Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:202. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a magnetic resonance imaging scan for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16399/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraHospital Appointments Status
Ceisteanna (202)
Freagraí scríofa
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.
Health Services Provision
Ceisteanna (203)
Louise O'Reilly
Ceist:203. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the progress being made in the provision of a new health centre for Inishbofin, County Galway; the stage the development is at; and when it is expected to be completed and available for use. [16402/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service issue, this question 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 they will follow up the matter with them
Nursing Education
Ceisteanna (204)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:204. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the number of student nursing places available in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16404/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The information requested by the Deputy is not collated by this Department. This information will be compiled and forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Medical Card Eligibility
Ceisteanna (205)
Willie Penrose
Ceist:205. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Health the eligibility criteria that will apply in the context of a person who currently holds a medical card because of serious illness that requires ongoing and continuous medical treatment (details supplied) but who is about to receive a personal injuries award that arises from negligent treatment and diagnosis; how the receipt of such compensation would impact upon this person’s eligibility to retain a medical card where the level, nature and extent of the treatment warranted to deal with the medical condition will continue to increase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16414/16]
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 recently 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.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (206)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:206. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16423/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, 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 they will follow up the matter with them.
Hospital Appointments Status
Ceisteanna (207)
Gerry Adams
Ceist:207. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the status of a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied). [16428/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
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.
Defined Benefit Pension Schemes
Ceisteanna (208)
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:208. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to a recent parliamentary question, if he has received an alternative proposal from the Central Remedial Clinic on a pension scheme involving 47 employees and his response. [16449/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The HSE has confirmed that it is still working with the CRC to develop a viable alternative pension arrangement for the employees concerned but that as yet a detailed business case has not been submitted by the CRC. I understand that the HSE and the CRC have scheduled a meeting for next Monday, 20th June to discuss further viable options to progress this issue. Once a detailed proposal is received by my Department, it will be examined as a matter of urgency.
Any proposals must be considered in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as the latter is responsible for the implementation of Government policy in relation to public service pensions.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (209)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:209. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16450/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the particular issue raised relates to an individual case, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for 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.
Patient Safety
Ceisteanna (210)
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:210. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the legislation on the disclosure of medical mistakes in the Health Service Executive and his plans to update it or to publish new legislation. [16454/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The safety of service users is of paramount importance and steps need to be taken to anticipate and avoid things going wrong and to reduce the impact if they do. All employees including medical staff are required to disclose and report incidents in line with the HSE's Safety Incident Management Policy. Creating a culture of open disclosure and learning from the things that go wrong is the bedrock of making systems safer. Open Disclosure is defined as 'an open consistent approach to 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'.
Last November the Government gave its approval to the drafting of provisions to support open disclosure of patient safety incidents. This will be included in the Department of Justice and Equality’s Civil Liability (Amendment) Bill which is well advanced. The legislation is part of a broader package of reforms aimed at improving the experience of those who are affected by adverse events.
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. The intent of this legislation is to provide certain legal protections for healthcare staff for open disclosure. This will give further support to those staff in their communications with patients and family members if an adverse event occurs. The Ethical Code of Practice set out by the Medical Council also makes clear the responsibilities of doctors in relation to open disclosure.
Hospital Appointments Status
Ceisteanna (211)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:211. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16456/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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 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 HSE, 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.
Medical Card Eligibility
Ceisteanna (212)
Brendan Griffin
Ceist:212. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health why a card was withdrawn from a person (details supplied) and if he will reinstate it under the medical card scheme. [16457/16]
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 recently 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.