Written Answers Nos. 405-424
405. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health if saxenda will be approved for persons with a medical card or under the drugs payment scheme for the purposes of GP-supported weight loss; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5809/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drug schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
HSE decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds, on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE). The Minister for Health has no role in these decisions.
The HSE considers the NCPE assessment, the outputs from commercial engagements, patient interest group submissions, and any other pertinent information in advance of making a reimbursement decision.
The HSE has approved reimbursement for Liraglutide (Saxenda®) 6 mg/ml solution for injection in pre-filled pen under the community drug schemes from 1st January 2023.
This product is approved for reimbursement on the basis of managed access. Reimbursement under the community drug schemes is for adults prescribed Liraglutide (Saxenda®) 6 mg/ml solution for injection in pre-filled pen as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for weight management, with an initial body mass index of 35 kg/m2 with prediabetes and high-risk of cardiovascular disease.
The relevant HSE circular (002/23) can be accessed at:
www.hse.ie/eng/staff/pcrs/circulars/pharmacy/pharmacy-circular-002-23-saxenda.pdf.
406. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health , further to Parliamentary Question No. 301 of 27 October 2022, received on 23 January 2023, the names of the persons and the companies involved in carrying out these reports; the moneys paid to each; the title of each report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5810/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have referred this to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
407. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health the reason that a child (details supplied) in County Mayo who was referred for an occupational therapy appointment in 2021 has been advised by the HSE that it will be January 2025 before the child will be seen; if this child can be called for an occupational therapy appointment before January 2025 in view of the very negative impact that this delay will cause; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5814/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this PQ refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
408. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if a medical card application can be reopened for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal who has cancer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5818/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
409. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Health if his attention and-or that of his Department and the HSE has been drawn to incidences where women requested abortion-pill reversal treatments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5820/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy’s question relates to a service area, I have referred this question to the HSE for direct response.
410. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time staff, by job title, who will be required to work in the new National Cervical Screening Laboratory, in tabular form. [5837/23]
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.
411. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent, WTE, consultant neurologists based in Beaumont Hospital in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [5838/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
412. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE respiratory medicine consultants at St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [5845/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
413. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time general practitioners who are employed in primary care centres within community healthcare organisation or CHO5, in tabular form. [5846/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
414. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health for the full attendance record when mid-west Oireachtas members met the HSE and the Taoiseach on 11 January 2023. [5859/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAttendees of this meeting are as follows.
Chair: Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly
Attendees:
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar
Malachy Corcoran (DoH)
Conor Reidy (DoH)
Susan Mitchell (Policy Adviser – DoH)
Paraic Gallagher (Special Adviser – DoH)
Clare Mungovan (Special Adviser – Dept. of Taoiseach)
Martina O’Shaughnessy (Dept of Taoiseach)
HSE/ULHG:
Dr. Mike O’Connor
Mary Day
Ray Mitchell
Colette Cowan
Noreen Spillane
Prof. Brian Lenehan
Elaine Connolly
Declan McNamara
Suzanne Dunne
Maria Bridgeman
Mike Dwane
Aideen O’Callaghan
Aisling Ryan
Margaret Costello
Mike Aherne
Elected Oireachtas Members:
Garret Ahearn
Martin Browne
Maria Byrne
Jackie Cahill
Joe Carey
Niall Collins
Martin Conway
Cathal Crowe
Timmy Dooley
Paul Gavan
Roisin Garvey
Alan Kelly
Brian Leddin,
Mattie McGrath
Michael McNamara
Willie O’Dea
Kieran O’Donnell
Richard O’Donoghue
Patrick O’Donovan
Maurice Quinlivan
Violet-Anne Wynne
James Mulhall
415. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of patients with an address in the North of Ireland who have used hospital services in each of the past five years. [5865/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
416. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the amount of children waiting for braces after a public orthodontist recommended them for braces under the PRSI system; the average waiting time, per CHO area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5868/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
417. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health if he, the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, his Department or the HSE asked the Mental Health Commission to delay the publishing of its interim report into the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS; if so, the reason for doing so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5870/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Mental Health Commission, in notifying me and the Department of its intention to publish the Interim Report, provided 10 working days to consider the report. This is the normal advance notification accorded to the Department for any of the Commission’s reports. As this period of time would have resulted in publication of the report on a Friday, the Department requested that the report be held to the following Monday, to ensure that patients and their families had access to the helpline set up by the HSE, and that they would be able to contact their GPs or relevant CAMHS teams should they have any concerns. This slight delay was therefore taken in the best interest of service users and their families, and with the full support of the Commission and the HSE.
As I have indicated on several occasions recently, I supported the Commission in carrying out their annual thematic report into CAMHS, including the offer of any additional resources required for this. I welcome the Mental Health Commission’s Interim Report, and I especially welcome the focus around service quality and patient safety. I await both the Commission’s Final Report on CAMHS and the completion of the audits now underway by the HSE arising from the Maskey report. Together, these reports will provide robust information to support the improvement of crucial services for children and adolescents across the country experiencing mental health difficulties. The HSE has confirmed to the Department of Health that the issues raised in the Mental Health Commission’s Interim Report are being proactively acted on at national level, to mitigate against risk throughout the system as a whole, and beyond the CHOs reviewed to date.
418. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the advice for persons resident in County Monaghan who have been informed by all GP practices in their locality that there are no spaces for new registrations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5877/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhere 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 the surrounding areas.
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.
