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Wednesday, 13 May 2020

Written Answers Nos. 655-679

General Practitioner Data

Ceisteanna (655)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

655. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of delivering free general practitioner care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4735/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

GMS contractors receive a range of capitation rates, fee per service payments and practice supports. Extending GP care without charges to all citizens who do not currently hold a medical card or GP visit card would encompass a further 2.9 million people approximately. It is not possible to definitively calculate the cost of universal GP care without charges given the wide range of payments and variables that have to be accounted for.

Such a calculation would require a complex and detailed modelling exercise to account for a range of demographic changes, future projections of service demands and variation in the number of GPs and the allowances that could be paid.

Additionally, the fees payable to GPs could only be determined following agreement with the IMO on the scope and content of the general practitioner service to be provided, as well as on the future of the various other supports provided to general practice.

General Practitioner Data

Ceisteanna (656)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

656. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of directly employing an additional 500 HSE general practitioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4736/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

General Practitioners are self-employed private practitioners, most of whom have contracts with the HSE to provide services under various public health schemes.

Under the General Medical Services (GMS) contract, GPs are reimbursed for a range of services they provide to medical card and GP visit card holders. GPs are remunerated for these services primarily on a capitation basis, with a range of additional support payments and fees for specific items of service.

As there is currently no approved salary scale in the public service for a GP post, it is not possible to quantify the financial implications for the HSE of additional GPs being hired to provide services to the public health system under the GMS and other schemes.

Health Services Staff Data

Ceisteanna (657)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

657. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of employing 1,000 additional practice, community care and public health nurses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4737/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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

Prescriptions Charges

Ceisteanna (658)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

658. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of abolishing prescription charges and rolling out free prescription medicines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4738/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The estimated cost of abolishing prescription charges for all medical card holders is €82m.

It is not possible to cost the roll out of free prescription medicines as the State does not collate this data.

Hospital Car Parks

Ceisteanna (659)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

659. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of removing hospital car parking charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4739/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

In March 2018, I requested the HSE to conduct a review of hospital car parking charges with a view to establishing clear national guidelines in the area. The report will help inform the estimation of costs of removing car park charges. My Department and the HSE are currently engaging on a draft implementation plan to accompany the review report.

Home Help Service

Ceisteanna (660)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

660. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing an additional 12 million home help hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4740/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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

Health Services Data

Ceisteanna (661)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

661. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of increasing the number of nursing home beds by 1,250 over five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4741/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Government recognises that our ageing population will require the delivery of significant additional long-stay and step-down facilities. A comprehensive programme of investment in public nursing homes over the period 2016-2021 is well underway. The programme is aimed at maintaining the existing level of public bed provision and will also provide some additional capacity.

The Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS), commonly referred to as Fair Deal, is a system of financial support for those in need of long-term nursing home care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their means while the State pays the balance of the cost. The Scheme aims to ensure that long-term nursing home care is accessible and affordable for everyone and that people are cared for in the most appropriate settings. The applicant can choose any public, voluntary or approved private nursing home. The home must have availability and be able to cater for the applicant's particular needs.

Based on the forecasted average net cost of a private bed under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, the full year cost for an extra 1,250 clients to be supported under the Scheme would be €47.6m. This does not include any capital costs associated with new developments.

Hospital Beds Data

Ceisteanna (662)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

662. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of increasing the number of hospital beds by 1,500; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4742/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The HSE advised in 2019, that the average daily running cost of an in-patient hospital bed across acute hospitals is €878 per night. This represents the in-patient cost of a hospital bed including clinical staffing, theatres, laboratories, non-clinical staffing and cleaning, maintenance and other running costs. The cost includes critical care and ward beds but they are not separately identifiable.

This represents the fully absorbed cost, (2019) which includes treatment and care costs (such as diagnostics and theatres) as well as the running costs such as heating, lighting and servicing equipment, but excludes capital and depreciation. In addition, this figure does not include other associated hospital costs such as day-case, outpatient and emergency department costs.

In relation to capital expenditure, several factors determine the capital cost of a hospital bed. These include the nature of the bed (day case, in-patient/overnight, intensive/critical care, etc.), and the bed’s location (within an existing hospital, within a new extension to an existing hospital or through the development of a new hospital). As such, there is no one capital cost for providing an additional hospital bed.

A review of acute hospital beds currently in construction or recently completed determined an average capital cost per bed of €375,000, including some enabling costs. ICU/HDU beds can cost up to €1m per bed.

However, these figures do not represent a universal capital cost for hospital beds. Larger projects will require additional developments on acute hospital sites (for instance the installation of bigger kitchens, OPD, utility enhancements or relocation of services) which would incur additional costs.

