David Cullinane
Ceist:1662. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of an additional adult eating disorder team including employer’s PRSI. [29897/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraDepartmental Data
Ceisteanna (1662)
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. 1663 answered with Question No. 1580.
Departmental Funding
Ceisteanna (1664)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1664. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the cost to baseline funding allocated to unfunded new or additional measures in 2022. [29899/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
There are a number of unfunded additional measures that have arising post-Estimates 2022. These measures include:
- the cost of the Haddington Road Agreement pay restoration;
- the extended seasonal influenza vaccination programme;
- the reduction in Drug Payment Scheme thresholds from €100 to €80 per month included in the government's cost of living measures;
- the extension for the full academic year of the Pandemic Placement Grant of €100 per week to eligible nursing and midwifery students;
- the COVID recognition payment for eligible healthcare staff
- the purchase of COVID therapeutics medicines
- the cost of responses to the Ukraine crisis, including the issuing of additional medical cards as well as other supports;
- the addition of an extra public holiday on 18th March 2022 and the related additional costs to the health service in respect of agency/overtime.
At present, no additional net funding has been allocated to the Health Vote in respect of these measures. Additional measures sanctioned to date in 2022 have been sanctioned on the basis that where possible the expenditure is met from within the existing available Health allocation. Some of these measures are one-off in nature, while others will have an ongoing expenditure impact in future years. The allocation of permanent baseline funding for those measures which are recurring for 2023 will be considered in the context of Estimates 2023 discussions to take place between the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform later in 2022.
Any additional net funding requirements for the Health Vote associated with these measures for 2022 will be determined throughout 2022 and will be finalised between the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in the context of ongoing budgetary management processes.
Departmental Funding
Ceisteanna (1665)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1665. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the cost to baseline additional funding given to Cappagh and CHI for paediatric orthopaedics, if any. [29900/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) and Cappagh Hospital submitted proposals to improve waiting times for orthopaedic services; this includes Scoliosis and Spina Bifida. Both current and capital funding totalling €17.43 million has been approved for this initiative. The plan will result in an additional 67 spinal fusions and 28 spinal other procedures for children with Scoliosis, as well as an additional 141 procedures for children with Spina Bifida. The plan also allocates substantial paediatric orthopaedic procedures at Cappagh orthopaedic hospital, with 720 additional procedures planned for the year.
By using the capacity provided by Cappagh for less complex orthopaedic patients, including routine scoliosis procedures, CHI can free up space in order that complex orthopaedic procedures, including scoliosis spinal fusions, can be carried out centrally at CHI sites. The impact of the plan has already been recorded with increased activity year to date. Year to date by the end of May 2022, 197 scoliosis procedures had been carried out, compared to 156 for the same period in 2019. The number of patients waiting longer than 6 months for a scoliosis procedure has also reduced to 79 by the end of May, compared to 103 in August 2020.
In relation to the query raised by the Deputy, €3.4 million has been committed to support additional activity at Cappagh Orthopaedic hospital in 2022. This is the full year requirement associated with the €1.65 million that was provided from the Access to Care Fund in 2021 to support CHI paediatric orthopaedic activity at Cappagh. This funding supports a WTE of 42.73 staff members as well as associated medical and surgical costs, equipment, and other non-pay related expenditure.
The source of this funding stream is the 2022 Waiting List Action Plan. As is clear from the expenditure type, this is of a committed type, rather than once off, therefore this funding stream is envisioned to be maintained in future years. While as yet the Department does not have any funding beyond 2022, and will not until Budget 2023 is agreed, the intention is to maintain this spending.
Departmental Data
Ceisteanna (1666)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1666. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of 100,000 personal assistance hours. [29901/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The HSE provides a range of assisted living services including Personal Assistance (PA) Services to support individuals to maximise their capacity to live full and independent lives.
