Written Answers Nos. 334 - 352
334. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health to explain the reason occupational therapy services were withdrawn from a person (details supplied) in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29513/17]
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.
335. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if he will review the case of a person (details supplied) and make an appointment available for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29522/17]
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.
336. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if extra home help hours will be provided for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29526/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
337. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health to set out the details of those employed in his Department who also have responsibilities with an advocacy group (details supplied); the details of their roles, grades and responsibilities in the Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29527/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraNo officer in my Department has duties in relation to this advocacy group. The Department is not aware of any of its staff who might have responsibilities in a personal capacity in relation to this group.
338. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health to set out in tabular form the national lottery grant funding that has been used to fund conferences, events and advocacy campaigns to tackle alcohol misuse since 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29528/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department administered a National Lottery Discretionary Fund during the years 2008 to 2016 from which once-off grants for individual projects were paid to community and voluntary organisations providing a range of health related services.
A list, in tabular form, of all the organisations that received lottery funding in each of these years is available on my Department's website at: http://health.gov.ie/about-us/lottery-funding-2008-2016/.
In 2015, my Department approved two applications for National Lottery funding as follows:
€20,000 to North West Alcohol Forum for multi-disciplinary professional training;
€25,000 to Alcohol Action Ireland towards the campaign to build support for the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015.
In 2016, my Department approved one application for National Lottery funding:
€75,000 to Alcohol Action Ireland to engage with the EU to build support for the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill.
My Department no longer operates a National Lottery Fund. However, the HSE operates a similar scheme and continues to provide grants to health agencies and other organisations from National Lottery fund.
339. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment for surgery. [29533/17]
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.
340. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health to outline the regulations that exist to govern private eye laser surgery centres and particularly to protect persons and ensure they have proper follow-up treatment and recourse in the event of post-operative problems arising; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29549/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing concerns which were expressed in relation to the safety and quality of surgical cosmetic procedures in Ireland, the Office of the Chief Medical Officer prepared, in collaboration the Irish Association of Plastic Surgeons, a short guideline containing a number of recommendations for individuals who may be considering surgical cosmetic procedures. Much of this guidance and the recommendations for patients, which was issued in July 2012, is equally relevant to those patients considering laser refractive surgery and cosmetic procedures. The guidance is available on the Department's website.
More broadly, as the Deputy may be aware, my Department is currently advancing a number of initiatives aimed at improving the quality and safety of both public and private health services in Ireland. This includes the Patient Safety Licensing Bill, which will for the first time introduce a regulatory regime for all hospitals in the State, public and private, as well as certain designated high risk activities which take place outside a hospital setting. I hope to be able to refer this new Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny in the autumn. In advance of that, the Health Information and Patient Safety Bill, which has recently undergone pre-legislative scrutiny with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health, will allow for the extension of the Health Information and Quality Authority's remit to private hospitals. In addition, legislative provisions in relation to the open disclosure of patient safety incidents, contained within the Civil Liability (Amendment) Bill 2017, are currently making their way through the Oireachtas.
I would also note that, beyond these coming changes to the regulatory environment, it is also the case that clinicians remain subject to the requirements of their professional regulatory bodies.
341. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health to set down the number of drugs in the past two years and to date in 2017 that have been referred from the HSE to the Department of Health for further consideration after being passed for reimbursement; the names of these drugs; the reason each was referred to his Department; if this was outside the industry agreement and-or the statutory process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29554/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra342. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health to outline the reason that Brintellix was referred to his Department for further consideration for reimbursement after being approved; the length of time this process takes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29557/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 341 and 342 together.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for decisions on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The 2013 Act specifies the criteria to be applied in the making of decisions on the reimbursement of medicines.
Part 4 of the 2013 Act provides, inter alia, for the establishment and maintenance of a "Reimbursement List" for the purposes of section 59 of the Health Act 1970.
Section 18 of the 2013 Act allows a supplier of an item to apply to the HSE requesting the HSE to add the item to the Reimbursement List.
In considering an application, the HSE will also have regard to Part 1 and Part 3 of Schedule 3 of the 2013 Act.
Section 19(4) of the 2013 Act prohibits the HSE from making a relevant decision under section 18 "except in accordance with the criteria specified in Schedule 3". Schedule 3 sets out nine general criteria, of which one is the resources available to the Executive.
Under the 2016 Framework Agreement on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines, in a situation where the HSE wishes to reimburse a medicine but cannot do so from within existing resources, it may inform my Department of its decision in this respect. The Minister for Health may, as he deems appropriate, bring a Memorandum to Government in relation to the funding implications and requesting consideration of same.
In line with the Framework Agreement and since its introduction in July 2016, the HSE has referred four treatments to my Department for consideration: Orkambi (including Kalydeco), Eviredge, Entresto and Britellix.
Prior to the introduction of the Framework Agreement one treatment, Ibrutinib, was referred to my Department in 2016.
The reason each treatment was referred to my Department was because the HSE decided to support the reimbursement application but considered that this could not be funded from within its current budgetary envelope and also taking account of the cumulative costs over a 5 year period.
Following consideration by my Department and Government of the funding implications, the HSE decided, in line with the 2013 Act to reimburse Ibrutinib and Orkambi (including Kalydeco).
