Tuesday, 20 Mar 2018

Written Answers Nos 588-604

Medical Aids and Appliances Provision

Ceisteanna (588)

Pat Deering

Ceist:

588. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health if the assessment process to include a device (details supplied) for testing blood glucose levels for listing under reimbursable items for persons with diabetes who intensively use insulin is completed, in view of the fact that the application was acknowledged by the primary care reimbursement service of the Health Service Executive on 6 February 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12518/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

Under 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.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (589)

Pat Deering

Ceist:

589. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will have cancelled surgery in St. Vincent's University Hospital rescheduled. [12519/18]

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 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 the Deputy directly.

Hospital Appointments Delays

Ceisteanna (590)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

590. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when an appointment will be issued to a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay in issuing a date for this appointment; the reason the appointment has been cancelled five times to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12521/18]

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 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 the Deputy directly.

Home Care Packages Provision

Ceisteanna (591)

Eugene Murphy

Ceist:

591. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health the waiting time for a full-time home care package for a person (details supplied) who wishes to move home from a nursing home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12522/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Emergency Departments Waiting Times

Ceisteanna (592)

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

592. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of persons aged 75 years of age or over who experienced an emergency department wait time of more than 24 hours in February 2018; and the hospital in which the wait occurred. [12529/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.

Hospital Waiting Lists Data

Ceisteanna (593)

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

593. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of spinal fusion patients waiting less than four months, four to eight months and more than eight months for treatment in hospitals (details supplied), in tabular form; and if the same information will be provided for other spinal patients. [12530/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Home Care Packages Data

Ceisteanna (594)

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

594. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of home care packages being provided in each LHO area. [12531/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As these are service matters I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Home Care Packages Data

Ceisteanna (595)

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

595. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list for a home care package in each LHO area; the number waiting zero to three months, three to six months, six to 12 months and more than 12 months, respectively, in tabular form. [12532/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Medical Card Data

Ceisteanna (596)

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

596. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of persons covered by medical cards as of 1 March 2018. [12533/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As of 1 March 2018 there are 1,602,401 (33.4% of the population) Medical Cards in circulation.

Medical Card Data

Ceisteanna (597)

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

597. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of persons covered by GP visit cards as of 1 March 2018. [12534/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As of 1 March 2018 there were 493,618 (10.3% of the population) GP Visit Cards in circulation.

Health Services Data

Ceisteanna (598)

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

598. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each CHO area waiting for an ophthalmology appointment in primary care; and the number waiting zero to 12, 12 to 26, 26 to 52 and more than 52 weeks respectively. [12535/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.

Ambulance Service Data

Ceisteanna (599)

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

599. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of ambulance attendances at each emergency department nationwide in January 2018; the number of such ambulances that waited longer than of 20 minutes to hand over patients, get their trolleys back and return to responding to calls; and the number that waited longer than 40, 60, 90,120 and more than 180 minutes for same, respectively, in tabular form. [12536/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.

Hospitals Data

Ceisteanna (600)

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

600. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of operations and procedures that were cancelled or postponed in each public hospital in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12537/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Hospitals Data

Ceisteanna (601)

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

601. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of operations and procedures that were cancelled or postponed in each voluntary hospital in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12538/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Home Help Service Data

Ceisteanna (602)

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

602. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of home help hours provided in each LHO area in 2017. [12539/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As these are service matters I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

HSE Staff Data

Ceisteanna (603)

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

603. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of staff at national director level, assistant national director level, general manager level and grade VIII level in the HSE on 1 March 2018 or latest date available. [12540/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Hospital Beds Data

Ceisteanna (604)

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

604. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of beds and wards in all public and voluntary acute hospitals that were closed on 9 March 2018 or the latest date on which data for validated bed closures at hospital and ward level are available. [12541/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.