The National Service Plan 2022 outlines the HSE’s commitment to deliver 1.7m hours of PA services to 2,587 people this year. This reflects an additional 120,000 hours of PA services in 2022 to expand and enhance supports for people to live self-directed lives in their own communities.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Departmental Data
Ceisteanna (1667)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1667. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated revenue and capital cost of an additional respite centre in each CHO. [29902/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
Departmental Data
Ceisteanna (1668)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1668. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of 250 intensive home care packages. [29903/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Departmental Data
Ceisteanna (1669)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1669. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated revenue and capital cost to move 100 persons out of congregated settings. [29904/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Departmental Data
Ceisteanna (1670)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1670. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated revenue and capital cost of moving 100 persons under the age of 65 years out of nursing homes into assisted community homes. [29905/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Deputy's question relates to a service matter, I am referring the question to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Departmental Data
Ceisteanna (1671)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1671. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing 1,000 additional day service places for school leavers and graduates of rehabilitative training. [29906/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Departmental Data
Ceisteanna (1672)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1672. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of an additional community specialist hub for older people. [29908/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Departmental Funding
Ceisteanna (1673)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1673. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the funding allocated to home help hours; the underspend in 2021; the additional allocation for 2022; and the expected underspend in 2022. [29909/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Departmental Expenditure
Ceisteanna (1674)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:1674. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the cost of any review groups set up under the auspices of his Department in the past five years; the composition of these review groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29934/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The information requested by the Deputy is not immediately available. I will survey the Department and the collated replies will be prepared into a full response to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Health Services Staff
Ceisteanna (1675)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:1675. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health if he will amend the terms of the pandemic bonus payment to reflect actual hours worked as opposed to contract hours where it would be more beneficial to recipients. [29937/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
Health Service Executive
Ceisteanna (1676)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:1676. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the progress being made by the HSE in implementing the integrated financial management system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29938/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (1677)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:1677. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons awaiting an ENT outpatient appointment at Tullamore Hospital for over one, two, three, four, five and six years; the expected wait for new entrants onto the waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29942/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, the attached document, provided to my Department by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), outlines the number of patients waiting over 1, 2, 3 and 4 years on the Tullamore Hospital ENT outpatient waiting list. The health system does not collect the data necessary to calculate average wait times. In particular, the time to treatment of patients who have already received their care is not collected. The NTPF collects data on patients currently on the waiting list and the average time that these patients have been waiting is provided at the link.
It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant work continues to positively impact on waiting times and improve pathways to elective care, acute hospitals have been impacted by operational challenges arising from surges in cases related to the Omicron variants.
The HSE has confirmed to the Department that patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.
The Department of Health continues to work with the HSE and the NTPF to identify ways to improve access to care, including through increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services, providing virtual clinics, and increasing capacity in the public hospital system.
The 2022 Waiting List Action Plan, which was launched on the 25th of February, allocates €350 million to the HSE and NTPF to reduce waiting lists. Under this plan the Department, HSE, and NTPF will deliver urgent additional capacity for the treatment of patients, as well as investing in longer term reforms to bring sustained reductions in waiting lists.
The plan builds on the successes of the short-term 2021 plan that ran from September to December last year. The 2021 plan was developed by the Department of Health, the HSE and the NTPF and was driven and overseen by a senior governance group co-chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Health and the CEO of the HSE and met fortnightly.
This rigorous level of governance and scrutiny of waiting lists has continued into this year with the oversight group evolving into the Waiting Lis Task Force. The Task Force will meet regularly to drive progress of the 2022 plan.
This is the first stage of an ambitious multi-annual waiting list programme, which is currently under development in the Department of Health. Between them, these plans will work to support short, medium, and long term initiatives to reduce waiting times and provide the activity needed in years to come.
Dental Services
Ceisteanna (1678)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:1678. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists who have left the dental treatment services scheme in the past year in County Kildare; the number that are left; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29948/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Dental Services
Ceisteanna (1679)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:1679. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists who have left the dental treatment services scheme in the past year in County Laois; the number that are left; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29949/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disability Services
Ceisteanna (1680)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:1680. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the current waiting list for the children’s disability network teams in County Kildare by waiting time in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29950/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disability Services
Ceisteanna (1681, 1682)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:1681. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the current waiting list for the children’s disability network teams in County Laois broken down by waiting time in tabular form. [29951/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraPatricia Ryan
Ceist:1682. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the number of family forums that have been established under each children’s disability network team in County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29952/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1681 and 1682 together.
As these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Question No. 1682 answered with Question No. 1681.
