Written Answers Nos 161-170
161. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who had an adverse reaction to the swine flu vaccine who have cases before the courts involving the State Claims Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21852/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI cannot comment on individual cases or matters that are the subject of litigation but I can provide background information on this litigation and clarify matters that are already in the public domain.
As of 9 May 2018, legal proceedings against the Minister, the Health Services Executive and GlaxoSmithKline Biological SA have been initiated by seventy individuals. The plaintiffs allege personal injury in which they claim the development of narcolepsy resulted from the administration of the H1N1 pandemic vaccine. The management of the cases transferred to the State Claims Agency on 15 October 2013 when the Taoiseach signed the National Treasury Management Agency (Delegation of Claims Management Functions) (Amendment) Order 2013.
I have been informed by the Agency that cases before the courts in relation to the management of the discovery is the lead case. It would not be appropriate for a Minister to interfere in the courts case management of these claims which are delegated to the SCA for management.
To date the Health Products Regulatory Authority has received 1,828 reports of suspected adverse reactions in association with Swine Flu vaccines (vaccines include Pandemrix, Celvapan and a small number of reports where the brand was unknown to the reporter).
I am continuing to engage with the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Finance on what further improvements can be made to the legal framework governing the management of medical negligence cases.
162. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health the status of the future of the vacant health centre in Rathangan, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21736/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraYour question has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply as the management of the healthcare property estate is a service matter.
163. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health his plans to extend the smoking ban; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21738/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe current legislative framework on tobacco control is the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts 2002 to 2015. Section 47 of the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts prohibits smoking in most enclosed work places. This includes office blocks, public houses/bars, restaurants and company vehicles (cars and vans). The overall purpose of the ban is to limit people from the harms of second hand tobacco smoke. Section 47(7) provides exemptions from the general prohibition in respect of certain places / premises including prisons, nursing homes, non-acute long stay facilities and psychiatric hospitals.
The Protection of Children's Health (Tobacco Smoke in Mechanically Propelled Vehicles) Act 2014 prohibits the smoking of tobacco in cars where children are present.
The policy document Tobacco Free Ireland (2013) sets a target for Ireland to be tobacco free (i.e. with a prevalence rate of less than 5%) by 2025. Tobacco Free Ireland addresses a range of tobacco control issues and initiatives and contains over 60 recommendations. Some of those recommendations relate to extending the smoking ban on a legislative basis to the campuses of primary and secondary schools and child care facilities. Other recommendations relate to the promotion, on a voluntary basis and in conjunction with key stakeholders, of smoke free environments on the outdoor campuses of third level institutions, health care facilities, Government facilities, sports facilities, playgrounds, parks and beaches. Progress has been made in particular in relation to health care and Government facilities, playgrounds and third level institutions.
The Government recently agreed to a Seanad Private Members' Motion seeking the Minister for Health to extend the smoking ban to outdoor commercial public places where food is consumed. It was agreed that the measure would be addressed on the completion of the current tobacco control legislative programme as set out in Tobacco Free Ireland and in accordance with Ireland's international legislative obligations. Minister Catherine Byrne set out the detail of the legislative programme in the debate in Seanad Eireann of 25 April 2018 on that Motion .
164. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health his plans to reduce the time persons over 75 years of age are forced to wait in emergency departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21739/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAgainst a background of growing demand for unscheduled care and high acute hospital occupancy rates, Government provided €30 million in 2017 and a further €40 million in 2018 for measures to increase acute hospital capacity and alleviate overcrowding in Emergency Departments. Almost 50% of this funding was used to deliver home support packages and transitional care beds to reduce the incidence of delayed discharges. Furthermore, over 200 beds have been opened this winter and more beds are due to come on stream later in the year.
Notwithstanding the increased level of resources provided, this winter has been particularly difficult for our health services with ED attendances up 3.7% and admissions up 3.3% during the first quarter of the year, as compared to the same period in 2017.
The situation was further exacerbated by Storm Emma and the severe weather that followed. In response to this, I approved a further €5m in emergency funding to provide additional home support packages and transitional care beds to assist the safe discharge of patients who required support to return home following the adverse weather.
In the light of the conclusions of the Health Service Capacity Review that the system will need nearly 2,600 additional acute hospital beds by 2031, I have asked my Department to work with the HSE to identify the location and mix of beds across the hospital system which can be opened and staffed this year and into 2019 in order to improve preparedness for Winter 2018/2019.
