Written Answers Nos. 127 - 150
127. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise, with regard to services in the paediatric unit and maternity unit arising from the recent meeting with regional management and staff in the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15544/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department and the HSE are committed to securing and developing the role of Portlaoise Hospital within the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group. A report published in December 2016, which HIQA undertook at the request of the Department of Health, shows how much services have improved for the women using maternity services at the hospital. The extent of progress in patient safety measures in Portlaoise maternity services demonstrates the commitment of the staff and the leadership team at Portlaoise Hospital and the team at Hospital Group level.
Reports on Portlaoise Hospital in recent years point to the need for reconfiguration of some services to ensure that patients are treated in the most appropriate setting by specialist staff that can safely meet their needs. The HSE has submitted a draft Action Plan to my Department and it is currently being reviewed in detail.
The most important issue in relation to any changes at Portlaoise Hospital is that patient safety and good quality outcomes must come first. Any changes to services at Portlaoise, once approved, will be undertaken in a planned and orderly manner to further improve services for patients at the hospital and will take account of existing patient flows and demands in other hospitals, as well as the need to develop particular services at Portlaoise in the context of the overall service configuration in the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group.
128. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 616 of 7 March 2017, if he will ensure a reply issues as soon as possible [15549/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have been advised by the HSE that the National Ambulance Service are currently putting together the information sought by the Deputy and will be in a position to respond shortly.
129. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 184 of 22 March 2017, the person or body that a person working in a nursing home, who has concerns regarding abuse or malpractice, should direct their concerns for investigation in view of the fact that HIQA does not investigate individual concerns or complaints [15553/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra130. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 184 of 22 March 2017, if it is standard practice for HIQA, upon receipt of an individual complaint outlining serious abuse and malpractice in a nursing home, to fail to inform the complainant that investigation of their concerns is outside of its remit and to also fail to advise that person as to the body to which they should direct their complaint in view of the fact that HIQA does not have the legal power to investigate individual concerns or complaints. [15554/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra131. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of inspections of a nursing home (details supplied) performed by HIQA since October 2015. [15555/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 129 to 131, inclusive, together.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) welcomes information about designated centres for dependent persons, including nursing homes. HIQA informs all persons raising an issue of concern that the Authority does not have the legal remit to address individual cases relating to health and social care services. The individual is advised to directly contact the service provider in question, if they have not already done so, as service providers have a statutory responsibility to respond to complaints. The individual is also advised that HIQA reviews all information received about the safety and quality of services and uses this information to inform its on-going monitoring and enforcement programmes. Concerns can also be addressed to the Health Service Executive's Your Service Your Say, the HSE National Information Line, the Office of the Ombudsman or a HSE Safeguarding and Protection Team, as appropriate. Further information on how to make a complaint or give feedback about health and social care services in Ireland can be found on www.healthcomplaints.ie.
Unannounced inspections of the nursing home in question were completed on 04 September 2015 and 09 March 2017. Once finalised, HIQA reports are published on the Authority's website www.hiqa.ie.
132. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the lack of an obstetric unit in UHK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15556/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to this particular query, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
133. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health when a medical card will issue in the case of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15559/17]
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 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.
134. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce theatre technicians into the health service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15560/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE have established a working group with an independent chair, to conduct a comprehensive review of the role and function of the Health Care Assistant in the health service. This work will include a review of the HCA role in the perioperative setting (theatre assistants) amongst other key specialist areas. This working group will be representative of all relevant stakeholders including the Department of Health, HSE, INMO, SIPTU, and PHECC amongst others.
Terms of Reference for the Group are currently being finalised and the deliberations of the group will include giving detailed consideration to the scope of the various HCA roles.
135. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the number of private beds in each public hospital in each month for the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15561/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn response to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
136. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the number of elective surgeries performed by speciality, by month and by hospital, for each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15562/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraOver the last ten years, activity in acute hospitals has increased, with the total number of discharges for Inpatient and Day cases rising by 33.6 per cent, from 1,236,036 in 2006 to 1,651,338 in 2015.
It is important to recognise that, in order to improve efficiency in our hospital system, over the last number of years there has been a greater emphasis on increasing the number of procedures, previously carried out as inpatient procedures, which are now carried out on a daycase basis. Consequently, when comparing hospital elective activity for 2012 with 2016, it can be seen that, while inpatient elective discharges decreased, daycase discharges have increased.
