Written Answers Nos. 1168-1187
1168. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the provision of additional inpatient modular hotel type beds for south Tipperary general hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27150/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are capacity challenges at South Tipperary General Hospital (STGH) but work is currently underway to address the issue. Recognising that bed utilisation has increased significantly in the hospital in recent times, the South/South West Hospital Group is conducting a capacity review of the hospital and this is nearing completion. This review will inform the precise level and nature of any additional capacity required to meet current and future needs. The Department's National Capacity Review will also help identify service requirements and inform resourcing priorities. The Deputy may also wish to note that the Hospital Group intends to procure a Master Plan for the STGH campus which will provide for the orderly development of the campus and ensure that it is not compromised in any way.
One of the options currently under consideration is to provide additional surge capacity at the hospital through a temporary in-patient solution at the site. Any such solution would have to be in accordance with the new “National Framework for Alternative Accommodation at Hospital Sites”. While no decisions have been made by the HSE in relation to the provision of temporary alternative accommodation in specific locations to date, any such decisions will be based on submissions made by hospitals and hospital groups as part of their budgetary processes, and will be in line with the procurement process set out in this National Framework. Consideration of the needs of STGH will therefore be further considered by the HSE in the context of the 2018 Estimates submission.
In terms of providing additional support in the interim, and to alleviate pressure on the ED, the HSE has identified that the most immediate and effective response available is through the “fit out” of additional space for 11 trolley bays on the first floor of the hospital. Accordingly, this was prioritised for funding and has been completed recently. A recruitment process is underway for the additional staff required to operate the new area. It is anticipated that the additional space will open in September.
I should also add that the HSE is exploring what additional supports Our Lady's Hospital, Cashel could provide to alleviate pressure in STGH, including in the ED.
1169. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that no consultation took place with family members of a person (details supplied); and if he will ensure that the family members are consulted in view of the difficulties which will arise in the new facility. [27155/17]
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.
1170. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health if priority will be given to provide funding for a person (details supplied) to enable them transfer to a more suitable facility. [27156/17]
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.
1171. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Health if funding will be provided to make a location (details supplied) a seven day care facility with appropriate staffing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27157/17]
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.
1172. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health the commencement date of the build project for the new satellite dialysis unit in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27158/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to this particular query, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
1173. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if additional home help hours will be provided to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27159/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
1174. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if his officials will meet with representatives of a group (details supplied); if he is examining the way in which sufferers of Lyme disease can be supported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27169/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1177. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding Lyme disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27181/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1174 and 1177 together.
My colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for health protection, met with representatives from Tick Talk last summer, and listened to their experiences and the impact of this condition. Their stories showed the need for additional awareness of Lyme disease, both by the public and the health services.
Since 2013, the HPSC has held an annual ‘Lyme Awareness Week’ at the beginning of the tick biting season, the purpose of which is to draw attention - particularly in the media - to Lyme disease and the ticks that can spread this disease. This year Lyme Disease week took place between 18 - 22 May. It is normally held at this time of the year to raise awareness before people engage in outdoor activities such as ramblers, campers, mountain bikers, and others who work and walk in forested or grassy, which bring them into contact with ticks. Advice is given on how to avoid tick bites, and on what to do if you are bitten. Further information is available on the HPSC website - www.hpsc.ie and on twitter.
The Scientific Advisory Committee of the HPSC has established a Lyme Borreliosis Sub-Committee, the aim of which is to develop strategies to undertake primary prevention in order to minimise the harm caused by Lyme Borreliosis in Ireland. In addition to staff from the HPSC, the membership of the Sub-Committee includes specialists in Public Health Medicine, Consultants in Infectious Diseases, Clinical Microbiology, Occupational Health an Entomologist from the Parks and Wildlife Service, a representative from the Local Government Management Agency, an Environmental Health Officer and, very importantly, a representative from Tick Talk Ireland, the primary Support Group for Lyme disease in Ireland. The Sub-Committee first met on 6 May 2015 and it is expected to report in 2017.
1176. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health his views on the individual health identifier and his further views on the fact that the volume of data collected on persons is excessive; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that personal information is being drawn from State sources without a person's consent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27180/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1247. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the legality of the ongoing sharing of personal data between Departments as part of the establishment of the individual health identifier database in view of a judgment (details supplied). [27531/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1176 and 1247 together.
The Government approved and published a strategy in 2013 for developing eHealth capability in the Irish health system called the eHealth strategy for Ireland, 2013. This strategy sets out a number of objectives and a road map for the delivery and implementation of eHealth for the benefit of patients. One of the recommendations in the strategy was the development of a system of unique identifiers for patients to underpin patient safety and efficiency. A similar recommendation was made by the Health Information and Quality Authority and the Commission on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance in 2008.
