Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023

Written Answers Nos. 679-699

Medical Cards

Ceisteanna (679)

Chris Andrews

Ceist:

679. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Health if a medication can be made available to a person (details supplied) under the medical card. [8760/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the community drug schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.

Reimbursement for medicines under the community drugs schemes is for licensed indications which have been granted market authorisation by the European Medicines Agency or the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).

The following pain relief patches are currently available on the Reimbursement list:

- Durogesic DTrans Transdermal patches

- Fental Matrix Transdermal patches

- Matrifen Transdermal patches

- Fentadur Transdermal patches

- Butrans Transdermal patches

- Versatis plasters (subject to a managed access system, indicated for post-herpetic neuralgia)

Patients prescribed Versatis plasters are reviewed by the Medicines Management Programme (MMP) for reimbursement approval, on foot of an application by the patient’s clinician, through the HSE online system.

In exceptional circumstances, Versatis plasters may be approved for supply for unlicensed uses. If an application is refused, the clinician may make an appeal to the MMP by email, making a clear clinical case for the patient.

This process ensures that post-shingles patients, and other patients as clinically appropriate, can continue to have this specific treatment.

Question No. 680 answered with Question No. 633.

Disability Services

Ceisteanna (681)

Denise Mitchell

Ceist:

681. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the maximum capacity of residential beds for people with intellectual disabilities in Dublin; and the number of those bed currently occupied broken down by CHO, in tabular form. [8774/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As the question relates to a service matter, I am forwarding the PQ to the HSE for a direct reply to the Deputy.

Disability Services

Ceisteanna (682)

Denise Mitchell

Ceist:

682. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the number of respite hours available to adults with intellectual disabilities in Dublin; if there are any plans to increase the number of respite hours available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8775/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Health Services Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (683)

Robert Troy

Ceist:

683. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) has been referred to the public waiting list for a cataract procedure. [8776/23]

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.

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.

Dental Services

Ceisteanna (684)

Michael Ring

Ceist:

684. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health if a general anaesthetic could be provided to a person (details supplied) who needs dental work carried out in a hospital setting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8780/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Health Services

Ceisteanna (686, 687, 688)

Pádraig O'Sullivan

Ceist:

686. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) in relation to the fact that two adults must go into residential care due to the lack of services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8800/23]

Pádraig O'Sullivan

Ceist:

687. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he and his Department will engage with service providers regarding a case (details supplied) where the parents have not been receiving adequate respite or home supports for quite some time; if it is a funding issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8801/23]

Pádraig O'Sullivan

Ceist:

688. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if further assistance will be given to a family (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8802/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 686, 687 and 688 together.

As these questions refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Question No. 687 answered with Question No. 686.

Question No. 688 answered with Question No. 686.

Health Services

Ceisteanna (689)

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

689. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason a child (details supplied) in County Donegal is no longer receiving speech and language therapy; when their speech and language therapy sessions will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8803/23]

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 to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Health Services Staff

Ceisteanna (690)

Jim O'Callaghan

Ceist:

690. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in implementing agreed pay rises for current and retired healthcare workers; the number of healthcare workers this affects; when he expects these delays to be overcome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8807/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Vaccination Programme

Ceisteanna (691)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

691. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the latest HPV vaccine uptake rates for the 2021-2022 school year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8808/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) is part of the Health Service Executive and is Ireland's specialist agency for the surveillance of communicable diseases. It also provides independent advice and timely information on the control and prevention of infectious diseases as well as carrying out disease surveillance, epidemiological investigation and related research and training.

The HPSC advise of HPV uptake rates at Stage 1 and Stage 2 as follows:

Academic Year	HPV At least Stage 1	HPV At least Stage 2
2021/22	78.4%	69.4%

The HPV uptake rate for other years can be found at:https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/vaccinepreventable/vaccination/immunisationuptakestatistics/hpvtdapmencmenacwyuptakestatistics/.

Cancer Services

Ceisteanna (692)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

692. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the number of young persons aged 0-24 years of age who have travelled outside of the Republic of Ireland for specialised cancer treatment not available in Ireland in 2022 via the HSE treatment abroad scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8809/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Cancer Services

Ceisteanna (693)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

693. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the number of medical card applications under MC1(b) for any child under 18 years with a diagnosis of cancer within the past five years from 2019 to date; when the terms of this medical card lapse: the supports that are in place to cover the costs of medical treatment for adult survivors of childhood cancer, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8810/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Bereavement Counselling

Ceisteanna (694)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

694. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the funding that is dedicated to providing bereavement support to families who have lost a child to an illness; if services are provided in an equitable manner across Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8811/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

My Department provided one off funding in December 2021 of 100,000 euro to support two agencies - Anam Cara and First Light - both of whom provide bereavement services. It is expected that similar levels of recurrent funding will be provided through the HSE National Service Plan 2023.

