Tuesday, 20 Jun 2017

Written Answers Nos. 1070-1087

Home Help Service Data

Ceisteanna (1070, 1071, 1072)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Ceist:

1070. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the expected expenditure in 2017 for home help services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26791/17]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Ceist:

1071. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the expected expenditure in 2017 for home care packages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26792/17]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Ceist:

1072. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the expected expenditure in 2017 for intensive home care packages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26793/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1070 to 1072, inclusive, together.

I am pleased to say that overall funding for services for older people has increased to €765 million in 2017. This includes €367m for the direct funding of Home Help and Home Care Packages. A further €9m supported by HSE and Atlantic Philanthropies will provide Intensive Home Care Packages for people with more complex needs.

The HSE’s National Service Plan for 2017 provides for a target of

- 10.57 million Home Help Hours

- 16,750 Home Care Packages,

- 190 Intensive Home Care Packages for clients.

National Treatment Purchase Fund Payments

Ceisteanna (1073)

Jack Chambers

Ceist:

1073. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the way in which he will ensure that the National Treatment Purchase Fund avoids double paying public hospitals for work they should be doing using their HSE funding when purchasing treatment for persons on waiting lists under the insourcing initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26795/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The Inpatient/Daycase Waiting List Action Plan has been developed by the HSE, in conjunction with the NTPF, and focuses on reducing the number of patients who will be waiting 15 months or more for inpatient / daycase treatment by the end of October 2017. Under this Plan, since early February, over 14,200 patients have come off the Inpatient/Daycase Waiting List. The IPDC Waiting List Action Plan will be delivered through a combination of normal hospital NSP-funded activity, as well as insourcing and outsourcing initiatives utilising the €15m of Budget 2017.

A robust monitoring framework for the implementation of this Plan has been established. One of the aims of this reporting mechanism is to ensure that the NTPF principles and criteria for insourcing are adhered to, and, in particular, that any work funded through insourcing is additional to work funded through the National Service Plan and that the amount charged for procedures only reflects the additional costs incurred in providing the treatment.

A number of specific measures are being put in place to ensure that additional activity is being delivered under the Plan, these include the implementation of Service Level Agreements between the NTPF and individual public hospitals to support the treatment and management of patients. The HSE and the NTPF will monitor and oversee these Service Level Agreements to ensure appropriate escalation steps are taken as required if the SLAs are not adhered to. Adherence to the SLAs will ensure the application of NTPF principles and criteria for insourcing,

The HSE will also monitor Inpatient and Daycase normal elective work volumes by Hospital and focus on the reduction of longest waiters and ensure activity volumes remain in line with those agreed through the National Service Plan and the HSE inpatient/daycase Waiting List Action Plan.

Hospital Appointments Status

Ceisteanna (1074)

Maurice Quinlivan

Ceist:

1074. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan 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. [26797/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

Under 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.

Medical Conditions

Ceisteanna (1075, 1076, 1077, 1078)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

1075. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 962 of 2 May 2017, if he will request the HSE to circulate the international consensus primer for medical practitioners to all general practitioners to assist in the diagnosis of ME; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26798/17]

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

1076. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 962 of 2 May 2017, the reason the HSE has removed the section of their website on ME; if he will request the HSE to engage with a group (details supplied) to ensure the information that will be published is accurate and of use to those suffering with ME; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26799/17]

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

1077. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to parliamentary question number 962 of 2 May 2017, if he will request the HSE to investigate the use and effectiveness of the drugs ampligen, rituximab and suramin to treat cohorts of persons with ME in other jurisdictions; if he will consider their use here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26800/17]

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

1078. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 962 of 2 May 2017, if his attention has been drawn to the practices at a clinic (details supplied) in Sweden; if the HSE will examine the potential use of this multidisciplinary approach to diagnose and treat ME here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26801/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1075 to 1078, inclusive, together.

As these questions relate to the clinical diagnosis and management of ME as well as service issues, they are being referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Mental Health Services Data

Ceisteanna (1079)

Pat Buckley

Ceist:

1079. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the number of persons under 18 years of age that were admitted to adult mental health services in 2015, 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26803/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Mental Health Services Data

Ceisteanna (1080)

Pat Buckley

Ceist:

1080. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the number of persons aged 18 to 25 years of age that were treated in adult mental health facilities in 2015, 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26804/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Nursing Staff Recruitment

Ceisteanna (1081, 1082)

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

1081. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health his plans for the recruitment of specialist nurses for the new children's hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26805/17]

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

1082. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the staffing requirements for the new children's hospital; the number required for each grade and of directly employed staff, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26806/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1081 and 1082 together.

In relation to the queries raised by the Deputy, as theses are service issues, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

Graduate Statistics

Ceisteanna (1083)

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

1083. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of recent graduates from the four and a half year degree programme run by UCC in paediatric and general nursing that are working here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26807/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.

Nursing Staff Data

Ceisteanna (1084)

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

1084. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the cost per nurse of recruiting each additional nurse from overseas; the cost of travel for health service officials time spent working here with pay while awaiting or participating in adaptation programmes; the cost of these programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26808/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.

Hospital Services

Ceisteanna (1085)

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

1085. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to HSE plans for a day hospital in Swords, County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26809/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

In response to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

Hospitals Building Programme

Ceisteanna (1086)

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

1086. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if the HSE or his Department have identified lands for the construction of a day hospital in Swords, County Dublin; the location and cost of purchase of such lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26810/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

In response to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

Question No. 1087 answered with Question No. 1059.