Wednesday, 11 Jul 2018

Written Answers Nos. 330-345

Disease Management

Ceisteanna (330)

Jan O'Sullivan

Ceist:

330. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health his views on the rate of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis here; his views on the benefits offered by the use of IBD nurse specialists in the treatment and management of these conditions; the number of IBD nurse specialists here; his plans to broaden the number of IBD nurse specialists; when further recruitment of IBD nurse specialists is expected to take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31199/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Disease Management

Ceisteanna (331)

Jan O'Sullivan

Ceist:

331. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the reason no further IBD nurse specialists have been recruited since his meeting with a society (details supplied) despite his commitment to assist in doubling up the number of IBD nurse specialists from 14 to 28; when action will be taken to rectify this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31200/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

HSE Funding

Ceisteanna (332)

Jan O'Sullivan

Ceist:

332. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health when the pending application for funding submitted by a society (details supplied) to the HSE is likely to be processed; the reason it has received no reply to its application despite the fact it was submitted over nine months ago; his views on the practical implications of this delay, which has led to the society having to reduce its level of staffing by two valued employees; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this impacts on the provision of support to the 40,000 IBD patients here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31201/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Emergency Departments Waiting Times

Ceisteanna (333)

Stephen Donnelly

Ceist:

333. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of patients 75 years of age and over who experienced an emergency department wait time of more than 24 hours from January to June 2018; and the hospitals in which the wait occurred. [31206/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The HSE National Service Plan 2018 requires that no patient over 75 should be waiting more than 24 hours in an Emergency Department (ED).

Initial year-to-date HSE data for May (which is still provisional and to be fully validated by the HSE) indicates that at the end of May 2018 over 89.4% of patients over 75s presenting in EDs nationally met this target. This equates to a total of 7,164 patients who waited longer than 24 hours in this period.

The HSE data for 2017 shows a full year compliance with this target of 92.4%. In relation to the particular query raised, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly with the most recent validated figures by hospital site.

HSE data in relation to Patient Experience Time (PET) for all patients and specifically those over 75 is publicly available on the HSE website at the following address: www.hse.ie/eng/services/publications/performancereports/

The Government is, and will continue to, provide increased resources to alleviate the pressure on EDs in the face of rising demand.

Hospital Waiting Lists Data

Ceisteanna (334)

Stephen Donnelly

Ceist:

334. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting less than four, four to eight and more than eight months for a spinal fusion in Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, and Temple Street Children's University Hospital in tabular form; and if he will provide the same information for other spinal patients [31207/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

In relation to the information requested, I have asked the HSE to supply this information to the Deputy directly.

Hospital Beds Data

Ceisteanna (335)

Stephen Donnelly

Ceist:

335. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of beds and wards in all public and voluntary acute hospitals that were closed on 29 June 2018 or the latest date on which data for validated bed closures at hospital and ward level are available in tabular form. [31208/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Patient Data

Ceisteanna (336)

Stephen Donnelly

Ceist:

336. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of patients attending the rapid access lung clinic in designated cancer centres during the first six months of 2018. [31209/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

A total of 269 patients attended the rapid access lung clinic in designated cancer centres in Jan-May this year. Finalised figures for June are not available yet.

Patient Data

Ceisteanna (337)

Stephen Donnelly

Ceist:

337. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of patients attending the rapid access prostate clinic in cancer centres during the first six months of 2018; and the number attending prostate rapid clinics who attended or were offered an appointment within 20 working days of receipt of referral in the cancer centres over the same time period. [31210/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The table below sets out the number of patients attending the rapid access prostate clinics in designated cancer centres and the number of patients who attended or were offered an appointment within 20 workings days of receipt of referral in the cancer centres for the year-to-date (Jan-May - latest finalised figures). The target Key Performance Indicator is for 90% of referrals to be offered an appointment within 20 working days.

National	Activity (Jan -May)
Number of patients attending the prostate rapid access clinic in the cancer centres	290
Number of patients who attended, or were offered an appointment, within 20 working days of receipt of referral in the cancer centres.	238
% of patients attending prostate rapid access clinics who attended or were offered an appointment within 20 working days of receipt of referral in the cancer centres.	82.10%

HSE Agency Staff Expenditure

Ceisteanna (338)

Stephen Donnelly

Ceist:

338. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the amount the Health Service Executive spent on agency staff each month to date in 2018; the equivalent figures for each month in 2017; the proportion of the HSE’s anticipated agency staff expenditure for 2018 that has been incurred to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31211/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Drugs Payment Scheme Data

Ceisteanna (339)

Stephen Donnelly

Ceist:

339. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the amount collected in prescription charges for medical card prescriptions in each of the years 2015 to 2017; and the amount projected for 2018. [31212/18]

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.

Hospitals Discharges

Ceisteanna (340)

Stephen Donnelly

Ceist:

340. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of elective inpatient discharges in each public and voluntary hospital during the first six months of 2018. [31213/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The information requested by the Deputy is provided as an attachment. The HSE advise that the most current information available is up to and including April 2018.

