Written Answers Nos. 345-362
350. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the number persons who have retired from the National Ambulance Service in each of the past five years; and the number of new persons employed by the National Ambulance Service in each of the past five years, in tabular form. [22609/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
351. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the status of an appointment (details supplied); if a date has been set for assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22610/26]
View answerUnder 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. The Minister for Health is prohibited 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.
352. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the provision of an autologous stem cell transplant centre for Cork University Hospital, Cork. [22616/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
353. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to the barriers currently faced by patients in Ireland living with lipoedema, including the absence of a published national HSE care pathway, limited access to conservative management such as compression therapy and manual lymphatic drainage, and delays or difficulties accessing treatment through the Cross Border Healthcare Directive; the steps her Department and the HSE are taking to address these issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22624/26]
View answer354. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE working group established in 2023 to develop a national care pathway for lipoedema has completed its work; when the pathway is expected to be published; and whether patient advocacy organisations (details supplied) will be included in the development and implementation of this pathway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22625/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 353 and 354 together.
As the matter(s) raised is a service delivery matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
355. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health the steps her Department and the HSE are taking to address issues relating to barriers currently faced by patients in Ireland living with lipoedema, including the absence of a published national HSE care pathway, limited access to conservative management such as compression therapy and manual lymphatic drainage, and delays or difficulties accessing treatment through the Cross Border Healthcare Directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22641/26]
View answer356. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health if the HSE working group established in 2023 to develop a national care pathway for lipoedema has completed its work; when the pathway is expected to be published; whether patient advocacy organisations (details supplied), will participate in the development and implementation of this pathway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22642/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 355 and 356 together.
As the matter(s) raised is a service delivery matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
357. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health if her Department intends to review the operation of private health insurers in relation to coverage for medically indicated liposuction procedures for lipoedema patients, in light of concerns regarding inconsistent decision-making, the use of criteria designed for lymphoedema rather than lipoedema, and practices that may result in patients being forced to rely on the Cross Border Directive for treatment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22643/26]
View answerAs Minister for Health, I am responsible for the legislative framework governing the private health insurance market in Ireland. This is a voluntary market that operates under the core principles of community rating, open enrolment, lifetime cover and minimum benefit.
Under the Health Insurance Act 1994 (Minimum Benefit) Regulations 1996, insurers are required to provide a minimum level of cover to every insured person, regardless of the policy they hold. Private health insurers operate as commercial entities within a competitive market, and where a procedure or service is not designated as a minimum benefit under the Regulations, insurers may determine themselves whether to include it on particular plans.
Beyond the scope of these Regulations, I have no statutory role in the commercial decision-making of private health insurers. Accordingly, I cannot direct any insurer to provide cover for a specific procedure or service, nor direct how that cover is to be provided.
358. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health the plans in place to reduce ophthalmology waiting lists over the next 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22644/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
359. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health the reason ophthalmology waiting lists continue to increase; if there are plans in place to tackle this in the short-term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22645/26]
View answer361. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health her plans to expand access to private ophthalmology facilities for public patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22647/26]
View answer362. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health whether she will consider commissioning a national strategy on eyecare in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22648/26]
View answer363. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the progress of the review of the National Clinical Ophthalmology Programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22649/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 359 and 361 to 363, inclusive, together.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) provides optical services to children referred into the HSE community ophthalmic service from child health service and school health service examinations who are discovered to have sight problems. Following referral, the HSE provides eye examinations and glasses, if necessary, to children up to the age of 12, irrespective of medical card eligibility. Children aged 12-16 who have a medical card or are the dependent of a medical card holder can also receive eye examinations and glasses, as needed.
Under the Community Ophthalmic Services Scheme (COSS), medical card holders aged over 12 years can be seen by local ophthalmologists, community ophthalmic physicians, optometrists or dispensing opticians. Eligible patients can receive an eye examination and be provided with prescribed optical appliances in accordance with a national schedule of approved optical appliances.
The HSE’s 2017 Primary Care Eye Services Review Group Report estimated that 60% of existing outpatient activity could be moved to primary care thus enabling hospital services to focus on patients who require more specialist diagnostics or treatments.
The 2017 National Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology developed a model of care detailing how the realignment of eye services from an acute hospital setting to the community would be undertaken.
The HSE has been developing multidisciplinary Integrated Eye Care Teams in accordance with this model of care. These teams facilitate assessment, diagnoses, management and treatment, and, in some cases, pre-op/post-op care, enabling most patients to be seen in their own locality. Where necessary, patients can be referred onwards to acute Ophthalmology services to receive the necessary specialist input.
The HSE advise that community ophthalmic waiting lists have been reduced in each area in which these teams have been introduced. Work is underway to establish further teams and to expand those teams that exist. The demand for ophthalmic services is increasing due to demographic changes.
The Programme for Government: Securing Ireland’s Future contains a commitment to review the National Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology to ensure more eye services are provided in the community. Engagement with relevant stakeholders regarding this is ongoing.
Transferring the routine care of children aged 8+ years to the care of local private optometrists remains a priority. Of course, any publicly funded service expansion should address unmet public healthcare needs, improve access to existing public health services, and provide better value for money.
360. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health the projected investment in ophthalmology infrastructure within the public healthcare system over the next five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22646/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
