Written Answers Nos. 996 - 1016
996. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Health the status of an appointment for a person (details supplied); the person's position on the waiting list; if the operation can be referred to another hospital in order that it can be completed sooner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20014/17]
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.
997. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health if a hospital admission date can be arranged for a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [20016/17]
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.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
998. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the details of performance related bonus schemes in operation in the HSE; the numbers who have participated in each of the past 12 years and to date in 2017; the details of each payment; the criteria involved; the amounts paid out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20018/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
999. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health his plans to increase funding to the Irish Cancer Society to increase the uptake rate of bowel screens for people between the ages of 60 and 69; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20023/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraBowelScreen, the National Bowel Screening Programme, is run by the HSE's National Screening Service. It offers free bowel screening to men and women aged 60-69. The BowelScreen Round One Programme Report, 2012-2015, which was launched on 25 April 2017, shows that 521 cancers were detected through bowel screening, 3 out of 4 of which were detected at an early stage.
The BowelScreen programme is adequately funded and strenuous efforts are being made to improve the uptake, particularly among men who have lower rates of participation but significantly higher rates of cancer detection compared to women. These efforts include digital and social media initiatives, as well as targeted radio and press advertisements.
1000. 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. [20027/17]
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.
1001. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health the corrective and preventative actions that have been implemented to address the non-compliant findings outlined in the 2016 Mental Health Commission's approved centre inspection report on the Sligo-Leitrim mental health inpatient unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20037/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1002. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health the expected completion date of the new acute mental health unit at Sligo University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20038/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1003. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 387 of 25 October 2016, if a consultant appointment and hip replacement will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20039/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service issue, I have again asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
1004. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health the number of beds available for children in need of psychiatric inpatient care at Sligo University Hospital, Galway University Hospital, Cavan General Hospital, Letterkenny General Hospital and Mayo General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20041/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1005. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health the services available in counties Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and Cavan for children and adolescents who present with suicidal ideation and are turned away due to the unavailability of acute mental health beds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20042/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1006. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health when critical vacancies in CHO1 child and adolescent mental health services will be filled with particular reference to early intervention and identification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20043/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1007. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health if funding will be approved for a person (details supplied) in order to be admitted to a facility urgently. [20046/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1008. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20047/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
1009. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in the treatment of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20048/17]
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.
1010. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health the status of an application by a person (details supplied). [20058/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
1011. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an application for home help by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20063/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
1012. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if the cost of the increase in the minimum wage from €9.15 per hour to €9.25 per hour and the cost of sleep-overs on assignments from €9.15 per hour to €13.49 per hour will be fully implemented by his Department; if the difference in the costs will be passed on to companies providing specialised services under contract to his Department to enable those companies meet their obligations; if his Department is in negotiations with such service providers at present; if service providers have applied for an increase in rates to meet the rising costs of providing such care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20068/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn September 2014, the Labour Court issued a recommendation that staff should be paid an hourly rate in respect of each hour spent on sleepover in excess of 39 hours and that these hours should be paid at a rate that is equal to the national minimum hourly rate. Separately, the Government, as part of Budget 2017, approved an increase to the National Minimum Wage with effect from 1 January 2017. This decision, therefore, provided for an increase to the hourly rate paid to those individuals who undertake sleepovers.
Under section 39 of the Health Act 2004, the HSE has in place Service Level Agreements with voluntary providers which set out the level of service to be provided for the grant to the individual organisation. Any individuals employed by these section 39 organisations are not HSE employees and therefore, the HSE has no role in determining the salaries or other terms and conditions applying to these staff, including rates of pay for undertaking sleepovers. Accordingly, such arrangements offered by each service provider may vary.
1013. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if respite care is available for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20075/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1014. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the number of occupational therapists in the north Dublin region; the number of occupational therapists by area in north Dublin; the number of persons currently waiting for care; the waiting times for an appointment since 2011, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20076/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
1015. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the outcome of his recent meeting in Galway with a group (details supplied); the steps he will take to improve the ambulance service in this region; when he will revert to the group which attended the meeting regarding the issues raised by it at the meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20097/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI met with the group, referred to by the Deputy, on 20th February last to hear their views and to assure them of this Government's commitment to the development of our ambulance services. At this meeting the group highlighted a number of issues which I followed up with the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC). I have reverted to the Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources, who facilitated the meeting, with the information provided to me by both the NAS and PHECC.
It is worth noting that the Capacity Review, published last year, identifies particular difficulties serving rural areas as population density in Ireland is significantly different to that of many other countries. The Review indicated that the only practical way to improve first response times in rural areas is through voluntary Community First Responder (CFR) schemes. The further developments of a comprehensive national programme of CFR schemes has therefore been prioritised in the HSE National Service Plan 2017. The NAS continues to work with local CFR Groups across the country, and in Connemara, in an effort to enhance services and greatly values their continued commitment and support.
I would like to assure the Deputy that the Government and the NAS are fully committed to the provision of a safe, patient focused pre-hospital emergency care service. The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to additional annual investment in terms of ambulance personnel and vehicles. In this regard, €7.2m additional funding was provided to the NAS in 2016, and in 2017, an additional €3.6m has been provided, including €1m to fund new developments.
1016. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health his plans for mandatory safety measures to be installed on transportation services for disabled persons accessing day care centres or other regular services (details supplied) in order to protect these vulnerable persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20098/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe provision of transport to adults with a disability attending HSE-funded day services is not a core health service, and the HSE endeavours to ensure that all service users access public transport, including rural transport services, if possible. This is in keeping with the principle of mainstreaming with a clear focus on ensuring persons with a disability have access to the normal range of services and participate in community life as far as possible. In general, day service users are in receipt of disability allowance and are automatically entitled to the Free Travel Pass, so there should be no additional cost burden at an individual level.
When a person cannot avail of a day service because they do not have transport to attend, some transport is provided by disability service providers on a case by case basis and as this relates to a service matter, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