Elective Inpatient Discharges *

Reporting Level	Activity YTD	Jan-18	Feb-18	Mar-18	Apr-18
National Total	29,556	6,663	7,277	7,692	7,924
Children's Hospital Group	2,115	523	509	531	552
National Children's Hospital at Tallaght University Hospital	202	43	49	43	67
Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin	1,346	353	325	351	317
Temple Street Children's University Hospital	567	127	135	137	168
Dublin Midlands Hospital Group	3,798	903	924	953	1,018
Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital	223	58	61	51	53
MRH Portlaoise	191	42	51	52	46
MRH Tullamore	654	148	138	167	201
Naas General Hospital	154	48	29	38	39
St. James's Hospital	1,483	358	389	354	382
St. Luke's Radiation Oncology Network	356	90	83	97	86
Tallaght University Hospital	737	159	173	194	211
Ireland East Hospital Group	5,907	1,333	1,501	1,523	1,550
Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital	801	205	208	184	204
Mater Misericordiae University Hospital	1,489	286	404	375	424
MRH Mullingar	292	54	64	97	77
National Maternity Hospital	124	21	36	34	33
Our Lady's Hospital Navan	363	97	84	88	94
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital	524	132	145	133	114
St. Columcille's Hospital	61	9	19	9	24
St Luke's General Hospital Kilkenny	174	38	52	45	39
St. Michael's Hospital	346	91	94	84	77
St. Vincent's University Hospital	1,430	342	323	396	369
Wexford General Hospital	303	58	72	78	95
RCSI Hospitals Group	4,078	778	893	1,146	1,261
Beaumont Hospital	1,935	451	514	486	484
Cavan General Hospital	371	82	90	99	100
Connolly Hospital	619	140	146	164	169
Louth County Hospital	15	6	5	2	2
Monaghan Hospital	0
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital	435	63	101	135	136
Rotunda Hospital	703	36	37	260	370
Saolta University Health Care Group	5,138	1,115	1,275	1,344	1,404
Galway University Hospitals	2,539	598	647	640	654
Letterkenny University Hospital	649	104	149	211	185
Mayo University Hospital	794	162	218	178	236
Portiuncula University Hospital	154	32	39	39	44
Roscommon University Hospital	288	84	57	87	60
Sligo University Hospital	714	135	165	189	225
South/South West Hospital Group	6,268	1,453	1,591	1,623	1,601
Bantry General Hospital	64	11	16	17	20
Cork University Hospital	1,930	406	509	480	535
Lourdes Orthopaedic Hospital Kilcreene	318	77	70	89	82
Mallow General Hospital	180	36	46	55	43
Mercy University Hospital	729	172	182	198	177
South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital	1,338	356	351	348	283
South Tipperary General Hospital	395	77	91	109	118
UH Kerry	485	120	113	128	124
UH Waterford	829	198	213	199	219
UL Hospitals Group	2,252	558	584	572	538
Croom Orthopaedic Hospital	322	80	76	86	80
Ennis Hospital	74	17	21	13	23
Nenagh Hospital	144	31	34	44	35
St. John's Hospital Limerick	577	152	156	144	125
UH Limerick	1,133	277	297	284	275
UMH Limerick	2	1		1

Notes:

1. Data source HPO HIPE

2. All Acute Hospitals who provide Inpatient Services are included in this report.

3. Beaumont data is inclusive of St Joseph's Hospital, Raheny.

4. CUH data is inclusive of CUMH.

* Activity targets in the Operational Plan differ slightly (0.03%-0.8%) from those published in NSP 2018 following analysis by Health Pricing Office based on a later version of the national HIPE file

All acute hospitals who provide inpatient services are included in this report.

Patient Data

Ceisteanna (341)

Stephen Donnelly

Ceist:

341. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of haemodialysis patients treated in acute hospitals during the first six months of 2018. [31214/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Patient Data

Ceisteanna (342)

Stephen Donnelly

Ceist:

342. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of haemodialysis patients treated in contracted centres during the first six months of 2018. [31215/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Patient Data

Ceisteanna (343)

Stephen Donnelly

Ceist:

343. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of home therapies dialysis patients treatments during the first six months of 2018. [31216/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Hospitals Discharges

Ceisteanna (344)

Stephen Donnelly

Ceist:

344. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of bed days lost through delayed discharges during the first six months of 2018. [31217/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The Minister with Special Responsibility for Mental Health and Older People, Mr. Jim Daly T.D, has established a Working Group to undertake an independent expert review of delayed discharges. The purpose of the review is to identify changes that can be made in the short term to inform planning for Winter 2018/19 and in the medium term to reduce the overall number of delayed discharges in order to minimise delays in moving patients to the most appropriate setting, reduce hospital bed days lost and better address patient needs.

This Group has been requested to report back to Minister Daly by the end of August 2018 with interim recommendations to inform planning for Winter 2018/19 and to bring their final report with full recommendations and an implementation plan to him by the end of September 2018.

In relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, as the numbers of beds days lost due to delayed discharges in the first six months of 2018 is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.

Patient Data

Ceisteanna (345)

Stephen Donnelly

Ceist:

345. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the percentage of acute stroke patients who have spent all or some of their hospital stays in an acute or combined stroke unit during the first six months of 2018. [31218/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.