Written Answers Nos. 257-275
257. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the reductions made for prescription charges for medical card holders since the adoption of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17851/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraPrescription charges were introduced to address the rising costs in the General Medical Services (GMS) scheme. The charge, which is set by regulation, has been varied on a number of occasions.
The Health Services (Prescription charges) Regulations 2017 (SI 553/2017) reduced the charge to €2 per item for all eligible persons with a monthly limit of €20.
A further amendment in 2018 under the Health Services (Prescription Charges) (Over 70s) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 639 of 2018) reduced the charge to €1.50 per item for persons over 70 years, with a cap of €15 per person or family per month.
258. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the reductions in the threshold for the drugs payments scheme made since the adoption of Sláintecare; his plans to reduce the threshold further in Budget 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17852/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) monthly threshold has been varied a number of times over the years.
The DPS threshold was last reduced by S.I. No. 59 of 2019 Health Services (Amendment) Regulations 2019 which came into effect on 1 April 2019 which reduced the monthly threshold to €124.
S.I. No. 577 of 2017 Health Services (Drug Payment Scheme) Regulations 2017 which came into effect on 1 January 2018 reduced the monthly threshold to €134.
As part of Budget 2020 the previous Government announced that the DPS threshold would be reduced to €114 from 1 September 2020.
I am now consulting with government colleagues on this proposal.
259. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the changes that have been made to the drugs payment scheme threshold for singe households since the adoption of Sláintecare; the further moves being considered in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17853/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Drug Payment Scheme (DPS), is aimed at individuals and families who do not have a medical card and normally would have to pay the full cost of their medication. It also applies to those who have a GP visit card. Anyone ordinarily resident in Ireland may apply to join this non means tested scheme.
The monthly threshold has never been reduced exclusively for single households. It has however, been reduced for all holders of the card from a maximum of €144 a month to its current limit of €124.
As part of Budget 2020 the previous Government announced that the DPS threshold would be reduced to €114 from 1 September 2020.
I am now consulting with government colleagues on this proposal.
260. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the expansion in community diagnostics that has taken place since the adoption of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17854/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE is currently rolling out a diagnostics plan that envisages a range of diagnostic/imaging services being provided across all Community Healthcare Organisations with the support of hospitals and private providers, with a particular focus on improving GP access to ultrasound. The Deputy may wish to note that in 2019, there were 67,000 ultrasound and 79,500 x-rays delivered via GP access to radiology services.
In terms of medium-term planning for additional diagnostic capacity, the National Development Plan states that, new dedicated ambulatory elective only hospital facilities will be introduced in Dublin, Galway and Cork. As per the Development plan, these facilities will provide high volume, low complexity procedures on a day and outpatient basis, together with a range of ambulatory diagnostic services.
As part of the wider Sláintecare implementation, the Elective Hospitals Oversight Group, established by the Department of Health, is currently developing a high-level facilities spatial brief and order of magnitude costs which details the elective clustering of appropriate activities for each of the three facilities in Dublin, Cork and Galway. This will also include an output and facility specification, based on efficient and effective service delivery, which will include diagnostic procedures. This is due to be completed in the Autumn of 2020.
261. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the extension of counselling provided by private providers through general practitioner primary care referral since the adoption of Sláintecare; the cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17855/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
262. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the advances made in the development of public psychology services in primary care since the adoption of Sláintecare; the cost of additional expansion or advances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17856/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
263. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the additional number of assistant and child psychologists provided as part of public psychology services since the publication of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17857/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
264. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional funding provided to ensure universal general practitioner care since the adoption of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17858/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraProgress continues to be made in implementing the Sláintecare plan to provide universal access to healthcare through the expansion of eligibility on a phased basis.
On 25 June, the Government gave approval for the publication of the Health (General Practitioner Service and Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Bill 2020. This Bill provides, amongst other things, for the phased expansion of GP care without fees to all children from 6 to 12 years of age inclusive. The Bill was published on July 01, 2020 and it is expected to proceed through the Houses of the Oireachtas in mid-July. Funding in respect of first phase of the expansion, the provision of GP care without charges to children aged 6 and 7, was provided for within the Budget 2020 package of family friendly measures, which amounts to €45m in total.
265. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional funding provided to ensure universal primary care since the adoption of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17859/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere has been no specific allocation of funding to ensure universal primary care since the publication of the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy. However, funding for the provision of primary care services was increased in Budget 2020 in order to help deliver on the vision of Sláintecare.
The NSP 2020 allocated approximately €1.08bn for primary care services (including €160m for social inclusion), an increase of €37m on the 2019 closing budget. This allocation serves to meet a variety of costs associated with the delivery of primary care therapy services, dental services, orthodontic services, audiology services, ophthalmology, podiatry and so on. It also covers property management and lease costs associated with primary care facilities and a range of other services including paediatric homecare packages, immunisation services, GP training and GP Out of Hours Services. It does not however include expenditure associated with the Primary Care Reimbursement Service nor wider social care expenditure on services for older people, mental health or disabilities.