Disability Services
Ceisteanna (1683)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:1683. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the number of family forums that have been established under each children’s disability network team in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29953/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
General Practitioner Services
Ceisteanna (1684, 1685)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:1684. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the options that are open to medical card holders who are unable to find a general practitioner who is taking on new patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29958/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraPatricia Ryan
Ceist:1685. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the options that are open to non-medical card holders who are unable to find a general practitioner who is taking on new patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29959/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1684 and 1685 together.
Where a GMS patient experiences difficulty in finding a GP to accept them as a patient, the person concerned having unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in the area (or fewer if there are fewer GPs in the area) can apply to the HSE National Medical Card Unit which has the power to assign that person to a GP's GMS patient list.
People who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis and can make enquiries directly to any GP practice they wish to register with. As private contractors, it is a matter for each individual GP to decide whether to accept additional private patients. Where a GP practice has a full list of patients and cannot take on new patients, patients should contact other GP practices in or around the area.
The Government is aware of the workforce issues currently facing general practice and is working to ensure patients across the country continue to have access to GP services and that general practice is sustainable in all areas into the future.
The 2019 Agreement on GP contractual reform and service development will see the Government increase annual investment in general practice by approximately 40% (€210 million) between 2019 and 2023. The Agreement provides for increased support for GPs working in rural practices and for those in disadvantaged urban areas, and for improvements to maternity and paternity leave arrangements. These changes and others make general practice in Ireland a more attractive career choice.
The number of GPs entering training has been increased steadily over the past number of years, rising from 120 in 2009 to 233 in 2021. Responsibility for training has transferred last year from the HSE to the Irish College of General Practitioners and an intake of 258 trainees is planned for this year, with further increases expected for future years.
These measures will see an increase in the number of GPs working in the State, improving access to GP services for patients throughout the country.
Question No. 1685 answered with Question No. 1684.
Dental Services
Ceisteanna (1686, 1687)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:1686. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the options that are open to medical card holders who are unable to find a dentist who is taking on new patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29960/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraPatricia Ryan
Ceist:1687. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the options that are open to non-medical card holders who are unable to find a dentist who is taking on new patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29961/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1686 and 1687 together.
The Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental care free of charge to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Both I and the Government have been concerned for some time that medical card patients in some parts of the country have been experiencing problems in accessing dental services. The problem became particularly acute over the last couple of years as a significant number of contracted dentists chose to opt out of the DTSS.
I secured an additional €10 million in Budget 2022 to provide for expanded dental health care for medical card holders including the reintroduction of Scale and Polish. To address the concerns of contractors about the viability of the Scheme, I am using an estimated €16 million of an underspend in this year’s estimate allocation (€56 million) to award fee increases across a number of items including fillings and restorations. The combination of these two measures represents an estimated total additional investment of €26 million in the Scheme this year over and above what was spent on the Scheme in 2021, €40 million.
Following consultation with the Irish Dental Association, these new measures came into effect on 1st May. These measures are designed to address immediate concerns with the Scheme, pending a more substantive reform of dental services to align with the National Oral Health Policy. The HSE will assist anyone still experiencing problems accessing a service under the Scheme.
People who do not hold a medical card can make enquiries directly to any dental practice they wish to access dental care. As private contractors, it is a matter for each individual dentist to decide whether to accept additional private patients. Where a dental practice cannot take on new patients, patients should contact other dental practices in or around the area.
In accordance with the Dental Council Code of Practice relating to Professional Behaviour and Ethical Conduct, dentists are required to respond to a dental emergency even if the emergency involves patients who do not normally attend their practice. All patients are eligible for high risk emergency dental care in hospitals.
Question No. 1687 answered with Question No. 1686.
Hospital Procedures
Ceisteanna (1688)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:1688. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the reason that a person (details supplied) has had repeated surgeries cancelled; when the person's surgery will be performed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29963/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I fully acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when elective procedures are cancelled, particularly for clinically urgent procedures. While every effort is made to avoid cancellation or postponement of planned procedures, the HSE has advised that planned procedures and operations can be postponed or cancelled for a variety of reasons including capacity issues due to increased scheduled and unscheduled care demand.
Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.
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.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.