The Health Identifiers Act 2014 provides a basis, in primary legislation, for the development and deployment of health identifiers for individual patients and also for health services providers and health professionals. The initial phase of the health identifier implementation project is concerned with individual health identifiers (IHIs). Each patient is being assigned a unique identifier when they engage with the health system for the purposes of better patient care and safety both of which are of paramount importance. The 2014 Act includes express provisions for the efficient seeding of the National IHI Register from identified sources that are tied directly to establishing and maintaining the accuracy of the Register.
In that regard, section 8 of the Act provides that a Minister of the Government may, solely for the purpose of establishing, or maintaining the accuracy of, the National Register of Individual Health Identifiers, provide the Minister for Health with an individual’s other identifying particulars and the Minister may use any such particulars so provided for that purpose. This explicit legislative basis for the sharing of specified data and the strict parameters on what data may be shared, and in what circumstances, distinguish section 8 critically from the circumstances of the Bara case where the data were transferred under an internal legal protocol, which was not a legislative measure, and was not the subject of an official publication like an Act of the Oireachtas.
The data held in the Register of Individual Health Identifiers, as specified in section 2 of the 2014 Act, is composed only of data to identify a patient using the (PSI) public service identify dataset and the health identifier number itself. Only demographic data is stored on the Register and, under the Act, it is expressly provided that no clinical information on an individual can be held as part of the IHI dataset. The individual elements of that dataset are those required for unique identification and like the rest of the Health Identifiers Act were the subject of engagement with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner. Accordingly, I do not feel that the data being collected is excessive in view of the patient’s safety aims of the legislation which are greatly enhanced and supported by unique identification. It is important to note that the IHI is only a number and is, of itself, not a medical record of any type. It is also important to point out that the roll out of a system of health identifiers for patients has no linkage with any eligibility for any type of health service or benefit. It is primarily a patient safety initiative and a fundamental building block for eHealth and ICT developments into the future.
As part of the work to establish the IHI Register, a privacy impact assessment (PIA) was conducted. A public consultation exercise was also undertaken as part of the preparation for the implementation of the IHI. There has also been engagement with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner in relation to the deployment of the IHI. It is most important to bear in mind that the Health Identifiers Act 2014 did not change in any way the law, including data protection law, in relation to the statutory rights of patients regarding their medical records or the obligations that data controllers have for protecting patients' personal health data.
1178. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Health if he will consider putting the new diabetes glucose monitoring system sensor on the long-term illness book. [27184/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
1179. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health his plans to add the glucose reading sensor to the long-term illness book for persons with diabetes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27198/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
1180. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if a company (details supplied) is owned by the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27199/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Voluntary Health Insurance Board is the only commercial State Body under the aegis of my Department, operating as a commercial entity in a competitive private health insurance market. As Minister, I do not have a role in the day-to-day operations of the company. I do, however, retain responsibility under the Voluntary Health Insurance Acts 1957-2008 to appoint, re-appoint and remove members of the Voluntary Health Insurance Board.
1181. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if speech and language therapy will be provided to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry before they are due to begin national school in September 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27202/17]
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.
1182. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Health if all patient information leaflets published by the HSE regarding the HPV vaccine Gardasil contain all known side effects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27204/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1186. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if the manufacturer product information leaflet for the human papillomavirus vaccine which lists certain adverse effects not listed on the HSE leaflet is being made available to parents and children before consent is being given for administration of the vaccine; and if not, the reason therefor. [27215/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1182 and 1186 together.
The HSE is committed to providing accurate information for parents about diseases, the vaccines to prevent them and side effects to allow them to choose whether to give consent to vaccination. All the information provided to parents about vaccination is prepared from the available licensed documentation for each vaccine, the Summary of Products Characteristics (SPC) and Patient Information Leaflet (PIL). The information is presented in clear simple language and approved by the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) so that it can be understood by all adults.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Guide ‘Communicating in plain English’ (2015) developed in partnership with NALA states that “One in six people find reading and understanding everyday texts difficult: for example, reading a health leaflet, bus timetable or medicine instructions. One in four has difficulties in real world maths from simple addition and subtraction to the calculation of averages”. Therefore, like other countries providing school immunisation programmes, the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) is replaced by this information leaflet and like other countries the HSE information leaflet provides the same information on side effects of the vaccine.