Anam Cara is a charity founded by bereaved parents to ensure all bereaved families have access to information and support. They provide a wide range of bereavement support services and peer support which are available to all parents regardless of the age or circumstances of their child’s death. These include monthly group meetings, online support groups and family remembrance events.

First Light's mission is to support delivery of appropriate therapeutic services to suddenly bereaved parents and family members in Ireland. A key focus of First Light is the provision of professional counselling for bereaved families.

In addition to the above, the Irish Hospice Foundation in partnership with the HSE provide a Bereavement Support line which is available to the general public. It provides a confidential safe space for individuals who have lost a loved one, friend or colleague, to talk about their loss and grief.

Responsibility for bereavement counselling and associated services lies across a variety of services areas. The HSE National Counselling Service (NCS) is an essential part of HSE mental health provision and provides a professional, confidential, counselling and psychotherapy service. The service is available in all HSE Community Health areas and operates from over 240 locations throughout Ireland

Bereavement counselling services are provided by the NCS, through Counselling in Primary Care (CIPC) in line with the Adult Bereavement Care Pyramid, developed by the Irish Hospice Foundation. The Adult Bereavement Care Pyramid is a framework to guide those working with and supporting bereaved people across the country, and was developed through a national collaborative process, managed by the IHF and supported by the HSE.

The Adult Bereavement Care Pyramid highlights that all people who experience a bereavement have some level of need, with levels of support increasing from Level 1 (compassion) to Level 4 (intensive support). For those requiring Level 3 and 4 supports, bereavement counselling can provide the most appropriate service. The NCS provides Bereavement Counselling through CIPC at Levels 3 and 4.

The HSE National Counselling Service provides Bereavement Counselling through its Counselling in Primary Care Service at level 3 and 4 in line with the Adult Bereavement Care

In the area of palliative care, 440 families on average receive bereavement care each month.

I trust this clarifies the matter.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (695)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

695. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently on a waiting list for a mastectomy in each of the years 2018 to 2022, by each waiting time period, in each hospital, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8812/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Hospital Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (696)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

696. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently on a waiting list for breast reconstruction surgery in each of the years 2018 to 2022, by each waiting time period, in each hospital, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8813/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Hospital Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (697, 698)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

697. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently on a waiting list for an oophorectomy in each of the years 2018 to 2022 by each waiting time period, in each hospital, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8814/23]

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

698. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting on genetic testing in each of the years 2018 to 2022, by each waiting time period, in each hospital, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8815/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 697 and 698 together.

It is recognised that waiting times for many scheduled appointments and procedures were too long before and have been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant work continues to positively impact on waiting times and improve pathways to elective care, acute hospitals are still impacted by operational challenges arising from the pandemic and the current pressures on Emergency Departments. The Health Service Executive (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 National Treatment Purchase Fund (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 set targets to reduce both the number of people waiting for care and the length of time they are waiting. Positive progress was made in 2022 in relation to both targets, despite negative impacts throughout the year on scheduled care from continued COVID-19 surges, emergency department pressures and other operational factors, including staff hiring. In 2022, there were c.1.56m patients removed from the Waiting list and c.1.53m patients added to the waiting list – a net reduction of c.30k (4%). Long waiters were significantly reduced in 2022: the number of patients exceeding the 18-month maximum wait time target for new outpatient (OPD) appointments target decreased by c.59.0k (38.5%) and the number of patients exceeding the 12-month maximum wait time target for in-patient day case (IPDC) procedures and GI Scopes has decreased by c3.8k (22.6%) and c.3.5k (86.5%) respectively. Through the 2022 Plan, €350m funding was allocated to the HSE and the NTPF to provide additional public and private activity to reduce the waiting list backlogs that were exacerbated during the Pandemic, but also as the first stage of an ambitious multi annual approach, to lay the foundations for important reforms that will deliver sustained reductions in waiting lists. For 2023, funding of €443 million is being allocated to tackle Waiting Lists, some €360m of which is targeted at acute hospital waiting lists. The plan to utilise this part of the funding is being developed by the Department of Health in conjunction with the HSE and NTPF. This will include details of new capacity planned for 2023 as well as important reforms that will improve capacity in the public hospital system.

In regard to the information requested by the Deputy concerning Genetic Testing, the NTPF have provided the document attached which outlines the outpatient waiting list in the requested years. The NTPF has advised that IPDC numbers for Genetic Testing are too small to report. In regard to the information requested concerning oophorectomy, the NTPF have also provided the waiting list for this procedure by hospital. This document is also attached.

https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/debates/questions/supportingDocumentation/2023-02-21_pq697-21-02-23_en.xlsx

https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/debates/questions/supportingDocumentation/2023-02-21_pq697b-21-02-23_en.xlsx

Question No. 698 answered with Question No. 697.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (699)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

699. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who have previously been diagnosed with breast cancer who are currently recommended to undergo regular follow-up mammograms; the number currently waiting for a follow-up mammogram appointment, by each waiting time period, in each of the designated centres, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8816/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.