Written Answers Nos. 398-416
398. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the reason the body with responsibility for the creation of surgical and medical procedure codes in private medicine have not kept them up to date and as a result have created additional costs and expenses for private medical subscribers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13911/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere is no specific body with responsibility for the creation of surgical and medical procedure codes in private medicine. Each of the commercial health insurers provide their own Schedule of Benefits, which outline the professional services provided by them for all medical, surgical and diagnostic procedures and tests for inpatient and day cases and include the relevant surgical procedural code which applies to each.
In public hospitals, Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) systems classify patients into distinct groupings that are clinically similar and consume similar health resources. The AR-DRG (Australian refined DRG) grouping system is used to group each hospital’s inpatient and daycase workload, including surgical and medical work, into approximately 1,050 DRGs. This system is overseen by the Healthcare Pricing Office within the HSE, and is used for the purposes of Activity Based Funding in public hospitals. The system is not used in private hospitals currently, and private health insurance claims in public hospitals are not made on this basis.
399. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has followed his request to re-engage with a company (details supplied) in relation to the provision of Respreeza; if not, the reason for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13913/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
The HSE carefully considered the pricing and reimbursement of human alpha1-proteinase inhibitor (Respreeza). The manufacturer, CSL Behring, was notified in August 2017 that the HSE was unable to recommend reimbursement. The HSE concluded that there was not enough evidence to suggest that patients would derive a clinically meaningful benefit from this treatment and that the current price was not a cost effective use of resources.
A number of patients were on an access scheme for this product, operated by the manufacturer, for the treatment of Alpha-1 deficiency. This scheme was being run independently by the manufacturer without reference to the HSE.
Late last year the company decided to terminate the access scheme. Following interventions by the HSE, the company modified its decision and agreed to continue to supply the medication free of charge for the patients on the access scheme for a further six months, or until the next clinical trial commences in mid 2018, but stipulated that it would not cover the cost of administering the medicine.
Due to the critical and exceptional circumstances, the HSE decided to facilitate a transitional arrangement, under which it would fund the necessary nursing service to ensure that patients would continue to receive the medicine until a new clinical trial commences in 2018. The terms of this transitional arrangement, under which the HSE has agreed to fund the administration of the drug, include a requirement that the lead clinician (who is the patients' treating consultant) ensures that appropriate alternative treatment regimes are put in place in good time for those patients not proceeding onto the next trial.
The HSE is liaising with the treating consultant and the pharmaceutical company in relation to the longer term care of this group of patients and in order to ensure that appropriate care arrangements are in place for each patient in advance of an anticipated further clinical trial which is expected to begin later in 2018.
The HSE has asked that the plan for the longer term care of this group of patients would be finalised without delay.
This transitional arrangement does not alter the reimbursement decision of the HSE in relation to Respreeza.
The HSE has advised the company that it is willing to undertake a timely review of any new application for reimbursement.
400. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health the waiting time for an assessment of need for a person (details supplied); the efforts being made to reduce the waiting time in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13914/18]
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 an individual case, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
401. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the guidelines in place in relation to the sale of medicines containing codeine. [13955/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraCodeine is a mild to moderate opioid (narcotic) analgesic which, due to its potential for misuse, is a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs legislation.
As an analgesic, codeine is most often used in combination with other analgesics such as paracetamol or ibuprofen and is currently authorised in Ireland in such non-prescription products for pain relief. It is also available in single ingredient, non-prescription products, as a cough suppressant. These authorised products are available without a prescription through retail pharmacy businesses (pharmacies) only.
The Pharmacy Act 2007 and the Regulation of Retail Pharmacy Businesses Regulations 2008 require that all medicines supplied through a pharmacy must be supplied by or under the personal supervision of a pharmacist and that all non-prescription medicines supplied must be the subject of appropriate counselling.
The Pharmacy regulator, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) issued guidance to pharmacists on the safe supply of non-prescription products containing codeine in 2010. This Guidance was updated in 2015 and most recently in October 2017. The Guidance covers the requirements set out above and in addition contains further restrictions which apply to the supply of codeine based products.
These restrictions include a requirement that codeine based products are not available to the public for self-selection and should only be supplied when a pharmacist deems such a supply to be necessary and only when a non-opioid analgesic, e.g. paracetamol, aspirin or ibuprofen, has not proven sufficient to relive the patient’s symptoms. The Guidance also states that codeine medicines should be used for the shortest time possible and for no longer than three days without medical supervision. Pharmacists must also ensure that patients are advised of the importance of adhering to the recommended dosage and duration of use as well as the risks associated with overdose and or/prolonged use. Patients should also be counselled in respect of potential adverse reactions or side effects.
