Written Answers Nos. 945-961
945. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Health his plans to make FreeStyle Libre glucose monitors available to all persons with diabetes based on clinical need at the discretion of their diabetes consultant and to remove the age barrier; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16274/18]
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.
946. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the training programmes provided by his Department to general practitioners in detecting adverse reactions to the HPV vaccine; the directive under which general practitioners have to report or not report their findings in view of the initial figures for 2011 and 2012, as already published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16285/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this PQ refers to the training of general practitioners in relation to HPV and material provided by the HSE, I have referred it to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
947. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of adverse reactions to the HPV vaccine reported by general practitioners to the HPRA in each of the years 2011 to 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16286/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information that the Deputy seeks in relation to the number of adverse reactions from the HPV vaccine is not readily available. Therefore, I have asked the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) to investigate the matter and reply directly to the Deputy.
The HPRA is responsible for monitoring the safety and quality of all medicines including vaccines that are licensed in Ireland and operates a national adverse reaction reporting system, which members of the public and health care professionals are encouraged to submit any suspected adverse reactions through this system. All Reports received by the HPRA are routinely transmitted to the European Medicines Agency’s adverse reaction database for inclusion in global signal detection and monitoring activities.
948. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health if the income limits for persons over 70 years of age will be increased in order for them to receive a full medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16293/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Act 2013, when a person attains the age of 70, the medical card income limits are €500 gross income per week for a single person and €900 gross income per week for a couple.
Persons aged 70 or older, who are assessed as ineligible under the gross income thresholds, may also have their eligibility assessed under the means-tested medical card scheme if they so wish, for example in the event that they face particularly high expenses, e.g. nursing home or medication costs. This scheme is open to all persons, irrespective of their age and assessment is based on net income and assessable outgoing expenses. The general scheme, although having lower income thresholds, provides for income disregards and relevant outgoings to be taken into account in the assessment process.
Furthermore, persons, including those aged over 70 years, may be deemed eligible for a medical card on a discretionary basis, if they are judged to face undue hardship in arranging GP services as a result of medical or social circumstances. In addition, from August 2015, all persons aged 70 or older qualify for a GP Visit Card, regardless of income.
There are no proposals at present to amend the income limits for the granting of eligibility for medical cards for persons aged 70 and over. However, it should be noted that the gross income limits are reviewed annually and considered in the context of the budget.
949. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the number of persons over 70 years of age who are in receipt of a full medical card; the number of persons over 70 years of age in receipt of a general practitioner visit only card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16294/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
950. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the progress being made in providing primary care centres in Clondalkin and Lucan villages by means of a public private partnership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16297/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the delivery of health care infrastructure, including primary care centres at Clondalkin and Lucan village, is a service issue and your question has been forwarded to the HSE for direct reply.
952. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the allocation of €55 million in 2018 to fund the National Treatment Purchase Fund to address waiting lists; the amount of this funding that has been spent; the number of patients who have been treated under the auspices of the fund to date in 2018; and the total number who have been treated since the fund’s restoration in 2016. [16307/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraImproving waiting times for hospital procedures is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and as part of this €55 million was allocated to the NTPF in 2018.
The recently launched Inpatient Day Case Action Plan 2018 commits the NTPF to deliver 20,000 Inpatient Day Case treatments and 4,000 Gastro Intestinal Scopes.
For the first quarter of this year 5,278 people were removed from the Active IPDC waiting list as a result of accepting offers of treatment funded through the NTPF and 547 patients were removed from the GI Scopes waiting list.
In 2017 a total of 8,192 people were removed from the Active IPDC waiting list as a result of accepting offers of treatment funded through the NTPF. As a result of the NTPF Scopes Initiative, 1,328 patients were removed from the GI Scopes waiting list. The total estimated cost of treatment for those who accepted offers in 2017 is €20.5m.
The NTPF did not have a direct role in the commissioning of patient treatments in 2016. The procurement of treatments was carried out by the HSE and the role of the NTPF was administration of the payments to the hospitals.
953. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if changes are being proposed to the national cardiovascular health policy; if reconfiguration of services is being carried out or proposed; if all hospitals providing cardiovascular services will continue to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16308/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Cardiovascular Policy (2010-2019) made recommendations across a range of areas including prevention, primary care, acute services and rehabilitation. These are continuing to be implemented by the HSE and its clinical programmes on heart failure, acute coronary and stroke. Since the publication of the strategy, there have been a number of service developments including structured care for heart failure and the expansion of stroke services including stroke units and the provision of thrombolysis. Cardiovascular disease prevention will be included as part of the contractual framework for GPs. Given the on-going implementation of the policy, there are no changes proposed.
It should be noted though that a National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services started work on January 30th 2018. Given the breadth of this Review’s scope, it’s possible that some of its recommendations may have an impact on cardiovascular services. However, this Review is still in its early stages and a Final Report is not expected to be produced until 2019.
954. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of service level agreements that exist between the HSE and religious orders to deliver services; the nature of services delivered by order and duration of the agreements, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16330/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters I have referred it to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
955. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health his plans for a redress scheme for persons who were forcibly committed by the State prior to the enactment of the Mental Health Act 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16362/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have no plans to introduce a redress scheme along the lines suggested by the Deputy.
The involuntary admission of persons to a psychiatric hospital or unit prior to the introduction of the Mental Health Act 2001 was governed by statute, in this case the 1945 Mental Treatment Act. The 1945 Act specifically allowed for the admission and detention without their consent, of a person as a ‘temporary patient' or a 'person of unsound mind'. Such admissions took place following an application made in this regard and required a medical certificate signed by a doctor and also a reception order signed by a consultant psychiatrist.
The Act also provided patients with the right to contact the Minister for Health, the Inspector of Mental Hospitals or the President of the High Court in relation to their detention. In addition, it also required the Inspector of Mental Hospitals, in the course of his inspections, to visit any patient "the propriety of whose detention he had reason to doubt".
957. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health if he will address a series of issues in regard to a service (details supplied) in County Cork. [16373/18]
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.
958. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of 20-week anomaly scans for all expectant mothers at the Midlands Regional Hospital, Mullingar. [16374/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Maternity Strategy is very clear that all women must have equal access to standardised ultrasound services. The Strategy will be implemented on a phased basis and this work will be led by the National Women and Infants Health Programme. The Programme's Implementation Plan for the Strategy includes a number of actions to facilitate the provision by all maternity hospitals/units of dating and anomaly scans to all pregnant women. Indeed, the issue of anomaly scanning is a priority issue for the Programme and I am assured that it will continue to work with the six Hospital Groups to assist in increasing access to anomaly scans for those units with limited availability.
I can confirm that additional funding has been made available for anomaly scanning in 2018. In relation to the specific query raised concerning Midlands Regional Hospital Mullingar, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
959. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health the number of general practitioners required based on the population of a town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16377/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraGeneral Practitioners are private contractors. There is no prescribed ratio of GPs to patients and the State does not regulate the number of General Practitioners that can set up in a town or community.
Under the provisions of the Health (Provision of General Practitioner) Act 2012, a GP can enter into a state contract to provide GP services provided he/she is on the Medical Council's Specialist Register in General Practice, irrespective of the number of GPs that are already established in an area.
Under the terms of the General Medical Services and GP Visit Card contracts, the number of persons who hold a medical card or GP visit card on a GP's patient panel may not exceed 2,000, except in exceptional circumstances. Under the terms of the contract for the provision of services to children under six years of age, the aggregate number patients under six and all other patients who hold a medical card or GP visit card on a GP’s patient panel may not exceed 2,200, except in exceptional circumstances. The State does not prescribe the number of private patients that may be registered with a GP; this is a matter for individual GP practices.
960. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health the timeframe for the refurbishment to the HSE-owned property on Drogheda Street, Monasterevin, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16378/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra961. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health the delays that are preventing the completion of the refurbishment of the HSE-owned property on Drogheda Street, Monasterevin, County Kildare. [16379/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 960 and 961 together.
As the HSE is responsible for the delivery of health care infrastructure projects, the Executive has been requested to reply directly to you in relation to the property on Drogheda Street, Monasterevin, County Kildare.
