Written Answers Nos. 440-459
440. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if a person's (details supplied) procedures can be covered by the treatment abroad scheme when the procedure is not available here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4402/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE operates the Treatment Abroad Scheme (TAS) for persons entitled to treatment in another EU/EEA Member State or Switzerland under EU Regulation (EC) No. 883/2004, as per the procedures set out in EU Regulations (EC) No. 987/2009, and in accordance with Department of Health Guidelines.
As this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
443. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 165 to 167, inclusive, of 23 November 2017, if translabial ultrasound is available to persons suffering complications relating to the use of transvaginal mesh; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4406/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.
444. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health when an operation can be carried out for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4415/18]
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.
445. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will have hip-replacement surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4416/18]
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.
447. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the public private partnerships his Department is currently engaged in; the name, cost and timeframe of each; the names of all private parties involved; the nature of each project in terms of design, build, maintain and so on, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4437/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2012 the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform announced a Stimulus Package of State Infrastructure projects, including a bundle of Primary Care Centres (PCCs), to be delivered using the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mechanism.
This Primary Care Centre project is being delivered as a design, build, finance, and operate model (DBFOM). The Healthcare PPP Company comprises Prime, Balfour Beatty and InfraRed Capital Partners Limited who are responsible for the design and build of the 14 Primary Care Centres. Thereafter the PPP Company, Healthcare Centres PPP Ltd., will be responsible for providing services, which include facilities management services, for the 25 year contract period during which the HSE will pay the consortium a total annual unitary charge payment of circa €17m, in monthly instalments. At the end of this 25 year period the centres will be handed over to the HSE who will be responsible directly for the facility management services provided previously by PPP company.
The costs for the construction phase of the project are estimated at €140 million. The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's strategic infrastructure bank and funds both public and private sector projects that meet the key criteria of delivering a positive social impact. The EIB fund €70m / 50% of the construction costs of the Project. The other two funders are commercial lenders - the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFG (BTMU) and Talanx Asset Management.
In addition to the Primary Care PPP project, the State's capital programme Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021, which was announced in late 2015, also provided for another health PPP project in the amount of €150m. Following analysis, the currently most appropriate project for this PPP project is a bundle of community nursing homes. The HSE is currently undertaking preliminary planning work to identify potential locations which may be suitable for inclusion in this PPP project.
448. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health his plans to extend the FreeStyle Libre reimbursement scheme to persons with type 1 diabetes; and if not, the reason therefor. [4448/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
449. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health if assistance will be provided for a person (details supplied) in County Cork to secure accommodation in a facility that provides living accommodation with supervision for persons with an acquired brain injury. [4450/18]
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 a service issue, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
450. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting for a cataract operation at University Hospital Waterford longer than six, 12, 14 and 18 months, respectively, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4458/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware that waiting times are often unacceptably long and this places a significant burden on patients and their families. Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. Consequently, Budget 2018 allocated €55 million for the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) in 2018, more than double its total allocation in 2017 of €20m.
The HSE and NTPF are working together to develop coherent and synergistic Waiting List Action Plans in 2018, with the objective of arranging the provision of treatment for patients across a range of inpatient/daycase and outpatient specialties and procedures. These initiatives will continue to focus on long-waiting patients and reducing overall waiting list numbers.
In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, the NTPF has advised that, as of 25 January 2018, the number of active Inpatient/Daycase (IPDC) patients waiting for a cataract procedure in University Hospital Waterford is as follows:
- 6-9 months: 319 patients waiting;
- 9-12 months: 342 patients waiting;
- 2-14 months: 118 patients waiting;
- 14-18 months: 97 patients waiting; and
- 18+ months: 92.
451. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the timeframe for the publication of the lymphoedema working group report; his plans for the implementation of the report's recommendations; and if funding will be made available for implementation. [4459/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that a report on lymphoedema services is being developed by the HSE and accordingly I have asked the organisation to respond directly to you on this matter.
452. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health the number of registered general practitioners in counties Longford and Westmeath; the waiting times for occupational therapy, psychology services and mental health services in counties Longford and Westmeath; and the number of staff working in these respective areas. [4467/18]
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.
453. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health his plans to cut funding for addiction treatment services in counties Kildare and Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4476/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to you.
454. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if the case surrounding the need for a person (details supplied) to have surgical treatment which has been delayed as a result of a disputed administrative error on behalf of the hospital they were attending will be investigated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4479/18]
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.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly.
456. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to promote alternative diet advice, including food pyramids, to cater for persons who choose a plant-based diet, vegan-based diet or similar in order to have good awareness of nutrient sources and daily intake requirements. [4496/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Healthy Food for Life campaign launched by my Department in 2016 includes a range of resources outlining the revised Healthy Eating Guidelines and the Food Pyramid.
The Food Pyramid offers a wide range of food choices from each shelf to allow individuals to plan a healthy, balanced diet according to their own personal food preferences. The variety of foods on each shelf provides the specific nutrients in the correct amounts required for good health.
The Food Pyramid recommends a range of plant based foods. For example, plant based protein foods include tofu, soya beans, beans, peas and lentils as well as nuts and seeds. Carbohydrate recommendations include potatoes, yams or plantain as well as wholegrains and the fruit and vegetables recommendation has increased from 5 to 7 servings a day. The Healthy Food for Life resources recommend soya milk with added calcium as a dairy alternative to cow's milk for those who may not wish to consume dairy products.
In addition to the Food Pyramid and Healthy Eating Guidelines, the Healthy Food for Life resources include menu plans and detailed fact sheets so individuals can make their own food choices. These resources are available at healthpromotion.ie/healthy eating.
457. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if Kuvan has been approved for persons with phenylketonuria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4497/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drug schemes, under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
In reaching a decision, the HSE examines all the evidence which may be relevant in its view for the decision and will take into account such expert opinions and recommendations which it may have sought, including, for example, advice from the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE).
Sapropterin (KUVAN) was considered under the national pricing and reimbursement processes in 2009. At that time, insufficient evidence was available to support the pricing and reimbursement application submitted.
In 2016, the HSE was advised that a new health technology assessment dossier would be submitted on sapropterin. The NCPE completed its assessment of the new dossier in September 2017 and did not recommend sapropterin for reimbursement, as it was not deemed cost effective at the price sought by the company.
The HSE assessment process is ongoing and the HSE will take into account any relevant expert advice when making its decision, in line with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
458. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the status of the primary healthcare centre in Drimnagh, which was due to start in 2014; when the primary healthcare centre will be delivered; and when work will commence. [4499/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the Health Service Executive to reply directly to the Deputy regarding capital plans and service developments in the Drimnagh area.
459. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health if his Department or the HSE has examined possible links between eating disorders and self-harm and young persons' use of social media apps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4507/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
