Written Answers Nos. 954-973
954. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if challenges have been taken into account in planning health care in an area (details supplied) particularly the impact on beds in the local hospital and geriatric care facilities locally; and if he will carry out a new review of the projected care needs including the proposed closure of a nursing home. [41375/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
955. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties being experienced in the Dublin south west area due to inadequate availability of respite care spaces for children; and the number of persons waiting to access these vital services. [41377/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra956. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties being experienced in the Dublin south west area due to inadequate availability of respite care spaces for adults; and the number of persons waiting to access these vital services. [41378/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 955 and 956 together.
The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
The Programme for Partnership Government states that the Government wishes to provide more accessible respite care to facilitate full support for people with a disability.
Budget 2017 includes an increased allocation to the Disability Services Programme to address a number of key priorities in the Programme for Partnership Government. The allocation for disability services will rise to over €1.654bn in 2017, an increase of €92 million on the Budget 2016 allocation.
As the Deputy's questions relate to service matters, I have arranged for the questions to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
957. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when a cataract operation will be scheduled for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41380/16]
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.
958. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health when construction on the new national forensic mental health facility at Portrane, County Dublin, will commence; the timeline for completion of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41381/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraPlanning permission for a new modern forensic mental health facility in Portrane to replace the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, together with associated new facilities, was granted in June 2015. Site preparation works were undertaken by the HSE during 2016.
Phase 1 of the project comprises of a new 120 bed hospital, along with a new 10 bed Child and Adolescent Mental Health unit and a new 10 bed Mental Health Intellectual Disability unit. I was pleased to secure significant additional capital funding in Budget 2017 to progress this project this year. A preferred bidder for construction of the new hospital has been identified, and the award of contract process is expected to be completed shortly. The HSE estimate that construction will commence in February 2017, with a view to the new facility opening in 2019.
Phase 2 of the project envisages the provision for the mental health sector of regional Intensive Care Rehabilitation Units, as resources allow over the medium to longer term.
959. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health if he will intervene on behalf of very young children awaiting assessment under the Disability Act 2005 such as a person (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the fact that despite the HSE local CHOs in areas such as Dublin mid west and Dublin south west admitting that delays and deficiencies are due to lack of resources, waiting lists are not reducing but are in fact growing, particularly for therapy services such as OT, SLT and physiotherapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41384/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
However, 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.
960. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the status of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015; his views on whether the separated sale of alcohol in mixed retail outlets should be maintained in the Bill, contrary to the lobbying of the retail and alcohol industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41394/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe enactment of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill is included in the Programme for a Partnership Government and is a priority for the Government. The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill contains a suite of meaningful measures to reduce the level of harmful consumption of alcohol in Ireland. The aim of the legislation is to reduce alcohol consumption and the harms caused by alcohol. The Bill includes provisions for:
- minimum unit pricing;
- health labelling of alcohol products;
- the regulation of advertising and marketing of alcohol;
- the regulation of sponsorship;
- separation of alcohol products in mixed trading retail outlets; and
- the regulation of the sale and supply of alcohol in certain circumstances
The Bill provides for restrictions on the display, advertisement and visibility of alcohol products in mixed trade retail outlets. These provisions address concerns that alcohol is not an ordinary consumer product but a psychoactive drug that requires a licence for sale. The separation and reduced visibility of alcohol products in the manner prescribed will achieve the following objectives:
- access to alcohol products will be controlled in premises to which it applies;
- alcohol products cannot be on open display near grocery products, thereby discouraging impulse purchases and the purchase of alcohol products as part of everyday household grocery shopping;
- separate display of alcohol products or closed display in storage units will make alcohol products less visible to children and protect them from in-store marketing techniques.
The range of options provided for in Section 20 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill addresses the reasonable need for flexible implementation of the requirements. The provisions in the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill represent a significant compromise from the provisions set out in Section 9 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008, which required a separate walled area with its own point of sale for alcohol products.
The Bill commenced Committee Stage in the Seanad on the 26 October 2016. The Bill is scheduled to return to Committee Stage in the Seanad during this session of the Oireachtas. In the interim, consideration will be given to examine how best this important public health measure can be brought forward.
961. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Health when home support hours will be reinstated to families in County Meath following industrial action by a care service (details supplied). [41396/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
962. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if a primary medical certificate will be reviewed in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41401/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Drivers and Passengers with Disabilities Tax Relief Scheme is operated by the Revenue Commissioners and provides tax relief for vehicles purchased for use by people with specific severe and permanent physical disabilities. The eligibility criteria for the scheme are set out by the Department of Finance, details of which can be found on www.revenue.ie.
In order to qualify for tax relief under the scheme, the person with a disability must have a valid Primary Medical Certificate, applications for which are processed by the Health Service Executive (HSE) Local Health Offices, on behalf of the Department of Finance and the Revenue Commissioners. If the HSE refuses an application for a Primary Medical Certificate, the person is informed that they may appeal the refusal to the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal, which is based at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, in Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin and is under the auspices of the Minister for Finance.
As the matter raised by the Deputy is a service matter, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for a direct reply to the Deputy.
963. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the drug Kalydeco; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41403/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
In line with the 2013 Act, if a company would like a medicine to be reimbursed by the HSE pursuant to the community drug schemes or as a hospital medicine, the company must first submit an application to the HSE to have the new medicine added to the reimbursement list or to be priced as a hospital medicine. The company must submit a separate application to extend a treatment to a new cohort of patients. Each application is considered separately on its merits and in line with the 2013 Act.
In reaching its decision, the HSE examines all the evidence which may be relevant in its view for the decision (including the information/dossier submitted by the company) and will take into account such expert opinions and recommendations which may have been sought by the HSE at its sole discretion (for example, from the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics).
In considering an application, the HSE will also have regard to Part 1 and Part 3 of Schedule 3 of the 2013 Act. Part 3 requires the HSE to have regard to the following criteria:
1. the health needs of the public;
2. the cost-effectiveness of meeting health needs by supplying the item concerned rather than providing other health services;
3. the availability and suitability of items for supply or reimbursement;
4. the proposed costs, benefits and risks of the item or listed item relative to therapeutically similar items or listed items provided in other health service settings and the level of certainty in relation to the evidence of those costs, benefits and risks;
5. the potential or actual budget impact of the item or listed item;
6. the clinical need for the item or listed item;
7. the appropriate level of clinical supervision required in relation to the item to ensure patient safety;
8. the efficacy (performance in trial), effectiveness (performance in real situations) and added therapeutic benefit against existing standards of treatment (how much better it treats a condition than existing therapies); and
9. the resources available to the HSE.
I am informed that the HSE received a request and economic dossier from the manufacturer of Ivacaftor, brand name Kalydeco, for the treatment of cystic fibrosis patients aged 2 years and older and weighing less than 25kg. In March of this year, the HSE asked the NCPE to carry out a health technology assessment of the applicant’s economic dossier on the cost effectiveness of this treatment.
The NCPE completed its assessment and made a recommendation in October 2016. The NCPE determined that the manufacturer failed to demonstrate cost-effectiveness of the drug for its intended cohort of patients and did not recommend that it should be reimbursed for this indication at the submitted price.
A summary of the health technology assessment has been published on the NCPE website and is available at: http://www.ncpe.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Ivacaftor-2-5-years-web-summary.pdf.
The HSE has held discussions with Vertex regarding Kalydeco, the company's application and the NCPE assessment. Following completion of this process, and in line with the HSE's assessment process, the HSE’s Drugs Committee will consider the outcome and make a recommendation to the HSE Directorate for a decision.
I understand how patients and their families must feel in these circumstances, as they await the decisions by the HSE in relation to reimbursement. However as with all new drugs developed, the HSE must follow a statutory process, as set out in the 2013 Act.
964. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Health when an appointment for a consultation in Our Lady's Hospital, Navan will take place for a person (details supplied). [41409/16]
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.
965. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the progress to date in the determination of an appeal for a medical card in the case of a person (details supplied). [41411/16]
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 was issued to Oireachtas members.
966. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health if he will review the case of a person (details supplied) who has been called for BreastCheck up to 65 years of age because of their medical history but has been informed that they will no longer receive BreastCheck appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41412/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy's questions relate to service delivery matters and accordingly I have asked the HSE to respond directly to him.
967. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health the implied previous work on developing a clinical programme that has taken place for children when the HSE states in its service plan for 2017 that it will continue to develop the clinical programme for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adults; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41414/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
968. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health the change that was recorded in trolley numbers at St. Vincent's hospital before and since the downgrading of the accident and emergency department at St. Columcille's Hospital in Loughlinstown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41415/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
970. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be called for an appointment at University Hospital Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41421/16]
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.
972. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the number of cases that have been fully and satisfactorily resolved in respect of victims of symphysiotomy; the number of cases still outstanding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41432/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Surgical Symphysiotomy Ex-gratia Payment Scheme, which was approved by Government and was established on 10 November, 2014, has now concluded. My Department published the Report of its Assessor, Judge Maureen Harding Clark, on 22 November 2016.
The total cost of the Scheme was just under €34 million. Payments of €50,000, €100,000 or €150,000 were made to 399 women. All of the applications to the Scheme were examined by the Assessor and all applicants have received their respective payments totalling €29.85 million. 185 women were unable to establish their claim. All cases have been assessed and there are no outstanding cases under the Scheme.
Judge Harding Clark encouraged women who believed they had a symphysiotomy to apply to the Scheme, advising them that they did not give up their right to pursue their case through the courts. It was only on accepting an award under the Scheme that a woman had to discontinue her legal proceedings. The vast majority of women opted to do so. The Judge worked with each woman or her legal representative to locate medical records. Where claims could not be reconciled with established facts, women were examined by relevant medical experts.
Payments under the Scheme, together with the ongoing provision of medical cards, represent a comprehensive response to this issue, which should help bring resolution for the women, many of whom are elderly, and their families.
The Department is aware that a small number of women opted not to apply to the Scheme and are pursuing their cases through the courts and that some of these cases are being managed by the State Claims Agency. Accordingly, I have asked the State Claims for an update on these cases and that information will be made available to the Deputy shortly.
The deferred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
973. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of patients outsourced at Letterkenny University Hospital for each of the years 2013 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41434/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
