Written Answers Nos. 313-331
313. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Health the status of the waiting list for audiology tests nationally and in County Kildare; the waiting times in the different areas; the progress being made on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3781/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
314. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health when DEXA scanning will resume at Naas General Hospital; if a register of patients who have had their appointments postponed has been recorded; and if these patients will receive new appointments once the service resumes. [3783/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
315. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Health the status of progress in regard to introducing the new transport support scheme to replace the removal of the mobility allowance and motorised transport grant. [3786/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be familiar with the background to the closure of both the Mobility Allowance and Motorised Transport Grant schemes in February 2013.
My colleague, the Minister for Health, and I brought a Memorandum to Government in May 2018 on proposals for a new Transport Support Payment Scheme in May 2018. Following consideration of the matter, it was decided to withdraw the Memorandum from the Cabinet Agenda at the time. I intend to revert to Government in due course with revised proposals to reflect the discussions at that Cabinet meeting and further discussions between myself and Minister Harris on the best way to progress the Transport Scheme.
It is important to note that the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers scheme operated by the Revenue Commissioners, remains in place. This scheme provides VRT and VAT relief, an exemption from road tax and a fuel grant to drivers and passengers with a disability, who qualify under the relevant criteria set out in governing regulations made by the Minister for Finance. Specifically adapted vehicles driven by persons with a disability are also exempt from payment of tolls on national roads and toll bridges. Transport Infrastructure Ireland has responsibility for this particular scheme.
There are improvements in access to a range of transport support schemes available to persons with disabilities in the State and ongoing work is being carried out by Government Departments, agencies and transport providers to further improve access to public transport services. Under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has responsibility for the continued development of accessibility and availability of public transport for people with a disability.
316. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health if an appointment for a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [3793/19]
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 inpatient, day case and planned procedures, since 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.
317. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Health when an operation for a person (details supplied) will be carried out. [3794/19]
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 inpatient, day case and planned procedures, since 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.
318. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health if funding is available for IVF treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3809/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra332. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health when funding which was set aside for IVF will be available; the timeframe for enacting legislation necessary to bring the funding on stream; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3864/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 318 and 332 together.
In October 2017, the Government approved the drafting of a Bill on assisted human reproduction, AHR, and associated areas of research, based on the published General Scheme. The process of drafting this Bill will be completed in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General. In addition, the Joint Committee on Health is currently conducting a review of the General Scheme of the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill 2017 as part of the pre-legislative scrutiny process, which began in January of last year. The review is ongoing and the Committee intends to publish its report early this year. However, it is not possible at this time to give a definitive timeline for the completion of the draft Bill and its subsequent passage through the Houses of the Oireachtas.
In order to support the commencement of the legislation, officials in my Department are working with the HSE to develop a model of care for infertility to ensure the provision of safe, effective and accessible services through the public health system as part of the full range of services available in obstetrics and gynaecology.
The Government has approved a €1 million fund for use in relation to providing public AHR treatment during 2019. Officials in my Department are currently examining options in relation to the operation and administration of this fund, which includes determining the access criteria that will apply. Once I have had the opportunity to review and approve these proposals, there will be an announcement regarding the commencement of this fund for 2019.
It should also be noted that, currently, patients who access IVF treatment privately may claim tax relief on the costs involved under the tax relief for medical expenses scheme. In addition, a defined list of fertility medicines needed for fertility treatment is covered under the High Tech Scheme administered by the HSE. Medicines covered by the High Tech Scheme must be prescribed by a consultant/specialist and approved by the HSE, "High Tech Liaison Officers". The cost of the medicines is then covered, as appropriate, under the Medical Card or Drugs Payment Scheme.
319. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will consider reviewing the bring them home campaign initiated in 2015 in order to offer a more attractive and a wider suite of measures for recruiting nurses back to Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3810/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have referred the matter to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
320. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the open policy forum that took place on 15 November 2018 with the Departments of Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, his Department and an association (details supplied); if he will provide the records and minutes available from the forum; his views on whether civil society interest groups should be invited to further open policy forums and structured platforms of engagement to share their knowledge and perspective; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3816/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraSecuring access to new and innovative medicines in a timely manner is a key objective of Government and the health service. However, the challenge is to deliver on that objective in a manner that is affordable and sustainable.
In an effort to identify workable solutions to the challenges which we face, I proposed a dialogue with industry to explore ways in which new medicines might be more easily introduced in Ireland. This invitation was built on the premise that any innovative approaches that may be tabled must be compatible with the statutory provisions which are in place and must also recognise the context of finite Exchequer resources.