Health Services Data

Ceisteanna (663)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

663. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing for free contraception, including emergency contraception; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4743/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

In its report published in October 2019, the Working Group on Access to Contraception estimated that it would cost in the region of €80m to €100m to deliver a universal, fully funded State scheme for contraception.

This estimated cost reflects the cost of providing the current GMS contraceptive service on a universal basis to all women aged 16-44, assuming two GP consultations per annum and assuming an uptake rate of between 50% and 60%.

The Working Group noted that this estimate should be considered as indicative as it is subject to a number of variables and uncertainties, including the outcome of consultation with service providers and the final parameters of any such scheme.

Ambulance Service Data

Ceisteanna (664)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

664. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of purchasing, equipping and staffing 50 additional new ambulances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4744/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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

Dental Services Data

Ceisteanna (665)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

665. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing free dental care for all children and young persons under 18 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4745/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The National Oral Health Policy, Smile agus Sláinte, was published in April 2019. Research carried out by the ESRI, as part of the ESRI Research Programme in Healthcare Reform, examined the potential cost implications of proposed changes to oral healthcare provision which informed the new Policy.

The indicative estimate of the full year cost of providing free dental care, by way of oral healthcare packages as outlined in the Policy, to children aged under 16 is approximately €34 million of which €10-€12 million pertains to children aged under 6. This indicative estimate is based on current fees payable by the HSE under the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) and an estimated take-up rate based on previous research.

Medical card holders aged over 16 years of age currently receive dental services under the DTSS. The indicative cost for provision of the new preventive oral healthcare packages for medical card holders aged over 16 years ranges from €23-48 million. The preventive packages will be in addition to routine and complex care which will continue to be available under the DTSS.

No separate analysis was carried out on the cost of providing dental care to 16- and 17-year olds.

Mental Health Services Data

Ceisteanna (666)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

666. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of recruiting a minimum 2,000 additional full-time mental health staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4747/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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 (667)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

667. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of increasing child and adolescent mental health teams to 100; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4748/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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

Mental Health Services Data

Ceisteanna (668)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

668. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of increasing community mental health teams to 50; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4749/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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

Health Services Data

Ceisteanna (669)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

669. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of establishing a crisis house in each HSE catchment area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4750/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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

Question No. 670 answered with Question No. 564.

Hospital Equipment

Ceisteanna (671)

Seán Sherlock

Ceist:

671. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of ventilators and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machines that are the subject of purchase orders [4759/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As the purchase of medical equipment is an operational matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this question.

Hospital Appointments Status

Ceisteanna (672)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

672. 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. [4761/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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.

Hospital Appointments Status

Ceisteanna (673)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

673. 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. [4762/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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.

Home Help Service

Ceisteanna (674)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

674. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if additional home help hours will be made available to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4765/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The 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.

Nursing Staff Recruitment

Ceisteanna (675)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

675. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the reason the diabetes nurse for Loughlinstown health centre has not been replaced; if the post will be filled as soon as possible in order that those in need of the service do not have to go to Balally, County Dublin, or Ballywaltrim, County Wicklow, which are inaccessible by public transport for persons living in the area; if in the absence of a replacement for the diabetes nurse, these patients will be catered for in St. Columcille's Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4766/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As the HSE has responsibility for the provision, along with the maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres and other Primary Care facilities, the Executive has been asked to reply directly to the Deputy.

Orthodontic Services Provision

Ceisteanna (676)

Marian Harkin

Ceist:

676. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an orthodontic appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4776/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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

Psychological Assessments

Ceisteanna (677)

Seán Fleming

Ceist:

677. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be assessed by a psychologist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4778/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The 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.

Medical Card Eligibility

Ceisteanna (678)

Seán Haughey

Ceist:

678. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Health if a person who has a medical card on the basis of having kidney failure will have that medical card withdrawn if the person undergoes a successful kidney transplant; if he will review the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4779/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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

Driver Licence Renewals

Ceisteanna (679)

Seán Haughey

Ceist:

679. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Health his plans to ensure the medical certificate required for the over 80s to renew their driver licences can be obtained free of charge; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a charge of €50 for the certificate, which has to be obtained annually; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4780/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The GMS contract stipulates that fees for medical and GP visit card holders are not paid to GPs in respect of certain medical certificates which may be required, for example, "under the Social Welfare Acts or for the purposes of insurance or assurance policies or for the issue of driving licences".

Any fees charged by GPs for services provided outside the terms of the GMS contract are a matter of private contract between the GP and their patients.

There are no plans at present to include the completion of forms required for driving licence applications as a service to be provided to GMS patients under the GMS or GP Visit Card scheme.

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