In fact, taken together, elective inpatient discharges and daycase discharges increased from 1.02m in 2012 (full year) to 1.05m in 2016 (Jan to Nov). HSE data for 2016 to the end of November show that while elective inpatient discharges had reduced by 1.6% in comparison with the same period in 2015, daycase discharges increased by 1.9%.
In addition, when considering performance of the public acute hospital sector, emergency care should also be taken into account. 2016 data to the end of November, with respect to emergency inpatient discharges, showed an increase of 4.2% in comparison with the same period in 2015, while 2016 saw an increase in ED attendances of 4.6% over the equivalent period in 2015.
This Government is committed to improving access to, and enhancing, health services. This commitment is reflected in the allocation in 2017 of the highest ever health budget of €14.6 billion.
I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly to provide more details regarding the number of elective surgeries performed.
137. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health if he will direct the HSE to release immediately a report into complaints made by persons (details supplied); if he will direct the HSE to present the report to the persons concerned in its original unedited format as delivered to the HSE on 7 February 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15563/17]
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.
As the Deputy's question relates to an individual case, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
138. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the class or model of helicopters that are licensed to land on hospital helipads or on hospital grounds; the situation with regard to a specific helicopter (details supplied); the number of landings for all type of helicopters that have occurred over the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15568/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
139. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the progress to date in the determination of an application for a medical card in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15569/17]
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 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.
140. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the percentage and number of general practitioners who have signed up to the free general practitioner cards for the under sixes scheme, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15572/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs at 1st March 2017, 2,340 GPs had signed contracts with the HSE for the provision of services to children under six years of age. Approximately 94% of all GMS GPs have now signed under 6s contracts.
As a breakdown by county of the number of GPs who have signed contracts with the HSE is not routinely collected by my Department, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply.
141. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the number of general practitioners who have withdrawn from the free general practitioner care for the under-sixes scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15573/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
142. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has not received an appointment; if he will expedite this request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15575/17]
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.
143. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Health the status of the regulation of psychotherapists and counsellors [15577/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraPsychotherapists and counsellors are not currently regulated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. However, the Act provides that the Minister may, by regulation, designate a health and social care profession not already designated if he or she considers that it is appropriate and in the public interest to do so and if specified criteria have been met.
The regulation of a new profession under the Act involves a consultation process and the making of a number of statutory instruments by the Minister for Health and by the relevant registration board.
In September of last year, the Department engaged in a formal consultation process in which interested persons and organisations were invited to formally submit their views on how the statutory regulation of the counsellors and psychotherapists should proceed. A total of 84 submissions were received by the closing date of 30th November 2016.
I am undertaking an examination of these submissions which will inform the approach to be adopted in progressing the statutory regulation of psychotherapists and counsellors under the Act and I envisage that the next steps will commence in the coming months with the submission of draft designation regulations to the Houses of the Oireachtas.
144. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Health the number of children and adolescents who were admitted to the adult section of the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15578/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
145. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Health the number of children and adolescents who were admitted to adult psychiatric hospitals in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15579/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE Service Plan 2017 has as one of its priorities the improvement of access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health services, including maximising placements in age appropriate acute units.
In regard to admission of child and adolescent cases to adult units, there has been significant progress on age appropriate admissions since 2008 when there were 247 such admissions to adult units in that year. This declined to 68 admissions in 2016, out of a total of 380 admissions of child and adolescents, despite increasing demands overall. The number of admissions does not necessarily equate to the actual number of children involved, as an individual child may be admitted on more than one occasion in any given year. There has to be some operational flexibility surrounding emergency placements in Adult Units, particularly where very short-term placements occur, and where full account is taken of all relevant factors such as the preferences of all those involved, or geographical factors relating to access or visiting. The HSE closely monitors on a weekly basis all child admissions to adult units, with a view to minimising these.
Additional resources over recent years means that we now have 67 CAMHS teams, and 3 Paediatric Liason Teams, supported by 66 operational CAMHS beds across the country. A lack of funding for the mental health care programme is not a difficulty at present for the HSE, but there are acknowledged staff recruitment and retention difficulties across the health care system, including CAMHS, that the Executive is addressing. A new Standard Operating Procedure introduced in June 2015 has provided greater clarity and consistency on how this specialist mental health service for children should be delivered nationally. Despite increasing demands overall on CAMHS, irrespective of the source of referrals, individual cases professionally assessed as requiring urgent access to services receive priority.