The remaining three treatments are currently under consideration by my Department.
In addition to this, the HSE has informed my Department on 21 June that there are 6 other medicines approved to date in 2017 which may have additional budgetary implications outside the 2017 Service Plan. However, the HSE have stated that it would be difficult to predict precisely at this stage as to whether these medicines can be funded from within the existing HSE allocation.
It should be noted that the final decision in relation to the reimbursement of all medicines remains the statutory responsibility of the HSE.
343. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if early detection breast cancer screening protocols are available for women with breast density; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29568/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraBreastCheck, the National Breast Screening Programme, operates in line with screening protocols which are underpinned by National Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Mammography Screening and further supported by European policy guidelines. These protocols ensure that all women eligible for the programme receive the highest quality mammography screening based on international evidence.
At present, digital mammography platforms do not provide a quantifiable breast density measurement. BreastCheck has always emphasised that any screening mammogram cannot detect all cancers and, therefore, a woman developing any symptom after a normal mammogram should contact their GP.
Digital mammography was introduced by BreastCheck in 2007 following a successful pilot programme which demonstrated significant improvements in diagnostic accuracy, particularly for women with denser breast tissue, when compared to analogue or screen-film mammography.
The digital format has resulted in enhancement of image quality, particularly associated with improved visualisation of dense breast tissue. Digital mammography also results in significant reductions in radiation dose associated with screening examinations, and allows images to be acquired and viewed in a shorter time.
344. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health to outline the status of a proposed development (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29576/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFunding has been made available in the current Capital Plan to bring these projects to the design and planning stage. The Renal Dialysis Unit has attained planning permission and is currently at tender stage. The expansion of the Intensive Care Unit is currently at design stage.
My Department is working with the Health Service Executive and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to conduct a mid-term review of the capital programme. Further funding for these projects must be considered in the context of the future capital envelope available to the health service and the overall priorities for future service development in the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group. The HSE will continue to apply the available funding for infrastructure development in the most effective way possible to meet current and future needs, having regard to the level of commitments and the costs to completion already in place.
345. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Health if the provision of children's hospices nationally is part of the HSE national service plan in view of a hospice (details supplied) reporting to be at maximum capacity within 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29592/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
346. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Health to set down the staffing complement of his Department in whole-time equivalents as at the end of 2016. [29606/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe total number of staff serving in my Department at the end of 2016 was 420 (395.9 whole time equivalents).
347. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health to outline his plans to include Crohn's disease in the long-term illness scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29616/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra402. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Health the reason Crohn’s disease is not listed on the long-term illness scheme under section 59 of the Health Act 1970; if he will consider it for addition to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29999/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra403. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Health to outline the way in which a new condition is added to the long-term illness scheme under section 59 of the Health Act 1970; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30000/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 347, 402 and 403 together.
The LTI Scheme was established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act 1970 (as amended). The conditions covered by the LTI are: acute leukaemia; mental handicap; cerebral palsy; mental illness (in a person under 16); cystic fibrosis; multiple sclerosis; diabetes insipidus; muscular dystrophies; diabetes mellitus; parkinsonism; epilepsy; phenylketonuria; haemophilia; spina bifida; hydrocephalus; and conditions arising from the use of Thalidomide. Under the LTI Scheme, patients receive drugs, medicines, and medical and surgical appliances directly related to the treatment of their illness, free of charge.
There are no plans to extend the list of conditions covered by the Scheme.
348. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health to outline the number of deaths in the past three years that have been recorded on the national drug related deaths index and that occurred as a result of synthetic opiates being administered to persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29623/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Drug Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) is an epidemiological database administered by the Health Research Board which records cases of death by drug and/or alcohol poisoning and death among drug users and those who are alcohol dependent. The Health Research Board published a report on the NDRDI in December 2016, which shows deaths up to 2014, the latest year for which data is available.
According to the NDRDI, there were 592 drug-related deaths between 2012 and 2014 where any opiate(s) were implicated. Some of these deaths involved synthetic opiates, either alone or with another opiate type drug. Synthetic opiates (for the purposes of this analysis) include Methadone, Tramadol, Oxycodone and Fentanyl. It is important to note that these figures are based on a multi-response analysis which means that some deaths could have more than one type of synthetic opiate implicated and therefore could be counted more than once, for example in the methadone-related deaths and the Tramadol-related deaths.
Methadone was the most common synthetic opiate implicated in drug-related deaths over the three years (279 deaths), followed by Tramadol (72 deaths), Oxycodone (37 deaths) and Fentanyl (8 deaths). The source of the drug is not always known, so therefore it is not possible to confirm if they were prescribed.
The NDRDI does not include poisoning deaths due to medical misadventure, where the death was due to an error of a health professional.
349. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when a procedure will be carried out on a person (details supplied) in Beaumont Hospital. [29624/17]
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.
350. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health to outline the reason a person (details supplied) was refused both a general practitioner and a medical card on the basis of all information supplied; and if he will review the case. [29626/17]
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.
351. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health to outline the position regarding the HSE owned building at Drogheda Street, Monasterevin, with regard to the housing of an organisation (details supplied) at the facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29629/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
352. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29631/17]
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.
