Carol Nolan
Ceist:375. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who presented with respiratory conditions at the Midlands Regional Hospital, Tullamore in 2018. [5225/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraHospitals Data
Ceisteanna (375)
Freagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly, as soon as possible.
Hospitals Data
Ceisteanna (376)
Carol Nolan
Ceist:376. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who presented with respiratory conditions at Portlaoise Hospital in 2018. [5226/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Staff Data
Ceisteanna (377)
Carol Nolan
Ceist:377. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the number of respiratory specialists at Midlands Regional Hospital, Tullamore. [5227/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Staff Data
Ceisteanna (378)
Carol Nolan
Ceist:378. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the number of respiratory specialists at Portlaoise hospital. [5228/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly, as soon as possible.
National Maternity Hospital
Ceisteanna (379, 380)
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:379. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 787 of 15 January 2019, if he will publish the details of a process (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5232/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraRóisín Shortall
Ceist:380. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 787 of 15 January 2019, if he is satisfied that the process in question has been duly scrutinised with regard to the relevant aspects of Canon Law regarding the need for Vatican approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5234/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 379 and 380 together.
St Vincent’s Healthcare Group has confirmed the process by which the Religious Sisters of Charity will withdraw from the Group and transfer their shareholding to a new company St Vincent’s Holdings CLG. The Sisters have, of course, already resigned from the Group’s Board. The share transfer process, and the question of the need for Vatican approval, is a matter for St Vincent's Healthcare Group.
My Department continues to engage with both the National Maternity Hospital and St Vincent’s Healthcare Group in relation to the legal framework required to protect the States' investment in the new hospital. The overall framework being put in place will, unequivocally, copper-fasten the principle that patient care in the new hospital will be delivered without religious, ethnic or other distinction, and that any relevant medical procedure, which is in accordance with the laws of the land, will be carried out at the new hospital.
National Maternity Hospital
Ceisteanna (381)
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:381. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if the public interest director will be part of the Holles Street or St. Vincent's quota of directors to be nominated, in view of the statement that the board of the new national maternity hospital will include a public interest director; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5235/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Given the level of State investment, I have sought, and received, the agreement of both the National Maternity Hospital and St Vincent’s Healthcare Group that the Board of the new NMH DAC will be competency based and will include a Public Interest representative. While the detail of same has yet to be worked through, the intention is that the Public Interest representative will not be drawn from either the National Maternity Hospital or St Vincent’s Healthcare Group representation on the Board.
My Department has been engaging with both NMH and St Vincent’s Healthcare Group in relation to the legal framework, which will inter alia ensure that the State's significant investment in the new hospital will be protected. Work to finalise the suite of legal documents is ongoing with the NMH and SVHG and is expected to be completed early this year.
Mental Health Policy
Ceisteanna (382)
James Browne
Ceist:382. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the publication of the revised mental health policy, A Vision for Change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5244/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The refreshed national mental health policy 'A Vision for Change' is currently being drafted. It is anticipated that the Oversight Group will complete their work by the end of February 2019 and that the final published report will be submitted to Government for approval in March.
Health Services Staff Data
Ceisteanna (383)
Mattie McGrath
Ceist:383. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will provide statistical information (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5279/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The HSE has been requested to respond directly to Deputy McGrath.
Health Services Data
Ceisteanna (384)
John Brassil
Ceist:384. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time in CHO 4 for ophthalmology assessments; the average waiting time for ophthalmology day case appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5287/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
Hospital Procedures
Ceisteanna (385)
Gerry Adams
Ceist:385. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 168 to 170, inclusive, of 16 January 2019, the number of persons who have undergone cataract surgery in each of the years 2016 to 2018; and the cost of surgery in each of these years. [5299/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I am conscious that waiting times are often unacceptably long and of the burden that this places on patients and their families. In this regard, I am committed to improving waiting times for hospital appointments and procedures.
Last year, under the Inpatient / Day Case Action Plan for 2018, I sought real progress to drive down waiting lists not only for high volume procedures, but also to treat patients with life-limiting conditions such as cataracts. The waiting list figures published by the NTPF for the end of December 2018 show that the efforts of the HSE, the NTPF and individual Hospitals are delivering results. The total number of Inpatient/Daycase patients waiting for a cataract procedure fell from just over 10,000 in July 2017 to 6,440 by the end of 2018, a reduction of 36%. The numbers waiting more than 3 months for cataract surgery showed a reduction of almost 55% in the same period, falling from 7,967 to 3,607, while those waiting more than 9 months fell from 4,371 to 554, a reduction of 87%.
It should be pointed out that the figures provided in PQs 168-170 of January 2019 in relation to the numbers of persons that have undergone cataract surgery from 2016 to 2018 and the cost of this surgery, refer to NTPF data only. The HSE figures were not included due to an administrative error. Accordingly a table setting out HSE and NTPF figures is provided below with the following exceptions: Both the HSE and the NTPF have advised that 2018 data is still being finalised; The NTPF did not have a direct role in the commissioning of patient treatments in 2016. At that time, the procurement of treatments was carried out by the HSE and the role of the NTPF was in the administration of the payments to hospitals. The NTPF advises it can only provide total costs for ophthalmology, which include cataracts, as costs for cataracts are deemed commercially sensitive.
|
HSE |
Cataract cases |
Cost € |
|
2016 |
11,291 |
25,933,653 |
|
2017 |
12,520 |
24,169,252 |
|
2018 |
HSE data not yet finalised |
HSE data not yet finalised |
|
NTPF |
Cataract cases |
Ophthalmology (including cataracts) Cost € |
|
2017 |
2,983 |
5, 700,000 |
|
2018 |
6,764 |
NTPF Annual Financial Statements not yet Finalised |
Hospital Procedures
Ceisteanna (386)
Mattie McGrath
Ceist:386. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the status of proposals for Nenagh Hospital to become a hub for cataract surgery here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5301/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Last year I launched the Inpatient / Day Case Action Plan for 2018. Under this Plan I wanted to see real progress to drive down waiting lists not only for high volume procedures but also to treat patients with life-limiting procedures such as cataracts.
I asked the HSE and NTPF to work together to develop sustainable solutions to tackle waiting lists. One such solution was the dedicated UL Hospital Cataract Centre at Nenagh Hospital which I officially opened last November. This is a stand-alone high-volume consultant-led cataract theatre facility which, at full capacity, will provide a 5-day service, which is expected to deliver 2,000 cataract procedures in 2019. This initiative will have a very positive impact, given its central location, by providing capacity for cataract surgery for patients on public hospital waiting lists in the surrounding geographical areas.
The establishment of this dedicated centre is an excellent example of how collaboration between hospitals and the National Treatment Purchase Fund can result in innovative solutions which ultimately drive better outcomes for our patients.
I hope to publish the joint Department of Health/HSE/NTPF Scheduled Care Access Plan 2019 for inpatient, day case and outpatients shortly. This will reflect activity targets from the HSE, in line with the National Service Plan, to reduce waiting times across specialties and improve access to appointments and procedures. The plan will also set out activity levels for the NTPF in line with their increased allocation of funding totalling €75 million in 2019.