The HSE Service Plan 2017 provides for further development of the CAMHS service, including better out-of-hours liaison and seven-day response cover, against a background where the population of children is expected to increase by around 8,500 over 2016-17. Around 18,500 children will attend the HSE CAMHS service this year, including around 14,000 referrals. Detailed activity data on CAMHS is published by the Executive in its monthly Performance Reports available on the HSE website. This shows, for example, 68% of children referred are seen within twelve weeks. My objective, and that of the HSE, is to further improve all aspects of mental health care nationally for those under age 18, including those relating to age appropriate care settings.
146. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health his plans for further investment at a training centre (details supplied); the services available there at present; the number of staff working at this facility currently; the staff that have been allocated in the past 12 months; his plans to increase staff at this facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15591/17]
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.
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.
147. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Health the budgetary increases the eight point plan to reform the HSE will require; the timeline over which these goals are expected to be delivered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15603/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government, the Oireachtas All-Party Committee on the Future of Healthcare was established in June 2016 to develop a single long term vision for healthcare over a 10 year period, with cross party support.
At a meeting with the Committee last week, I outlined my views on the future direction of the health service and a number of key priorities that I believe should underpin that future direction. I welcomed the opportunity to share my perspective with the Committee and to also reiterate my belief that political consensus on the broad direction of health policy is crucial to delivering a real improvement in our health services. Considering I expect to receive the final report and recommendations of the Committee next month I intend to await the outcome before moving ahead with changes in relation to system design, financing or governance.
148. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Health if he will consider launching an incentive programme to recruit graduating medical students to stay in the medical system here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15604/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI recognize that the recruitment and retention of medical doctors who graduate and are trained in Ireland is important to the effective functioning of the Irish health service, and is in keeping with our obligations under the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel.
In July 2013, a Working Group, chaired by Prof Brian MacCraith, President, Dublin City University, was established to carry out a Strategic Review to examine and make high-level recommendations relating to training and career pathways for doctors with a view to:
- Improving graduate retention in the public health system;
- Planning for future service needs; and
- Realising maximum benefit from investment in medical education and training.
The Working Group completed its work in June 2014 and, in all, submitted three reports and made 25 recommendations. The reports address a range of barriers and issues relating to the recruitment and retention of doctors in the Irish public health system.
The Strategic Review recommendations are being implemented through a range of structures and processes across the health system. Each recommendation has an identified business owner and progress updates are sought by my Department on a regular basis. To support implementation of the recommendations, my Department has also established an Implementation Monitoring Group, comprising key stakeholders. To date, four progress reports on the implementation of the recommendations have been published on my Department’s website. Implementation of the recommendations of the Strategic Review continues to be a priority for my Department and the Health Service Executive.
Other positive developments which will also address issues around recruitment and retention include: restoration of the Living Out Allowance for non-consultant hospital doctors appointed since 2012, which will be incorporated in to the basic salary of these doctors from 1 July 2017; the launching of a careers and training website; agreement by the HSE to double the number of family-friendly training places over a three year period, and the streamlining of processes and the elimination of paperwork burdens associated with rotations through the online National Employment Record.
149. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Health the way in which he will ensure that persons in need of medical procedures are not left behind during the process of reforming the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15607/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government, the Oireachtas All-Party Committee on the Future of Healthcare was established in June 2016 to develop a single long term vision for healthcare over a 10 year period, with cross party support.
At a meeting with the Committee last week, I outlined my views on the future direction of the health service and a number of key priorities that I believe should underpin that future direction. I welcomed the opportunity to share my perspective with the Committee and to also reiterate my belief that political consensus on the broad direction of health policy is crucial to delivering a real improvement in our health services. Considering I expect to receive the final report and recommendations of the Committee next month I intend to await the outcome before moving ahead with changes in relation to system design, financing or governance.
I also acknowledged the importance of taking a planned approach to any reforms and improvements to ensure that the health service remains capable of delivering services. The benefit of a ten year horizon is that it provides a context for carefully planning the evolution of structures so as to avoid unduly disrupting the primary focus on improving care delivery.
I look forward to the report of the Committee which will set out a 10 year vision and plan for our health services, which is due to be finalised by the end of April 2017.
150. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health when a medical card will issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15613/17]
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 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.