The full Guidance document, along with information on current legislative requirements, is available on the PSI website: http://thepsi.ie/Libraries/Folder_Pharmacy_Practice_Guidance/01_3_Safe_supply_of_Codeine_to_patients.sflb.ashx.
402. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health when a fair deal scheme appeal by a person (details supplied) will be decided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13956/18]
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.
403. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a medical card application by a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will be processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13962/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond directly to the Deputy.
404. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive orthodontic treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13965/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
405. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number and type of community mental health teams in each CHO area in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13972/18]
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.
406. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health the types and number of different testing methodologies for borreliosis being employed here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13973/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
407. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if an assessment of needs for a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; the timeframe for same; and if an early appointment will be provided. [13975/18]
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 an individual case, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
408. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if a full evaluation and provision of care and support services will be provided to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13978/18]
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.
409. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) who has been granted extra days of respite care per month is still waiting three months after they were granted same due to the funding not being drawn down by the HSE in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13985/18]
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.
The Programme for Partnership Government states that the Government wishes to provide more accessible respite care to facilitate full support for people with a disability.
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.
410. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the progress which has been made to establish a recognised standard of training for practitioners of acupuncture (details supplied); if academic validation of training programmes in this field by QQI is in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13987/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe academic validation of training programmes in this field by QQI is a matter for QQI.
In September 2010, HETAC (now QQI) and the Department of Health jointly commissioned an International Review of the Academic Validation of Higher Education Programmes in the Complementary Therapies. It focused on five fields, including acupuncture, herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, in jurisdictions which have national education frameworks comparable to the Bologna framework (an EU quality assurance system in education based on learning outcomes) and aimed to identify criteria for the identification of complementary therapies which have the academic and professional maturity to warrant the academic validation of programmes by HETAC/QQI. A draft report was published on the HETAC website in late 2012 to which stakeholders were invited to respond.
The research project was managed by HETAC. My Department participated because, where the academic validation of a training programme is in place, it might arise that such academic standards might be deemed as the entry level standards to the practice of a profession by systems of either statutory or voluntary regulation.
Since then, the immediate priority of my Department, within the field of professional regulation, has been the full implementation of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. This designates fourteen professions for statutory regulation, and this month the Oireachtas approved the designation as well, in the public interest, of the professions of counsellor and psychotherapist which further extends the implementation period being worked towards.
411. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) was informed on 7 February 2018 that the HSE will not provide additional items for their medical equipment. [13988/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
412. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health further to correspondence (details supplied), if his Department has released the full €35 million of funding for developments to the HSE for 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13991/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra413. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health further to correspondence (details supplied), the way in which the €35 million of funding for developments which was due to be released to the HSE has been spent; the measures this funding was spent on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13992/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 412 and 413 together.
Funding from my Department will be part of the HSE normal drawdown across the year and is available to the HSE when 2018 new development projects require the funding. The HSE expects to have drawn down €10 Million by the end of Quarter 1, 2018.
I have referred the remainder of the question to the HSE for further input.
414. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health further to correspondence (details supplied), the number of sites without seven over seven mental health supports; the locations involved; the number of staff recruited to provide seven over seven mental health supports since 11 January 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13993/18]
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.
415. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health when the general scheme of a Bill reflecting the 165 changes recommended by the expert group review of the Mental Health Act 2001 will be made available; the Departmental resources dedicated to the progress of this Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13994/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn Expert Group Review of the Mental Health Act 2001 was published in 2015. There are 165 recommendations contained in the review and most of these relate to amendments to the Mental Health Act. The changes are progressive in nature and first and foremost seek to move away from the often paternalistic interpretation of the existing legislation to one where, insofar as is possible, the individual has the final say in what he/she deems to be in his/her best interests.
The previous Government granted approval for the preparation of a general scheme of a bill to reflect the recommendations of the review in revised mental health legislation. Work is ongoing on this comprehensive updating of our mental health legislation and the draft heads are expected to be significantly progressed by end of Q3 2018, at which point consultation with the Mental Health Commission will take place. It is essential that the Mental Health Commission, which has a very significant and important role in overseeing the safeguards provided in the Act, have full input into the framing of the many amendments to be included in revised mental health legislation.
There is a full time resource within the Department working entirely on mental health legislation and incorporating the recommendations of the Expert Group Review is a key priority for the Department’s Mental Health Unit. Following a recent staff appointment to the Unit, it has been possible to reallocate the workload in the Unit so as to allow key staff focus solely on legislation.
416. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health when he will undertake the consultation he committed to in December 2017 with local interested parties on the future of the emergency department in Portlaoise hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13997/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt remains the case, as outlined at my meeting with you and the other Laois Oireachtas Members in December 2017, that no decision has been made yet on the draft Action Plan for Portlaoise Hospital. I have asked my Department to conduct a consultation process in this regard involving local clinicians and the community and this is currently under consideration.
