Written Answers Nos. 752-779
752. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 403 of 9 April 2019, if the 13,485 children in target classes waiting for dental examinations will receive an examination before the end of the 2019 school term. [18929/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
753. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of HSE staff allocated to deliver dental assessments in schools in County Louth; the grade of each; and the vacant staff positions within the service. [18930/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
754. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Louth in each year over the past ten years that have received dental assessments during their primary school years; and the number of children in County Louth over the past ten years that left primary school without ever having received a dental assessment. [18931/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
755. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Louth that have received all three dental assessments to which they were entitled since the programme began. [18932/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
756. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the level of funding provided to the school dental assessment programme in County Louth in each year since it commenced. [18933/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
757. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the four-year waiting list for ear, nose and throat, ENT, services at University Hospital Waterford; the number of persons on the waiting list; the action being taken to reduce the waiting time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18947/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI 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 committed to improving waiting times for hospital appointments and procedures.
Budget 2019 announced that the Government has further increased investment in tackling waiting lists, with funding to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) increasing from €55 million in 2018 to €75 million in 2019.
The joint Department of Health/HSE/NTPF Scheduled Care Access Plan 2019 was published recently and sets out measures to improve care for patients waiting for scheduled care in 2019 by reducing wait times for inpatient/day case treatment and outpatient appointments. The plan will place a strong focus on a number of high-volume procedures, including tonsillectomies and septoplasties. When combined with HSE activity, it is projected that the NTPF will be in a position to offer treatment to all clinically suitable patients waiting more than 6 months for one of these procedures.
While the meeting of short-term targets is always welcome, more can be achieved and in this regard the HSE, Department of Health and NTPF, under the Access Plan, will work together with the objective of developing medium-long term improvement initiatives for patient access to hospital procedures. This will include moving care to more appropriate settings and providing care at the lowest level of complexity such as providing ophthalmology in the community; maximising the use of Advanced Nurse Practitioner led clinics. Issues relating to gynaecology waiting lists will be examined as part of this process.
In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, the IPDC and OPD waiting lists for ENT at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) are set out in the attached document. As of the end of March 2019 there were 407 patients waiting for an IPDC ENT procedure. This represents a decrease of 33% on the same period last year when there were 605 patients waiting. In terms of outpatients, as of the end of March there were 9,021 patients waiting for an appointment.
UHW have been working with the NTPF to arrange treatment and appointments for long-waiting patients as part of the Scheduled Care Access Plan 2019. In particular, the NTPF advise that 75 tonsils procedures and 800 Outpatient appointments have been approved for UHW. Of which, to date, 352 outpatient appointments have been arranged, of which 304 patients seen for ENT. The NTPF have also worked with UHW to offer outsourced treatment to 29 ENT patients, while 220 tonsil procedures have been in-sourced (91 child tonsils; 129 adult tonsils).
In relation to further actions being taken to reduce the waiting time for ENT patients at UHW, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
|
IPDC |
0-3 Mths |
3-6 Mths |
6-9 Mths |
9-12 Mths |
12-15 Mths |
|
Otolaryngology (ENT) |
|||||
|
Latest |
132 |
102 |
31 |
44 |
29 |
|
Last Year |
172 |
117 |
79 |
81 |
67 |
|
YoY Var |
-40 |
-15 |
-48 |
-37 |
-38 |
|
YoY Var % |
-23.26% |
-12.82% |
-60.76% |
-45.68% |
-56.72% |
Table contd.
|
IPDC |
15-18 Mths |
18-24 Mths |
24-36 Mths |
Grand Total |
|
Otolaryngology (ENT) |
||||
|
Latest |
24 |
35 |
10 |
407 |
|
Last Year |
40 |
43 |
6 |
605 |
|
YoY Var |
-16 |
-8 |
4 |
-198 |
|
YoY Var % |
-40.00% |
-18.60% |
66.67% |
-32.73% |
|
OPD |
0-3Months |
3-6Months |
6-9Months |
9-12Months |
12-15Months |
15-18Months |
|
2019-03-28 |
1447 |
900 |
767 |
831 |
768 |
799 |
|
29/03/2019 |
1390 |
939 |
805 |
798 |
857 |
815 |
Table contd.
|
OPD |
18-21Months |
21-24Months |
24-36Months |
36-48Months |
48+Months |
Grand Total |
|
2019-03-28 |
552 |
550 |
1445 |
953 |
9 |
9021 |
|
29/03/2019 |
791 |
938 |
1519 |
105 |
0 |
8957 |
758. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if the HSE will engage as a matter of urgency with persons (details supplied). [18948/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives.