It was in this context that an Open Policy Forum took place on 15 November 2018 in relation to access to new medicines between the Department of Health, the Department of Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform and the Irish Healthcare Pharmaceutical Association. This policy forum was held under the Chatham House Rule so as to encourage free discussion, and there were no records or minutes taken at this event.
I look forward to more engagement over the course of the year with the aim of building a fairer partnership between industry and the State to help ensure that Irish patients get sustainable access to new medicines in as timely a manner as possible.
321. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if further information will be provided on Ireland’s membership of the BeNeLuxA initiative; the number of meetings he and his officials attended as part of the initiative; the main outcomes to date; the main objectives of the initiative for 2019; his views on whether momentum should be renewed on strengthening the balance in the pharmaceutical systems across the entire EU system and member states as concluded by the European Council in 2016; the steps being taken at European Council level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3817/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 22 June 2018, I signed the Beneluxa Initiative on Pharmaceutical Policy to work with Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. This Agreement is in line with my objective to work with other European countries to identify workable solutions, in an increasingly challenging environment, to secure timely access for patients to new medicines in an affordable and sustainable way.
The Beneluxa collaboration was established in 2015, with a view to taking a collective approach to pharmaceutical procurement and evaluation. The main objectives of this Initiative are to enhance patients' access to high-quality and affordable treatments, improve the payers' position in the market through joint negotiations, increase transparency on pricing between the collaborating countries, share policy expertise and focus on knowledge building and enable national health challenges to be anticipated more effectively through the use of horizon scanning.
This initiative is well-established, with clear goals and a pragmatic approach to delivering on its objectives. Four areas of collaboration have been identified, and there are four domain taskforces: horizon scanning, health technology assessment, information sharing and policy exchange and joint price negotiations.
The working methods of the initiative are face-to-face meetings, and via video conferencing, teleconference and web-based meetings. A number of meetings have taken place since Ireland became a member in June 2018. Officials from my Department have attended two physical meetings and representatives from the HSE have attended one meeting abroad. Regular teleconferences take place within the domain taskforces and Ireland is represented by officials from the HSE during these meetings. A Beneluxa webinar was held in December 2018.
Beneluxa works together closely on horizon scanning to explore which innovative medicines are expected to reach the market in the near future. In this context, a project is on-going on the development of an International Horizon Scanning Initiative, IHSI, which seeks to build a permanent horizon scanning system that can support countries and institutions in policy planning and their decision making regarding the reimbursement of new pharmaceuticals. In addition, the Beneluxa partners conduct joint health technology assessments and share data and policies.
The Deputy will be aware that a recurrent theme on the Agenda of previous Council Presidencies has been the topic of access to medication, and I am pleased that the Romanian Presidency is continuing efforts to ensure that this topic remains at the forefront. The Romanian Presidency will continue the negotiations in the Council on the proposal for a regulation on coordination in health technology assessment, and it has indicated that it intends to organise debates on patient mobility and to encourage cooperation between Member States in the treatment of patients under the age of 18 who suffer from rare diseases. I look forward to working with colleagues over the duration of the Romanian Presidency to advancing the agenda of finding workable solutions to the challenges which exist in relation to medicines pricing, sustainability and supply.
322. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that the management at the Coombe hospital followed the guidelines in the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 for a diagnosis and subsequent treatment of a fatal foetal abnormality or life threatening condition in the case recently highlighted; and if matters (details supplied) will be clarified. [3818/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy's question relates to an individual case, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
323. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 157 of 13 December 2017, 121 of 24 January 2018, 242 of 5 July 2018 and 576 of 18 September 2018, the position regarding proposals in respect of removing the venesection inpatient day case charge for patients with hereditary haemochromatosis; when considerations will be finalised on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3819/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issue of the venesection inpatient day charge for patients with hereditary haemochromatosis is still under consideration. A decision on the matter is likely to be made in the coming months.
324. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health his views on phone applications such as an application (details supplied); his further views on encouraging and supporting persons who wish to use these applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3824/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI believe that using telephone lines is a sensible approach for offering mental health supports to individuals seeking support and assistance. In mental health, there are many types of services available in Ireland, and it can be difficult to understand what service is most suitable to address an individual’s needs. Therefore, I have prioritised the establishment of a 24-7 sign-posting telephone contact line as a single point of contact to assist people locate and be referred to appropriate mental health services in their area. This important project is expected to be piloted in partnership with the National Ambulance Service and ready to proceed in 2019.
I am also supporting the HSE to provide a crisis digital texting service for those who feel that they are in need of urgent support. People will be able to text a specific number monitored by a trained counsellor responding from a secure online platform. A trained volunteer can then be assigned to the caller to assist the individual immediately. Following the call or texting conversation, appropriate referrals and follow-up work begins.
