Duncan Smith
Question:490. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE HSE home help carers in County Wicklow, in tabular form. [27172/24]
View answerHealth Services Staff
Questions (490)
Written answers
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Staff
Questions (491)
Duncan Smith
Question:491. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of student midwives offered positions at the maternity unit at University Hospital Waterford in 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [27173/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Staff
Questions (492)
Duncan Smith
Question:492. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeons based in St. James's Hospital in 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if this number will be further increased. [27174/24]
View answerWritten answers
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
Questions (493)
Duncan Smith
Question:493. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE physiotherapists working in Clare primary care services in 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [27175/24]
View answerWritten answers
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
Questions (494)
Duncan Smith
Question:494. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the amount spent by Monaghan Hospital on private medical and other healthcare services for public patients in 2023 and to date in 2024. [27176/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Staff
Questions (495)
Duncan Smith
Question:495. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE theatre nurses based in St. Vincent's University Hospital in 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [27177/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Equipment
Questions (496)
Duncan Smith
Question:496. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation devices currently available in Galway University Hospital. [27178/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Staff
Questions (497)
Duncan Smith
Question:497. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE emergency medicine registrars based at the minor injuries unit at Mallow General Hospital in 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if this number will be further increased. [27179/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Staff
Questions (498)
Duncan Smith
Question:498. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultants in anaesthesiology based in Tipperary University Hospital in the years of 2022,2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [27180/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Staff
Questions (499)
Duncan Smith
Question:499. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant obstetricians based at Letterkenny University Hospital in 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [27181/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Staff
Questions (500)
Duncan Smith
Question:500. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE clinical specialist physiotherapists in developmental dysplasia of the hip at the Mater Hospital in 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [27183/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Services
Questions (501)
Duncan Smith
Question:501. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of births that occurred in the maternity unit of Portiuncula University Hospital in 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [27184/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Mental Health Services
Questions (502, 503)
Neasa Hourigan
Question:502. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the total number of patients accessing independent and privately run mental health centres, in each of the years 2021 to 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [27185/24]
View answerNeasa Hourigan
Question:503. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the total number of patients accessing independent and privately run mental health services outside the State, in each of the years 2021 to 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [27186/24]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 502 and 503 together.
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. 503 answered with Question No. 502.
Health Services
Questions (504)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:504. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if his Department intends to continue funding an organisation (details supplied) to ensure it can continue to provide support to women and families who were failed by the screening service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27205/24]
View answer
Reply not received from Department.
Healthcare Policy
Questions (505)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:505. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the timeline for the implementation of the patient voice partner policy to ensure that patient advocates are supported in the work that they do. [27206/24]
View answerWritten answers
The Department of Health has been working on a policy for the selection and remuneration of a certain cohort of patient representatives. The Department recognises and values the vital role that patients play in the development of health policy and the reform of health services.
Throughout the health service, patient representatives make a significant contribution on an ongoing basis to the work of the Department of Health, the HSE and health agencies. These representatives are patients/service users who are willing to share their experiences and perspectives of the health service to inform the development and reform of health policy and services.
The purpose of developing a Patient Voice Partner Policy is to ensure that patient participation is embedded in health policy and service development and to ensure that Patient Voice Partners are recognised and valued for their contribution through renumeration. The policy will set out guidance for organisations on the recruitment and selection of and the rates of remuneration for certain categories of patient representatives which are defined in the policy.
Final work on the PVP policy is underway, and the Minister for Health hopes that it will be published shortly.
General Practitioner Services
Questions (506)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:506. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to issues relating to a lack of clear pathways for referral, or complications with referrals, between GPs and menopause hubs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27207/24]
View answerWritten answers
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
Questions (507)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:507. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the average wait time for colposcopy examinations in each of the past five years and, separately, in each of the past 24 months, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27208/24]
View answerWritten answers
It is acknowledged that many patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments.
As part of the multi-annual approach to reducing waiting lists, and just as importantly the length of time that patients are waiting, I published the 2024 Waiting List Action Plan on 27th March. Total funding of €360 million has been provided for the plan this year which sets out 19 Actions across three themes: Delivering Capacity, Reforming Scheduled Care and Enabling Scheduled Care Reform.
The Waiting List Action Plan, multi-annual approach, initiated in 2021, encompasses a two-pronged approach of short-term actions to increase capacity and activity in the short to immediate term, and longer-term reform measures to sustainably reduce and reform hospital waiting lists and waiting times.
The 2024 Plan builds on the work of previous plans which have achieved significant progress in overall waiting list reduction and in addressing long waiting times, against a backdrop of significantly increased demand for scheduled care services. This year’s plan aims to achieve a reduction in the overall number of patients on waiting lists while three of the four overarching targets in the Plan are specifically focused on improving waiting times.
With regard to the information requested by the Deputy, the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) has provided my Department with the attached information. The NTPF has advised that the health system does not collect the data necessary to calculate true 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 on the waiting list at a particular time, and the average time that these patients were waiting is provided here.
Dental Services
Questions (508)
Matt Carthy
Question:508. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on progress to provide a plan to a child (details supplied) that will allow for the urgent completion of their orthodontal treatment in the orthodontal clinic at Louth County Hospital, following the resignation of their orthodontist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27209/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
Dental Services
Questions (509)
Matt Carthy
Question:509. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 22 of 13 June 2024, the number of orthodontist vacancies that are currently unfilled at Louth County Council; when such posts were advertised; the number of applicants received to date; when it is expected that these vacancies will be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27210/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
Dental Services
Questions (510)
Matt Carthy
Question:510. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 22 of 13 June 2024, if a child (details supplied) has been offered a temporary agency orthodontist that will allow for the urgent completion of their orthodontal treatment in the orthodontal clinic at Louth County Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27211/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
Dental Services
Questions (511)
Matt Carthy
Question:511. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 22 of 13 June 2024, the number of children who received treatment from a temporary agency orthodontist in Louth County Hospital for each month since January 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27212/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
Freedom of Information
Questions (512)
Fergus O'Dowd
Question:512. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the number of contracted staff, full-time and part-time, employed by his Department, and by any body or entity under the aegis of the Department, who are specifically assigned to processing freedom of information requests (details supplied), in each of the past three years; the Civil Service grade of each; the number of freedom of information requests dealt with by his Department, or any body or entity under its aegis, in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27235/24]
View answer
Reply not received from Department.
Pension Provisions
Questions (513)
Darren O'Rourke
Question:513. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of a significant delay for persons who have retired from employment from section 38 voluntary organisations and voluntary hospitals to receive their pensions; the steps being taken to resolve this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27243/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is an administrative matter for the Health Service Executive, the HSE has been asked to respond directly to the Deputy.