The primary care allocation for 2020 included €10m, building to an intended full-year investment of €60m in 2021, to provide for the enhancement of primary and community services as part of the implementation of Sláintecare. This funding will target the development of Community Healthcare Networks and the recruitment of up to 1,000 therapists, nurses and other professionals in the sector, thus further improving access to primary care services for those that need them.
266. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional funding provided to ensure universal palliative care since the adoption of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17860/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, Sláintecare is the ten-year all-party Oireachtas policy, which was adopted by Government in 2017. It sets out the vision to deliver a healthcare system for the population of Ireland. The plan aims to deliver a universal health service that offers the right care, in the right place, at the right time, by the right team with a priority focus on keeping people well, developing primary and community services within a national policy context, and ensuring we have the right hospital capacity for the needs of our citizens. The Report recommended an additional investment of €10 million per annum into palliative care services over the first five years of the Report's lifespan.
A total of €100.6 million has been allocated in the National Service Plan 2020 for palliative care services this year. This represents an increase of more than 30% on provision for palliative care in 2017 when the Sláintecare Report was adopted by Government. The additional funding this year includes provision for 49 specialist palliative care inpatient beds in new hospices opening in Mayo, Waterford and Wicklow, and 6 new beds in an existing hospice unit in Kildare.
The Programme for Government identifies the north east (Cavan and Drogheda) and midlands as regions where additional hospices are required. The HSE is closely working with local hospice groups to progress these developments. Once these planned hospices are open, there will be an inpatient unit in every region of the country, providing a hub for the existing specialist palliative community homecare teams in every HSE area and supporting the discharge of patients from acute hospitals.
Since the publication of the Sláintecare report, a second paediatric consultant with a specialist interest in palliative care has been appointed. These consultants provide clinical support to parents and children in three children's hospitals in Dublin, while also providing support to paediatric units around the country. The Programme for Government commits to an increase in resources for the HSE's Children's Palliative Care Programme.
267. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional funding provided to increase homecare provision since the adoption of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17861/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
268. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional funding provided to ensure additional services for persons with disabilities since the adoption of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17862/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, Sláintecare is the ten-year all-party Oireachtas policy setting out the vision to deliver a healthcare system for the population of Ireland. Sláintecare is about delivering a health and social care service that meets the needs of our population and attracts and retains the very best healthcare professionals, managers and staff. The plan is to deliver a universal health service that offers the right care, in the right place, at the right time, by the right team with a priority focus on keeping people well, developing primary and community services within a national policy context, and ensuring we have the right hospital capacity for the needs of our citizens.
Following the publication of the all-party Oireachtas Sláintecare report, the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy was agreed by Government in August 2018 setting out an initial set of key actions for a three-year period. In line with the Strategy, a detailed Action Plan for 2019 was developed for implementation by the Sláintecare Programme Implementation Office. A Sláintecare Action Plan is being developed covering 2020-2021, factoring in the learnings from COVID-19, the new context within which the health system operates and the agreed Programme for Government.
As set out in the table below, spending on specialist disability services has significantly increased since the adoption of Sláintecare in 2017. This year, the Disability Services budget has increased to €2,054.5 billion, which represents an increase of 7.2% on 2019.
|
Disability Services Budget 2017 - 2020 |
||
|
Year |
Opening Budget €m |
Outturn €m |
|
2020 |
2054.5 |
N/A |
|
2019 |
1915 |
1991 |
|
2018 |
1773 |
1865 |
|
2017 |
1689 |
1723 |
269. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional funding made available for child and adolescent mental health teams since the adoption of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17863/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
270. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional funding made available for adult community mental health teams since the adoption of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17864/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
271. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional funding made available for old age psychiatry since the adoption of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17865/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
272. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional funding made available for child and adolescent mental health liaison since the adoption of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17866/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
273. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of adolescent mental health teams since the adoption of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17867/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
274. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional funding made available for intellectual disability and mental health services since the adoption of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17868/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
275. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the progress that has been made in reinstating the budget for the Dental Treatment Services Scheme to pre-economic crisis levels since the adoption of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17869/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental treatments to medical card holders. In 2010, at the request of the Department of Health, the HSE introduced changes to the Scheme to cap expenditure at the 2008 level of €63 million. Theses changes still apply, although people considered high risk are provided with additional care. Expenditure on the DTSS is linked to demand.
Smile agus Sláinte, the National Oral Health Policy, published in April 2019, sets out the new model of care delivery for dental services. It includes proposals for the introduction of packages of oral healthcare for adult medical card holders at different intervals during their life course. The packages will focus on prevention and will include examinations, advice, and preventive therapies such as scale and polish. The timeframe for the delivery of the Policy is up to 2026 and the roll-out of these packages of care will take place incrementally over the next number of years. Routine care including fillings and complex care will continue to be available.
