Written Answers Nos. 345-366
345. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health the efforts being made to reduce the waiting times for the paediatric occupational therapy waiting list in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5443/18]
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.
346. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae 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. [5444/18]
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.
347. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the status of physiotherapy services in Erris, County Mayo; when a full-time physiotherapist will be in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5461/18]
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.
348. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the recommended number of full-time HSE physiotherapists for County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5462/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra349. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent HSE physiotherapists employed in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5463/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra350. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the status of the HSE physiotherapy vacancies in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5464/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra351. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of HSE paediatric physiotherapists employed in County Mayo; the locations in which they are based; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5465/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 348 to 351, inclusive, together.
I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
352. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the status of a medical card application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5475/18]
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.
353. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason the HSE does not operate a single foi@hse.ie email address for FOI requests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5476/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive (HSE) is an independent body for the purposes of compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2014.
While the use of a generic email, in Freedom Of Information Units, is not a statutory requirement, it is considered, by the Central Policy Unit in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, that it is best practice for bodies to have such email addresses in place.
I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply directly to the Deputy, on the matter of a generic email address for the HSE's Central Freedom of Information Office.
354. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the number of persons from each county that accessed treatment under the cross-border directive since 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5481/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the HSE has responsibility for the administration of the Cross Border Directive, I have asked the HSE to examine the issue raised and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
355. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the groups and professions that will be newly prohibited from either referring or carrying out radiological tests following the transposition of the medical provisions of the basic safety standards directive; the reason for this new prohibition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5497/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis question relates to the transposition of the medical provisions of the Basic Safety Standards Directive (BSSD) by my Department and the designation of referrers and practitioners in the transposing regulations. The designations proposed are based on patient safety and public health considerations reflected in the advice of the Chief Medical Officer.
In the Statutory Instrument (S.I.) transposing the BSSD, I propose to designate nurses, doctors, dentists and radiographers as referrers, who will be entitled to refer individuals for medical radiological procedures to a practitioner. I also propose to designate doctors, dentists and radiographers as practitioners in the transposing S.I., who will be entitled to take clinical responsibility for an individual medical exposure.
The BSSD also provides that practical aspects of medical radiological procedures (including carrying out a medical exposure) may be delegated as appropriate, to one or more individuals entitled to act in this respect in a recognised field of specialisation. In that regard, it is proposed that the transposing S.I. will provide that practical aspects may be delegated to nurses, doctors, dentists, dental nurses, dental hygienists, radiographers and medical physics experts who have completed a prescribed course in radiation safety. Individuals undergoing relevant training programmes may also participate in practical aspects of medical radiological procedures.
My Department conducted a general consultation on the BSSD in June 2017 and sought views on the provisions of the Directive where Member States had discretion including the designation of referrers and practitioners. The responses to this consultation also informed the proposed designation of relevant professionals.
Individuals who are not designated in the S.I. will not be entitled to carry out referrer/practitioner/delegated tasks.
The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment has overall responsibility for the transposition of the BSSD. My Department will finalise the medical provisions of the BSSD in the coming weeks.
356. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health when the cross-divisional lymphoedema working group will finalise its report; if it will be made available to an organisation (details supplied) to review; when it will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5499/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra357. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health his plans once the cross-divisional lymphoedema working group publishes its findings; his further plans for the implementation of its recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5500/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 356 and 357 together.
I am advised by the HSE that the Working Group established to examine lymphoedema services in Ireland is due to finalise its report in the coming months.
The recommendations of the report will be considered once they become available.
358. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Health if a response to a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; the services available in the HSE mid-east; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5502/18]
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 service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
359. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive orthodontic treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5503/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
360. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if a motorised scooter will be provided for a person (details supplied). [5504/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
361. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health his plans to reconsider the conditions of reimbursement attached to the freestyle libre glucose sensor for diabetes type 1 (details supplied); if he will examine rolling it out to include young adults older than 17 years of age and those with diabetes using pumps including adults, as is the case in other European countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5511/18]
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.
362. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the status of the recently published external review of a case (details supplied) at Wexford General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5512/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra363. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the reason concerns expressed by a person employed by the HSE regarding clinician Y were not referred to in the internal HSE review of cancer screening at Wexford General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5513/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra364. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to ensure that the delays arising from complaints regarding professional standards at hospitals are kept to a minimum in view of external review of bowel cancer screening at Wexford General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5514/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra365. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the status of the implementation of recommendations outlined in the recently published external review of a case (details supplied) at Wexford General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5515/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra366. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the reason the HSE did not maintain open disclosure as promised to families affected by probable missed cancers at Wexford General Hospital during the completion of the external review of a case (details supplied); the reason the HSE did not inform the families affected of the concerns expressed by a person concerning clinician Y; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5516/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 362 to 366, inclusive, together.
On 24 January 2018, the HSE published the report of the External Review of the overall management of an incident involving probable missed cancers at Wexford General Hospital that arose in carrying out colonoscopies under contract to the BowelScreen programme in 2013/2014.
The External Review was undertaken, following on from the publication of the Serious Incident Management Team (SIMT) report in January 2017, to assess the governance and management of the look back process and to examine the current governance arrangements between BowelScreen and those hospitals providing services for BowelScreen. It was carried out by Professor Robert JC Steele of the University of Dundee.
The External Review concluded that the look back process was carried out in a timely and efficient manner. It noted that, while there were missed early opportunities to identify shortcomings in the performance of the colonoscopist involved, there were significant mitigating circumstances surrounding this. The review also noted that current quality assurance governance arrangements between BowelScreen and its provider units are appropriate.
The HSE advise that patients received open disclosure at the time of diagnosis and that open communication was maintained thereafter. Patients and their families were made aware of the commissioning of the External Review and were notified of the findings of the review in advance of its publication.
The outcome of this review, and the earlier SIMT report, is that more robust procedures are now in place for the benefit of patients. To date BowelScreen has:
- Implemented a new policy to manage safety incidents, so that serious issues are managed in a standardised and appropriate manner;
- Developed enhanced policies and procedures to strengthen early warning systems and to ensure that a proactive response is taken;
- Revised the relevant agreements with hospital partners to include all relevant quality assurance guidelines;
- Augmented and clarified the requirement for detailed clinical audit at local level;
- Increased the minimum Adenoma Detection Rate (this is the standard measurement of clinical quality in endoscopy) from 25% to 45% and commenced measurement at individual clinician level;
- Completed the revision of Programme Quality Assurance Guidelines; and
- Put in place arrangements to commence reporting on interval cancers once the data is available.
Meanwhile, the HSE launched its revised Incident Management Framework on 24th January 2018. The Framework incorporates guidance on making decisions about appropriate pathways for investigation and review, including in situations where staff may have concerns in relation to the performance of a colleague.