As outlined in the Capacity Review, the demographic pressures being experienced by the health service are such as to demand not just additional capacity, but continued emphasis on health and wellbeing initiatives, an improved model of care with a stronger role for enhanced community based services and continued improvement in productivity including in acute hospitals. The Government has approved a record level of capital investment in health at €10.9 billion over the next 10 years. This will provide for a major enhancement of the capacity of our health services to meet demand. Importantly, the accelerated introduction of additional capacity for 2018/2019 will be matched by forthcoming reforms including the publication of a detailed Sláintecare Implementation Plan and the overhaul of the current GP contract.
Finally, a review of the Winter Initiative 2017/2018 is being undertaken, which will inform a 3 year plan for unscheduled care, as well as supporting the provision of additional capacity in Winter 2018/19.
With specific regard to the Deputy's question on persons over 75 years of age, there are three main programmes focused on prioritising and improving the experience of patients over 75 in the emergency healthcare system.
The Integrated Care Programme for Older People (ICPOP) and the National Clinical Programme for Older People (NCPOP) are developing integrated primary and secondary care services for older people. This involves establishing integrated multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) in both acute hospitals and CHOs to address the specific needs of older people (especially those who are frail or at risk of frailty); case management within MDTs linked to other services that coordinates and plans care needs across a continuum; and bespoke care pathways with appropriate expertise in older persons’ care.
The Frailty at the Front Door (FFD) programme, which is the assertive case management of frail older patients deployed in acute hospitals (i.e. ED and MAUs) consists of timely identification and screening of older attendees to acute hospitals; comprehensive and early multidisciplinary team assessment; and assertive discharge with a coordinated response to the needs of frail older patients.
165. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who received treatment under the National Treatment Purchase Fund in 2017, and to date in 2018, by category of treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21740/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information sought by the Deputy has been requested from the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF).
A response will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as the information is available.
166. 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. [21744/18]
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.
167. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health the reason there is no National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, programme in place for ophthalmology service at Cork University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21763/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraImproving waiting times for hospital procedures is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and in 2018 €50 million was allocated to the NTPF to provide treatment for patients.
The recently launched Inpatient/Day Case Action Plan outlines the combined impact of HSE and National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) activity in 2018. The Action Plan places a particular focus on cataract surgery and includes a commitment that the NTPF will provide 5,000 cataract procedures to patients. In addition, the NTPF commits to offer treatment to all clinically suitable patients waiting more than 9 months for a cataract procedure.
Cork University Hospital (CUH) advise that patients requiring Inpatient/Daycase ophthalmology treatment are referred to South Infirmary Hospital Cork and held on their waiting list. The active Inpatient / Daycase waiting list for South Infirmary Hospital Cork shows that at the end of April 2018 there were 929 patients on the ophthalmology waiting list and of these, 86% of patients are waiting 8 months or less.
The NTPF will deliver 20,000 Inpatient Day Case treatments across a range of specialties through both outsourcing and HSE insourcing. I would encourage individual hospitals to engage with the NTPF to identify potential outsourcing and insourcing initiatives to be put in place over the course of the year.
168. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the locations in which all smear test analysis and readings took place by county in the past five years in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21765/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the HSE that there is a geographic aspect to the allocation of smear tests for analysis but that it will take some days to collate the required information as far as it is possible on a county basis.
I will ensure that the data is forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
169. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the locations to which cervical screen smears are now being sent for examination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21766/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraCurrently cervical smear testing is carried out by three laboratories:
- Quest Diagnostics Inc, Teterboro, New Jersey USA;
- MedLab Pathology Ltd, Dublin; and
- Coombe Women and Infant’s University Hospital, Dublin.
Approximately 50% of the testing is done in Ireland. All three laboratories meet quality assurance standards and are certified by the relevant national authorities.
170. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if organisations (details supplied) send their smears to the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital for analysis; if other public or private smears carried out outside of CervicalCheck are examined at the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21767/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the HSE that smear tests from the IFPA and Dublin Well Woman Centre clinics are assigned to the Coombe Woman and Infants University Hospital for analysis. The analysis of CervicalCheck smears from a number of GP practices, as well as the testing of samples arising from 3 colposcopy clinics, is also undertaken at this hospital.
The HSE advise that they have no knowledge of other smear tests that are processed by the Coombe Woman and Infants University Hospital.
