Wednesday, 8 May 2019

Written Answers Nos. 1052-1076

Mental Health Services Funding

Ceisteanna (1052)

Robert Troy

Ceist:

1052. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health his plans to increase funding across the spectrum of mental health services. [19954/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The Programme for Government commits to improving all aspects of mental health and to increasing funding over future years, as overall resources allow.

The Government remains fully committed to this objective. Since 2012, we have provided more than €270 million additional funding for the HSE Mental Health Budget, bringing total funding this year to €987 million. The question of additional funding for mental health next year will be considered in the context of the Estimates process for 2020.

Mental Health Services Funding

Ceisteanna (1053)

Robert Troy

Ceist:

1053. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if increased levels of funding will be provided to a service (details supplied). [19955/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

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

Cancer Screening Programmes

Ceisteanna (1054)

Stephen Donnelly

Ceist:

1054. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the knock-on effects for the CervicalCheck system further to the announcement that the main Irish laboratory (details supplied) used by CervicalCheck is to cease accepting new smears from general practitioners as part of arrangements to clear its backlog of tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19956/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

In April 2018, following issues which had emerged in relation to the CervicalCheck screening programme, I made the decision to offer free out of cycle smears to any woman who was concerned about her health, where her GP felt she should have a further test as part of her reassurance.

Approximately 112,000 consultations were provided by GPs, and 57,810 early repeat smear tests were provided between the 1st of May and the 31st of December – in other words, about half of the consultations resulted in a smear test.

Laboratory turnaround times have increased since that time as a consequence both of the 57,000 or so out of cycle smears and the increased uptake generally. The CervicalCheck programme has agreed with laboratories to prioritise those slides which originate from women who attended colposcopy, as this cohort of women are considered to have the most serious need. In addition, agreement has been reached with the laboratory with the largest backlog to process tests based on a HPV initial testing model; i.e. HPV testing will be carried out on samples prior to cytology. I am advised that this approach was chosen as the most effective way to process all outstanding tests based on prioritising women most at risk.

However, the HSE has advised that the natural history of cervical cancer would indicate that the disease would normally develop over a period of 10 to 15 years. It has said that in this context, a delay in the return of cervical screening results, whilst undesirable, is not necessarily dangerous and poses a very low risk to women.

Nevertheless, the reduction of turnaround times is a priority. With the programme now back to normal call-recall procedures, lab turnaround times are improving and more than half of tests are being returned in 9 weeks. However, they can be as long as 33 weeks and this remains a significant challenge. The HSE is continuing to work actively to reduce these turnaround times. In order to do so, it has been undertaking a global search for additional laboratory capacity to support the programme. Additional capacity has now been identified and the HSE is currently working to agree commercial arrangements, and complete quality assurance processes, to enable it to incorporate this capacity into the CervicalCheck programme. Ensuring the programme is fully supported, in the interests of public health, remains my priority.

Counselling Services Provision

Ceisteanna (1055)

James Browne

Ceist:

1055. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each LHO area waiting for a counselling appointment in primary care at the end of April 2019 or the latest date available; and the number waiting zero to 12, 12 to 26, 26 to 52 and more than 52 weeks. [19958/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

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

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Data

Ceisteanna (1056)

James Browne

Ceist:

1056. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each local health office area waiting for a child and adolescent mental health services appointment at the end of April 2019 or the latest date available; and the number waiting zero to 12, 12 to 26, 26 to 52 and more than 52 weeks. [19959/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

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

Orthodontic Services Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (1057)

Sean Fleming

Ceist:

1057. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if funding was approved in the estimates programme for 2019 to reduce the orthodontic treatment waiting list in counties Laois and Offaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19961/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.

Orthodontic Services Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (1058)

Sean Fleming

Ceist:

1058. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the orthodontic treatment waiting list; the number that were placed on the orthodontic waiting list in each of the years 2010 to 2018 and earlier years if appropriate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19965/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.

Orthodontic Services Provision

Ceisteanna (1059)

Sean Fleming

Ceist:

1059. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive orthodontic surgical treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19966/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.

Hospital Appointments Status

Ceisteanna (1060)

Niamh Smyth

Ceist:

1060. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has not received a date for surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19967/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

Under 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.

Questions Nos. 1061 to 1074, inclusive, answered with Question No. 1006.

Hospital Appointments Administration

Ceisteanna (1075)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

1075. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the mechanism to ensure that the referral system by which a general practitioner is required to write to request a hospital appointment for a patient will function effectively for persons of no fixed abode; if an analysis has been carried out on the extent of the difficulties of communicating appointments to patients of no fixed abode and on possible solutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19983/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

Addressing the health needs of homeless persons and improving their access to healthcare services are a priority for the Department of Health and the HSE.

It is vital that individuals with high support health needs can access supported long-term accommodation.

Individuals in emergency, supported temporary accommodation or long-term accommodation are provided with a range of health-related services by the HSE. These services are provided through in-reach and outreach specialist services, multidisciplinary teams, and services contracted through the voluntary sector.

The referral system for hospital appointments where people are homeless is a service matter. Accordingly the question has been referred to the HSE for direct response to the Deputy.

Patient Data

Ceisteanna (1076)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

1076. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of full and partial lower limb amputations carried out in 2018; the number of these patients that had diabetes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19985/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.