Under the 2019 GP Agreement additional annual expenditure provided for general practice has been increased now by €211.6m. This provides for significant increases in capitation fees for participating GMS GPs, and new fees and subsidies for additional services. Improvements to GP’s maternity and paternity leave arrangements, increased rural practice supports and a support for GPs in disadvantaged urban areas, have also been provided for.
The number of doctors entering GP training has increased approximately ten percent year on year from 2019, rising from 193 in 2019 to 258 in 2022. Following the transfer of responsibility for GP training from the HSE to the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP), the ICGP aims to have 350 training places available for new entrants per year by 2026.
Furthermore, preparatory work has commenced on a strategic review of GP services to examine how best to ensure the provision of GP services in Ireland for the future. The review will examine the broad range of issues affecting general practice in general and in rural areas specifically, and will set out the measures necessary to deliver a better general practice.
These measures will make general practice in Ireland a more attractive career choice and will see an increase in the number of GPs working in the State, improving access to GP services for patients throughout the country.
419. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the situation of oversight in some private nursing homes, whereby patients are charged automatically for activities in which, due to incapacity, they cannot meaningfully partake; if a system is in place for these charges to be refunded to the patients and-or families; if an audit can be undertaken of the charging of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5878/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS), commonly referred to as Fair Deal, is a system of financial support for people who require long-term residential care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their means while the State pays the balance of the cost.
The NHSS covers the cost of the standard components of long-term residential care which are:
- Nursing and personal care appropriate to the level of care needs of the person;
- Bed and board;
- Basic aids and appliances necessary to assist a person with the activities of daily living; and
- Laundry service.
Data from HSE indicates that, on average, NHSS residents cover around 30% of their cost of care, with the state covering the remaining 70%. This proportion is based on the assessment of residents' assets and income, rather than on the cost of providing their care, and has remained stable over recent years.
Costs not covered by the NHSS include those individually incurred for items like social activities, newspapers and hairdressing. This may also include medical services such as therapies and some medical equipment. A person's eligibility for other schemes, such as the medical card scheme or the drugs payment scheme, is unaffected by participation in the NHSS or residence in a nursing home. In determining the services covered by the NHSS it was considered very important that the care recipient and the taxpayer would be protected and would not end up paying for the same services twice. For this reason, medications and aids that are already prescribed for individuals under an existing scheme are not included in the services covered by the NHSS, as this would involve effectively paying twice for the same service.
It is important to state that residents of nursing homes should enjoy the same levels of support and access to services as when they lived in their own homes. It is acknowledged that the reason they require 24 hour levels of support is due to their level of dependency, which in turn may require access to clinical services including hospital and other outpatient appointments in the community.
Although the NHSS covers core living expenses, residents can still incur some costs in a nursing home, as set out above. In recognition of this, anyone in receipt of financial support under the NHSS retains at least 20% of their income. The minimum amount that is retained is the equivalent of 20% of the State Pension (Non-Contributory).
The Department of Health does not currently hold data relating regarding to additional charges in private nursing homes; these vary according to each individual nursing home depending on the services offered.
Nevertheless, the Department of Health is currently reviewing the available evidence and considering various policy options with relation to additional nursing home charges. Nursing homes should not levy additional charges on residents for services coming within scope of the Nursing Home Support Scheme.
Part 7 of the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 stipulates that the registered provider of the nursing home must agree a contract in writing with each resident on their admission to the nursing home. This contract must include details of the services to be provided to that resident and the fees to be charged. Residents should never be charged fees which are not set out in the contract. The Department of Health and the HSE are not a party to such contracts which are concluded between each resident and their nursing home.
Registered providers of nursing home care are obliged to provide an accessible and effective complaints procedure. Concerns about additional charges should in the first instance be taken up with the nursing home provider. Where an individual is not satisfied with the response they receive, they may wish to take their complaint further by seeking a review from the Office of the Ombudsman.
The Office of the Ombudsman can examine complaints about the actions of a range of public bodies and, from 24 August 2015, complaints relating to the administrative actions of private nursing homes. The Office of the Ombudsman normally only deals with a complaint once the individual has already gone through the complaint’s procedure of the private nursing home concerned.
The Ombudsman can be contacted as follows:
Office of the Ombudsman
6 Earlsfort Terrace
Dublin 2
D02 W773
Tel. (01) 639 5600 / Lo-call (1890) 22 30 30
e-mail at ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie
An individual can also use the following website to make a complaint to office of the Ombudsman at the ‘Make A Complaint’ portal on www.ombudsman.ie.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is an independent statutory body with a dual mandate to enforce competition and consumer protection law in Ireland. CCPC’s mission is to promote competition and enhance consumer welfare. The CCPC has published consumer protection guidelines for contracts of care in long-term residential care services for older people. The guidelines set out the obligations and responsibilities that providers must adhere to under consumer protection law and are aimed at providing greater transparency, clarity and certainty for consumers.
420. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the number of children and adolescents currently on the waiting list for CAMHS treatment in counties Kerry and Cork; the wait time to be seen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5880/23]
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.
421. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the number of children and adolescents who are on a waiting list to be seen by CAMHS, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5881/23]
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.
422. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the number of children with Kerry addresses who are on waiting lists for speech and language services in counties Kerry, Cork and Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5882/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
423. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the length of time persons are on the waiting list for home help services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5883/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
424. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the number of people who have been approved for home help services but are still waiting to be allocated the service. [5884/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