Prior to all school immunisation parents receive an information pack in a sealed package with an information leaflet, consent form and cover letter. The information packs for all immunisation are standardised nationally. The information booklets include information on all the known side effects that can occur after each vaccination. All the known side effects of the HPV vaccine Gardasil are outlined in the information booklet given to parents. Parents are also given contact details for their local immunisation office and advised to speak to a member of the school immunisation team if they have any further questions.
Parents are not being denied the information on the Patient Information Leaflet. The HSE parent information leaflet refers parents to the national immunisation website www.immunisation.ie where links to additional information including the licensing documentation, the SPC and the PIL for each vaccine can be found at: www.hse.ie/eng/health/immunisation/pubinfo/schoolprog/HPV/HPV/.
The website allows members of the public to contact the National Immunisation Office (NIO) to ask a question if they require further information. These questions, when possible, are answered by the staff of the NIO within one working day. The NIO website has been accredited by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
1183. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Health if he will put in place an investigation into the use of the HPV vaccine Gardasil and its impact on young girls and women that have received the vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27205/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1187. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if an investigatory body will be put in place to examine the cases of children that have displayed adverse effects after receiving the HPV vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27216/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1183 and 1187 together.
Immunisation is regarded as one of the safest and most cost-effective of health care interventions and the importance of vaccination is acknowledged by all the major international health organisations. The World Health Organisation estimates that up to 3 million lives are saved each year as a result of vaccination and the scientific evidence is clear that benefits of vaccines outweigh the known side effects.
The immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). NIAC is a committee of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland comprising of experts in a number of specialties including infectious diseases, paediatrics and public health. The committee's recommendations are informed by public health advice and international best practice. All relevant and appropriate information is taken into account when deciding to make changes to the State's immunisation programmes.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is responsible for monitoring the safety and quality of all medicines that are licensed in Ireland. While no medicine is entirely without risk, the safety of vaccines, as with all medicines, is carefully monitored and any new evidence concerning side-effects is taken into account. The HPRA and the European Medicines Agency continually monitor adverse events to vaccination.
A number of unsubstantiated claims have been made of an association between HPV vaccination and a number of conditions experienced by a group of young women. It is important to reassure people that anyone who is suffering ill health is eligible to seek medical attention, and to access appropriate health and social care services, irrespective of the causes of their symptoms. The diverse natures of these symptoms, which can have both physical and psychological causes, are shared by many conditions which have implications for both diagnostic and treatment services. The individual nature of the needs of some children may require access to specialist services and the HSE is working to put in place clinical care pathways appropriate to their differing medical needs.
As there is no scientific evidence that the vaccine causes long term illnesses, the HPV vaccine cannot be held responsible for these illnesses. However, this misinformation relating to unsubstantiated claims has led to a significant drop in uptake rates of the HPV vaccine. This means that a large cohort of girls is now at risk of developing cervical cancer later in their lives.
This misinformation is causing real harm to those unvaccinated children and adults who develop vaccine preventable diseases, and to people who seek inappropriate treatments for real conditions that are not caused by vaccines. Any parent who has doubts or questions about vaccination should talk to their family doctor, or alternatively to visit the National Immunisation office website. These sources of information are clear and accurate and will answer any queries you may have about the benefits or risks of vaccination. Vaccination is the best way for parents to make sure their children are healthy and protected from preventable diseases.
I have no plans to set up an investigation along the lines suggested by the Deputies as the safety and efficacy of these vaccines continues to be monitored by regulatory agencies at both national and European level.
1184. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be provided a date for an appointment at the trauma and orthopaedics clinic in Cappagh hospital. [27206/17]
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.
1185. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health his plans to meet with the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to discuss a memorandum of understanding between the Health Service Executive and local authorities in addition to the financial resources that would be required to implement these supports across the State in respect of utilising the services of fire-fighters, employed full-time or on a part time retainer in their capacity as trained emergency first responders as a back up to the ambulance service. [27213/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the Fire Services National Oversight & Implementation Group, which consists of fire service management and staff representatives, is exploring whether it is possible to support the National Ambulance Service, through the utilisation of fire-fighters in their capacity as trained emergency first responders. Any proposal emerging from these discussions will be considered in the first instance by the Management Board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, which comes under the remit of the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government.
The HSE has also established an Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Steering Group to develop a strategy to improve out of hospital cardiac arrest outcomes in Ireland. The Steering Group comprises a range of Government departments, ambulance providers, professional bodies, patient groups and voluntary groups. Fire services are represented on this Steering Group and will be key to identify what role the fire services could play in improving cardiac arrest outcomes, alongside other providers.
I look forward to being kept apprised of the outcome of these discussions.