In addition to these very important initiatives, I am very much committed to expanding the use of digital health technologies to support individuals access greater choice and avail of online therapeutic and educational interventions. I have been working with the HSE on delivering a number of digital services that support my position on the effectiveness of using evidence-based online services.
I am a keen advocate of using online tele-counselling interventions, and the HSE are undertaking two six-month national pilot projects in South Wicklow and Galway/Mayo. I believe tele-counselling can provide a range of services including psychiatric evaluations, individual, group and family therapy, education and patient management. There is substantial evidence regarding the effectiveness of tele-counselling and research indicates a high level of patient satisfaction, especially among adolescents and those with autism and severe anxiety disorders.
I have had the pleasure of attending a digital mental health seminar in Washington and visited health services that excel in delivering tele-psychiatry services in hospital A&E units. I hosted a successful digital health conference in Dublin in September 2018 called, "Changing Direction", which targeted psychiatrist and other mental health clinicians to propose the advantages of using tele-psychiatry services. Because of the success of this promotion, the HSE has established a project steering committee to run two pilot tele-psychiatry projects to conduct remote consultations to address CAMHS waiting lists and a second pilot to address adolescent addiction and substance misuse.
As you will see, while I believe that providing phone services is essential, in this age of digital technology, there are many other options that will augment existing services to deliver appropriate care that will result in wider access, choice and the potential to create additional capacity for clinicians who may wish to work from home.
325. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health the amount the HSE has spent on correspondence issued through its legal team to organisations (details supplied) on union recognition. [3825/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
326. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3829/19]
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.
327. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health the number of children and adults, respectively, who have no fixed abode or address and who are designated homeless, who attended Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and Louth County Hospital in each of the years 2016 to 2018, in tabular form. [3844/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
328. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health when the implementation plan for the recommendations set out in the report of the Chief Medical Officer in regard to the use of vaginal mesh will be published; and the steps he is taking to ensure no further delay in the establishment of mechanisms for women who have suffered complications from mesh accessing aftercare. [3846/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra329. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has completed its examination of whether it needs to source services from abroad to address immediate shortfalls identified in the provision of aftercare services for women affected by vaginal mesh complications either through utilisation of the treatment abroad scheme or by commissioning services from abroad; if all women so affected can now expect prompt and appropriate treatment for complications which some have been enduring for years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3847/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 328 and 329 together.
In late 2017, concerns arose about the frequency and severity of complications associated with the use of mesh devices in the surgical treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence, SUI, and Pelvic Organ Prolapse, POP, in women in Ireland. In responding to these questions and in recognition of the complexity of the matters arising, I requested the Chief Medical Officer, CMO, to prepare a report on the clinical and technical issues involved in ensuring both:
a) the safe and effective provision of mesh procedures in urogynaecology; and b) an appropriate response to women who suffer complications as a result of undergoing such procedures.
Preparation of the report has involved consultation and engagement with national and international bodies. The report has been informed by review of international reports and safety reviews of mesh surgery which have been published in recent years. The report has also been informed by the personal experiences of women who have suffered complications following mesh surgery.
The Report identifies that for many women, surgical procedures using synthetic mesh devices have provided a more effective and less invasive form of treatment than traditional SUI and POP procedures. However, mesh devices are associated with significant and severe complications in a minority of women. These are of concern given the difficulties of mesh implant removal.
The Report makes 19 recommendations including:
- the development of patient information and informed consent materials;
- surgical professional training and multidisciplinary expertise in units carrying out mesh procedures;
- the development of clinical guidance;
- the development of information systems to monitor the ongoing use of mesh devices;
- ensuring the reporting of mesh related complications; and
- ensuring timely, appropriate and accessible care pathways for the management of women with complications.
The report was completed and published on the Department of Health website on 21 November 2018.
The Secretary General of my Department wrote to the HSE on November 27 2018 to request that it prepare a detailed Implementation Plan for the complete set of recommendations set out in the CMO’s Report, to be approved by the Leadership Team in the HSE and published on the HSE website within three months of receipt of the report, or sooner if completed. It was also requested that a copy of the Implementation Plan, together with an interim report on the implementation of those recommendations on which work has already commenced, should be submitted to the Department at the time of publication of the Implementation Plan.
330. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of elective surgeries and procedures being postponed or cancelled in anticipation of the proposed strike by nurses at the end of January 2019. [3849/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra331. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of elective surgeries and procedures being postponed or cancelled in anticipation of the proposed strike by nurses at the end of January 2019. [3850/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 330 and 331 together.
The final figures relating to the number of elective surgeries and procedures being postponed or cancelled in anticipation of the proposed strike by nurses at the end of January 2019 are currently unavailable, as I understand that individual hospital groups are still discussing possible exemptions with the nursing bodies. I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly to the particular issues raised.
