011 to 2015 in tabular form. [11984/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for the administration of the primary care schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to you.
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.
255. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if, in the interest of persons being able to access residential senior citizen care in their own communities and in the interest of a greater number of bed opportunities for older persons no longer able to live independently, he will restore the previous entitlement of citizens living on this side of the Border to access residential nursing home placements in facilities close to where they live but located on the northern side of the Border and provide a full entitlement under the fair deal scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11992/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Nursing Homes Support Scheme does not extend to nursing homes in Northern Ireland. This issue was given careful consideration before the Scheme was introduced in 2009. The decision not to extend the Scheme to Northern Ireland was taken by the Government of the day on the basis of legal advice received from the Office of the Attorney General.
256. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the legislative basis for a public hospital (details supplied) to outsource debt collection to a private company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12000/16]
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.
257. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health to provide funding for the website, family.ie, for the provision of services in Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12002/16]
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 reply within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
258. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 386 of 14 April 2016, and given the €38.3 million the State spent on legal fees related to maternity services between 2007 and 2015 and the €58 million in paid plaintiff costs, if he will introduce a statutory duty of candour on the part of clinicians, which would reduce the incidence of adversarial and costly legal actions. [12011/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is proposing a broad package of reforms aimed at improving the experience of people who are affected by adverse events, especially those adverse events resulting in catastrophic birth injuries. This package involves a range of tort reforms and patient safety initiatives. These add to the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 which provides for pre-action protocols, which will shorten the time that it takes for claims to be processed through the courts.
The Civil Liability(Amendment) Bill, currently being drafted, will give the legislative base to introduce Periodic Payment Orders, which provide for index-linked annual payments to cover future care costs of catastrophically injured persons. This Bill is under the aegis of the Minister for Justice and Equality. The previous Government gave its approval on 3rd November, 2015 to the drafting of provisions to support open disclosure of patient safety incidents, for inclusion in the Civil Liability (Amendment) Bill. The provisions to support open disclosure are also currently being drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel.
Open disclosure is about communicating with patients and their families when things go wrong in healthcare. This includes expressing regret for what has happened, keeping the patient informed, providing feedback on investigations and the steps taken to prevent a recurrence of the adverse event.
Under the proposed legislation open disclosure will have certain specified legal protections on the civil side, when made in line with national standards. This approach is intended to promote and support a culture of open disclosure. This legislation builds on the joint development by the HSE and State Claims Agency of the National Policy on Open Disclosure (2013). The HSE is progressing the implementation of the Policy across all health and social care services. We all know that when error or harm is experienced by a patient, the trust and confidence of that patient and their family are compromised. That is why honest, open disclosure and communication, which demonstrate empathy and sensitivity, are so essential.
I am proposing separate legislation to provide for the mandatory external reporting of Serious Reportable Events, that is, the most serious incidents that cause harm or could have caused harm to patients. This requirement for health service providers to report these events to the State Claims Agency, HIQA and the Mental Health Commission will be included in the Health Information and Patient Safety Bill.
259. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that the oversight of the maternity claims process, including costs incurred, comes within the remit of his Department. [12012/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe management of clinical negligence claims, including maternity claims, arising from the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients in public healthcare enterprises is delegated to the State Claims Agency. This Agency has a statutory mandate to investigate and manage these cases to completion.
260. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the cost of the legal fees the Health Service Executive incurred in its suspension of and subsequent legal proceedings regarding a person (details supplied). [12013/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to thank the Deputy for the matter raised.
Given that this is an operational matter, it is appropriate that it should be dealt with by the HSE. I have referred the Deputy's question 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.
261. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to resolve the governance conflict between St. Vincent’s University Hospital and the National Maternity Hospital; if any agreement on governance will first and foremost protect the needs and interests of women and supersede the institutional interests of both hospitals including the mastership system of the National Maternity Hospital. [12014/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra262. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the way in which he will embed the governance of the national women and infants health programme with responsibility for the new national maternity strategy in the final governance arrangements reached between St. Vincent's University Hospital and the National Maternity Hospital, given that the new national maternity strategy states that women, their needs and their choices are to be placed at the centre of all maternity services. [12015/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 261 and 262 together.
I am very aware of the difficulties in relation to this project and the efforts that have been undertaken to mediate a resolution. Meetings were held last year with both hospitals at departmental and ministerial level and, at the request of Minister Varadkar, a facilitated dialogue was undertaken earlier this year.
Since I took office earlier this month, I have met with representatives of both hospitals to impress upon them the need to find a resolution to enable the project to proceed without further delay. I am meeting both hospitals on 26 May 2016 and I am considering what further efforts can be made to resolve the current impasse but, it is important to note, I am not in a position impose a solution as both hospitals are voluntary independent organisations. Any solution must, of course, be in line with Government maternity policy, as outlined in the national maternity strategy.
263. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health to address the bed shortage issue in Galway University Hospital which has a major block on routine operations taking place and is causing severe waiting lists for even the simplest of procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12016/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraGalway University Hospital has a 75 bed ward block currently under construction, which is due for completion in 2017. This will allow for the renovation of existing wards under HIQA orders, with bed capacity expansion anticipated thereafter.
The Winter Beds Initiative 2015/16 allowed for the provision of 30 extra beds at University Hospital Galway recently.
The Programme for a Partnership Government has committed to progress new ED facilities for University Hospital Galway.
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.
264. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12036/16]
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 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.
265. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if additional funding will be allocated to the Health Service Executive north east to enable a much better provision of drug awareness and drug prevention services to be provided in Cavan-Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12037/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
