Written Answers Nos. 843-859
843. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons registered with a history of myocardial infarction and moderate renal impairment around the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15707/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
844. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the amount a general practitioner receives per annum for each category of a general practitioner card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15710/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the current General Medical Services (GMS) and GP Visit Card contracts, General Practitioners are reimbursed for a range of services they provide to medical card and GP visit card holders. GPs are remunerated for these services primarily on a capitation basis, with a range of additional support payments and fees for specific items of service. GPs are also remunerated for services they provide on behalf of the HSE under other public health schemes, such as the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme, Primary Childhood Immunisation Scheme, etc.
The annual capitation rate payable for each person who holds a medical card or GP visit card on a GP's panel vary depending on a patient's age and gender. An annual supplementary out of hours fee is also payable for each patient on a GP's panel. The current capitation rates are set out as follows.
GMS Scheme: Annual Capitation Rates Payable to Gps
|
Age |
Male |
Female |
|
0-5 |
€125 |
€125 |
|
6-15 |
€43.29 |
€43.79 |
|
16-44 |
€55.26 |
€90.37 |
|
45-64 |
€110.38 |
€121.29 |
|
65-69 |
€116.28 |
€129.72 |
|
70 and over residing in the community |
€271.62 |
€271.62 |
|
70 and over residing in a private nursing home approved by the HSE for continuous periods in excess of 5 weeks |
€434.15 |
€434.15 |
|
Supplementary out of hours fee |
€3.64 |
€3.64 |
Other GP fees payable under the GMS scheme include payments for consultations which take place outside routine surgery hours and fees for certain Special Items of Service provided by GPs (e.g. suturing, ECG tests, nebuliser treatment) which are provided on a fee for service basis. Participating GPs also receive payments under the Diabetes Cycle of Care, the Asthma Cycle of Care for children under 6 and for providing dispensing services to patients in rural areas.
GP allowances available under the GMS scheme include contributions towards the employment of practice staff, contributions towards locum expenses to cover periods of leave, contributions towards medical indemnity insurance premiums and support payments for rural GPs who qualify under the Rural Practice Support Framework.
The HSE also makes a contribution to a superannuation fund for GPs. In 2016, the total superannuation contributions made for all GMS GPs amounted to just over €29 million.
Further detail on the fees and allowances payable to GPs is available on pages 54 - 57 of the PCRS Statistical Analysis of Claims and Payments 2016 Report, which is available at the following website: hse.ie/eng/staff/pcrs/pcrs-publications/pcrs-annual-report-20161.pdf. This report also contains details of the payments made to GPs during 2016, a summary of which is set out as follows.
GMS Scheme: Payments to GPs 2016
|
FEES |
- Capitation |
€275,547,810 |
|
|
- Special Claims/Services |
€33,418,043 |
|
|
- Out-of-Hours |
€37,807,578 |
|
|
- Dispensing |
€1,167,766 |
|
|
- Item of Service Contract |
€565,305 |
|
|
- Asylum Seekers |
€374,649 |
|
|
- Vaccinations |
€7,579,123 |
|
|
- Asthma Registration |
€481,350 |
|
|
- Asthma Capitation |
€1,624,891 |
|
|
- Contribution for GP Height Measure and Self Zeroing Scales |
€73,248 |
|
|
- Diabetes Capitation |
€7,430,644 |
|
|
- Diabetes Registration |
€761,430 |
|
|
|
|
|
ALLOWANCES |
- Secretarial/Nursing |
€85,307,443 |
|
|
- Annual Leave |
€10,148,270 |
|
|
- Rostering/Out-of-Hours |
€5,964,666 |
|
|
- Medical Indemnity Insurance |
€7,168,851 |
|
|
- Rural Practice |
€3,985,547 |
|
|
- Study Leave |
€2,116,141 |
|
|
- Sick Leave |
€1,358,424 |
|
|
- Maternity Leave/Paternity Leave |
€1,593,718 |
|
|
- Locum and Practice Expenses |
€5,484 |
|
|
|
|
|
SALARIES |
- Benefits to retired DMOs and their dependants |
€3,000,931 |
|
|
- Former District Medical Officers |
€1,341,918 |
|
|
|
|
|
SUPERANNUATION FUND |
- Contribution |
€29,343,755 |
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
|
€518,166,985 |
845. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will have an assessment by an occupational therapist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15720/18]
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.
846. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if an emergency appointment will be scheduled for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15721/18]
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 the Deputy directly.
847. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has been waiting three years for an urgent consultant's appointment; and when this appointment will take place. [15725/18]
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 the Deputy directly.
849. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to address the serious increase in hospital waiting lists over the past seven years; if his Department is making proposals to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for additional funding in this regard over the remainder of 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15752/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraImproving waiting times for hospital procedures is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and the recently launched Inpatient/Day Case Action Plan 2018 marks a very important milestone in delivering on this commitment.
The action plan outlines the steps being taken by Government to reduce the number of patients waiting for hospital operations or procedures.
Under the action plan 2018:
- the number of patients waiting longer than 9 months will fall by 10,000.
- the NTPF commits to offer treatment to all patients waiting more than 9 months for treatment in a number of high volume specialities - including cataract, hip and knee replacement, tonsils and scopes
- The overall number of patients waiting for hospital operations and procedures will fall to under 70,000 by year end, from a peak of 86,100 in July 2017.
As part of the plan, all patients who are waiting more than 9 months for a cataract, hip and/or knee replacement, tonsils, gastro intestinal scope or one of four other high-volume treatments will be offered treatment in 2018 if clinically suitable.
In 2018 the NTPF to deliver 20,000 inpatient day case treatments and 4,000 gastro intestinal scopes, in addition to the 1.14 million hospital operations or procedures the HSE plans to deliver.
850. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the status of the introduction of children disability teams under the progressing children disability services report; if managers have been appointed to advance this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15753/18]
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.
851. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health when he expects to receive the HSE review of section 39 organisations and be in a position to lay the review before Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15754/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 9 February 2018, an agreement was reached between my Department, the HSE and health sector trade unions in relation to a process aimed at resolving the pay restoration issue for staff employed by section 39 bodies. The HSE are to carry out an analysis to establish, with supporting evidence, the following:
- Whether, when and to what extent reductions in pay rates were applied during the crisis in each relevant organisation;
- Whether, when and to what extent restoration of pay reductions has happened;
- Identify the financial implications for each organisation, taking account of all sources of funding, associated with addressing the issues identified and propose an appropriate plan for phased resolution in each case.
The HSE has issued detailed questionnaires to an agreed list of organisations. An interim report is expected from the HSE in the coming weeks. As this exercise is being carried out in an administrative capacity, there is no statutory requirement to lay the final report from the review before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
852. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the additional staffing resources that will be provided at a facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15755/18]
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.
854. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the full composition of staff at St. Joseph's intellectual disability unit, Portrane; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15777/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra856. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the advised full staffing rate necessary for St. Joseph's intellectual disability unit, Portrane; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15779/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 854 and 856 together.
The 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 questions relate to service matters, I have arranged for the questions to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
855. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of patients catered for at St. Joseph's intellectual disability unit, Portrane; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15778/18]
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.
857. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be provided with respite or long-term care. [15783/18]
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.
859. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be called for a MRI in Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore. [15785/18]
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 the Deputy directly.