This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
759. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if funding will be made available to construct a facility to house the MRI scanner at St. Luke's General Hospital, Kilkenny; if a response will be expedited in view of the fact that the equipment has been purchased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18949/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department and the Health Service Executive are currently engaged in a process to finalise the HSE Capital Plan for 2019. The HSE Capital Plan will propose the projects that can progress in 2019 and beyond having regard to the available capital funding, the number of large national capital projects currently underway, the cash-flow requirements attaching to each project and the relevant priority.
Once the HSE has finalised its Capital Plan for 2019, it will then be submitted to me for consideration.
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
760. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if an appointment will be arranged at University Hospital Waterford, UHW, or St. James's Hospital, Dublin, as a matter of urgency for a person (details supplied); if the correspondence from the person's general practitioner requesting urgent intervention for the patient will be considered; the reason for the delay in providing the care and treatment required in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18950/19]
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 in-patient, 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.
761. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the status of an application for funding to provide a shared residential placement for a person (details supplied); when a decision is likely to be made; the cost to date of the care of the person at St. Luke's General Hospital, Kilkenny, in which the person has been a patient for over four months; the date the person was ready to be discharged; the cost of the care from that date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18951/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
762. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will have urgent cardiac surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18959/19]
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 in-patient, 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.
763. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health the policies the HSE has in place to inform and educate persons diagnosed with type 2 diabetes of the reversibility of the illness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18961/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
764. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health his plans to increase the list of foods on the long-term illness scheme for patients with phenylketonuria, PKU; if the cross-border directive can be used to access products (details supplied) in Northern Ireland or Great Britain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18962/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the pricing and reimbursement of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
765. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he has given consideration to the introduction of a scheme in which senior citizens living in remote areas would have a contribution to transport costs paid for, as in such cases there is no access to public transport; and his views on whether the free travel scheme is of little benefit to these citizens and additional supports are necessary. [18963/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are currently no plans in the Department of Health to introduce a scheme along the lines of that proposed by the Deputy.
The Deputy may wish to note that the free travel scheme which is open to all citizens aged 66 and over comes under the remit of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
The Rural Transport Programme comes under the remit of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, whose Department provides funding and a policy framework for the programme, which operates under the name 'Local Link' through the National Transport Authority.
766. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be admitted to Beaumont Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18967/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
767. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the HSE commissioned a company (details supplied) to carry out an independent review into the escalation of costs at the national children's hospital after the company had earlier been commissioned by the HSE to provide specialist high-level input to advise on the decision-making process with respect to the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18974/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn November 2018, the HSE was requested by my Department to consider the three options for completing the new children’s hospital project identified by the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board in the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) report. As part of the HSE’s examination of these options, the HSE sought high-level input from a range of health construction and procurement specialists including individuals from HSE Estates, PwC and the Northern Ireland Health and Social Care system. None of the parties providing specialist input to the HSE had any role in the subsequent decision making process, the decision to proceed with Phase B was made by Government in December 2018.
In early 2019, following the Government’s decision, PwC was commissioned by the HSE on behalf of Government to conduct a comprehensive review to understand the reasons for the cost escalation associated with the new children’s hospital construction project. The terms of reference set out that the primary focus of the review was on the governance and management arrangements in place within and between the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and Executive, Design Team, relevant consultants, user groups and contractors, and would deal with the accountability of the relevant key parties, functions and roles.
The HSE has confirmed that it has in place a framework for the provision of professional services to assist in the Programme for Health Service Improvement. This framework provides resourcing for expertise to be drawn down as required. Under the terms of this framework , it was agreed that PwC would carry out the review of the escalation in cost of the new children's hospital. In the context outlined above, the HSE has made clear that it is satisfied there is no conflict of interest.
768. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Health his plans to extend the long-term illness scheme to include Crohn's disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18986/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe LTI Scheme was established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act 1970 (as amended). The conditions covered by the LTI are: acute leukaemia; mental handicap; cerebral palsy; mental illness (in a person under 16); cystic fibrosis; multiple sclerosis; diabetes insipidus; muscular dystrophies; diabetes mellitus; parkinsonism; epilepsy; phenylketonuria; haemophilia; spina bifida; hydrocephalus; and conditions arising from the use of thalidomide.
Under the LTI Scheme, patients receive drugs, medicines, and medical and surgical appliances directly related to the treatment of their illness, free of charge.
There are no plans to extend the list of conditions covered by the Scheme at this time. However, I wish to inform the Deputy that the LTI Scheme will be included as part of a review of the current eligibility framework, including the basis for existing hospital and medication charges, to be carried out under commitments given in the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy.
For people who are not eligible for the LTI scheme, there are other arrangements which protect them from excessive medicine costs.
Under the Drug Payment Scheme, no individual or family pays more than €124 a month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The scheme significantly reduces the cost burden for families and individuals with ongoing expenditure on medicines.
People who cannot, without undue hardship, arrange for the provision of medical services for themselves and their dependants may be entitled to a medical card. In the assessment process, the HSE can take into account medical costs incurred by an individual or a family.
People who are not eligible for a medical card may still be able to avail of a GP visit card, which covers the cost of GP consultations.
769. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if an occupational therapy appointment will be scheduled for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18987/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
770. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if an appointment will be brought forward for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18990/19]
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 in-patient, 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.
771. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the impact of Brexit in regard to dental services provided between North and South; and the preparations taken to protect cross-Border dental services. [18991/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE operates the EU Cross Border Directive (CBD) in Ireland. Patients in Ireland can seek to be referred to another EU/EEA member state, including Northern Ireland, for medical treatment that is available in the public health service in Ireland, including certain dental services. The patient may access the overseas service in either the public or private health sector of the EU/EEA member state they choose to receive the service in. The patient pays for the treatment and claims reimbursement from the HSE at the cost of that treatment in Ireland or the cost of it abroad, whichever is the lesser.
It is important to emphasise that at present there are no changes to patient care in the UK and Northern Ireland under the CBD, as the UK continues to be a full member of the EU. Indeed, until the UK formally withdraws from the European Union, it remains a full Member with all its existing rights and obligations.
Nevertheless, as part of a whole of Government response to Brexit, my Department is working to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated set of preparations to ensure continuity of health services post-Brexit. This includes the enactment of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Act 2019. This legislation contains provisions which, if required, will allow me to make Orders and Regulations to enable necessary healthcare arrangements to be maintained between Ireland and the UK in a no-deal scenario, including certain dental service.
772. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many women seeking to access files in a unit (details supplied) are experiencing difficulties, including not being notified of appointments and of files being misplaced or lost; and his views on the unit. [18992/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
773. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if the HSE will provide counselling for families that suffer a bereavement while using the maternity services in hospitals. [18993/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to the progressive development of maternity services. In 2016, Ireland’s first National Maternity Strategy was published, as well as the HSE’s National Standards for Bereavement Care following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death. The standards are designed to enhance bereavement care services for parents who experience a pregnancy loss or perinatal death.
The development of Specialist Bereavement Teams in all 19 maternity hospitals/units is being led by the National Women and Infants Health Programme. I have therefore asked the HSE to reply to your query directly.
774. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the review of the clinical assessments carried out by a psychiatrist (details supplied) on a dementia unit to the residents of the home and their families before residents are removed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18994/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra775. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if the redacted elements of the report by a psychiatrist (details supplied) regarding individual residents of a dementia unit will be provided to the patients concerned in addition to elements in the clinical assessments relating to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18995/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra776. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if concerns were raised in the care plans carried out by medical professionals every six months in a dementia unit (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18996/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra777. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if it was ever suggested or recommended that a general nurse should be hired for a dementia unit (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18997/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra778. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the cost incurred for hiring a psychiatrist (details supplied) from Northern Ireland to carry out a review of clinical assessments of residents in a dementia unit; the reason a psychiatrist from here was not hired; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18998/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra779. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the cost of relocating a patient from a dementia unit (details supplied) to a private nursing home. [18999/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 774 to 779, inclusive, together.
As these are service matters I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
