Written Answers Nos 1328-1348
1328. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made on a medical card application on discretionary grounds for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28020/17]
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.
1329. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made on a medical card application on discretionary grounds for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28021/17]
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.
1330. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made on a medical card application by a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28022/17]
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.
1331. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made on a medical card application by a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28023/17]
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.
1332. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made on a medical card application on discretionary grounds for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28024/17]
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.
1333. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made on a medical card application by a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28025/17]
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.
1334. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health when additional resources for a service (details supplied) will be provided in view of the fact that it was agreed in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28030/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Health is currently in discussion with the HSE in relation to this issue.
1335. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when an operation will be provided for a person (details supplied) in County Galway in view of the urgency of the medical circumstances in this case; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28037/17]
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 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.
1336. 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. [28038/17]
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 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.
1337. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will schedule an appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28041/17]
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.
1338. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health if he will consider amending the criteria in respect of the National Treatment Purchase Fund scheme to shorten the waiting list duration for elderly persons awaiting replacement hip surgery and removal of eye cataracts in view of the substantial volume of persons awaiting such surgeries and the fact that the effects of the medical condition are hindering their mobility and everyday lives. [28042/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI acknowledge that waiting times are often unacceptably long and I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families.
Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities.
Consequently, Budget 2017 allocated €20 million to the NTPF, rising to €55 million in 2018.
In order to reduce the numbers of long-waiting patients, I asked the HSE to develop Waiting List Action Plans for 2017 in the areas of Inpatient/Daycase, Scoliosis and Outpatient Services. These plans have now been finalised and their implementation is ongoing.
It is expected that the Inpatient/Daycase and Outpatient Plans will considerably reduce the number of patients waiting 15 months or more for inpatient and daycase treatment or for an outpatient appointment by the end of October.
The Scoliosis Action Plan aims to ensure that no patient is waiting more than four months by the end of 2017. Under these Plans, since early February, over 14,200 patients have come off the Inpatient/Daycase Waiting List and nearly 49,000 patients have come off the Outpatient Waiting List.
In addition, last December I granted approval to the NTPF for the first tranche of funding in the region of €5m, for an initiative focused on those waiting longest for Daycase treatment with a view to ensuring that in excess of 2,000 patients waiting more than 18 months for a daycase procedure will have received an offer of an appointment for their procedure by the end of June. The NTPF has advised that to date over 2,500 patients files have been transferred to private hospitals under this initiative, 631 patients have accepted an offer of treatment in a private hospital and that over 178 patients have received their procedure.
The inpatient/daycase Waiting List Action Plan will be delivered through a combination of normal hospital, National Service Plan-funded activity, as well as insourcing and outsourcing initiatives using the €15m of Budget 2017.
Under insourcing, initiatives to address orthopaedic and ophthalmology waiting lists will be progressed.
1339. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Health when the drug Translarna will be made available to those persons for whom it is suitable as a treatment for Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. [28043/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drug schemes, in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
1340. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if a reply will issue to correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28044/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have received the correspondence in question from the Clare Branch of Diabetes Ireland concerning issues relating to the care of patients with diabetes in the Counties Clare, Limerick and Galway. I will respond to the correspondence and as far as the service issues are concerned I am also referring the matter to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
1341. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will schedule an appointment for a person (details supplied). [28045/17]
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.
1342. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who have accessed rehabilitation health care under the European Union cross-border health care directive in another European Union and European Economic Area member state in each year since Directive 2011/24/EU was transposed; the amount reimbursed in accordance with the legislation; the number of those persons which accessed health care in Northern Ireland; the amount reimbursed in respect of treatment in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28050/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1343. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the rehabilitative health services that have been sought by persons who have accessed health care under the European Union cross-border health care directive in another European Union and European Economic Area member state in each year since Directive 2011/24/EU was transposed; the most common rehabilitative services, treatments and procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28051/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1344. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the unit cost of hiring 100 nurses on an average nurse's pay grade. [28052/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1346. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the unit cost of hiring ten dentists on an average dentist's pay grade. [28054/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1347. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the unit cost of hiring ten orthodontists on an average orthodontist's pay grade. [28055/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1348. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the unit cost of hiring ten dental nurses on an average dental nurse's pay grade. [28056/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1344 and 1346 to 1348, inclusive, together.
I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
1345. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of private ambulances operating here; the hospital or hospital group they are working in conjunction with; and the amount spent on private ambulances by hospital or hospital group in each of the years 2010 to 2016 and to date in 2017 [28053/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
