Written Answers Nos. 567-585
567. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of public patients that were seen by each of the consultants on public contracts in St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin, in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17321/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
568. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that accurate figures for those patients in the accident and emergency unit of St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin, waiting to be allocated a bed, were not provided over recent months due to the practice of excluding from the numbers patients who may potentially be allocated a bed later in the day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17322/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe measurement of the numbers waiting in ED and associated wait time is part of the HSE's performance metrics for hospitals to ensure that patients are admitted to beds within a timely period, once a clinical decision to admit has been made. The performance metrics are also important in measuring evidence of overcrowding so that appropriate escalation measures are invoked. For this reason, the HSE requirement is to include all patients where a decision to admit has been made, even where a bed has been allocated. The Deputy is advised that all hospitals have been appraised of this requirement and the HSE will issue a further communication to ensure consistent compliance with the measurement requirement. Furthermore, the Special Delivery Unit will continue to routinely audit compliance across all sites.
569. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he envisages that a new long-term nursing home centre will be built for the town of Athlone, County Westmeath. [17323/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has completed a prioritisation exercise for its CNU programme in relation to accommodation to be upgraded / refurbished and new build. There will always be more projects than can be funded by the Exchequer. As with all capital projects, further development of the CNU programme must be considered within the context of the overall capital envelope available to the health service. There is limited funding available for new projects over the period 2014-2018 given the level of commitments and the costs to completion already in place.
570. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the variation of price for a patient to be cared for in a nursing home run by the Health Service Executive and for a patient being cared for by a private facility. [17324/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, prices charged by private nursing homes are agreed between the private nursing home and the National Treatment Purchase Fund. The NTPF has statutory independence in the performance of this function and, in carrying it out, it must ensure value for money for both the individual and the State. These agreed prices are the basis for the financial support payable by the HSE under the scheme. The list of approved private nursing homes and the cost of care for each of these homes is available on the HSE website at http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/olderpeople/nhss/CostofCarePrivateandVoluntaryNursingHomes.pdf. The setting of prices in relation to public nursing homes is a matter for the HSE. Accordingly, the Deputy's question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
571. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the number of home help hours that were allocated for County Westmeath in 2012 and in 2013; and if he will guarantee that there will be no further reduction in hours allocated. [17325/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
572. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Health when he will reinstate the motorised transport grant; if he will be allocating a budget for the same grant; if he will look into the situation of a person (detail supplied) in County Leitrim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17339/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn light of the reports of the Ombudsman regarding the legal status of the Motorised Transport Grant in the context of the Equal Status Acts, the Government decided to close the grant last year. The position therefore, is that the Motorised Transport Grant remains closed. The Government's has decided that the detailed preparatory work required for a new travel support payment and associated statutory provisions should be progressed by the Minister for Health. Work in this regard is under way at present.
573. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17341/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraShould a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved. In relation to the specific hospital appointment query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
574. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health the total legal costs incurred by his Department in 2011, 2012, 2013 and estimated in 2014. [17358/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy for 2011,2012 and 2013 is set out in the table below. It is not possible to estimate legal costs that might be incurred in 2014.
|
Year |
Legal Costs |
|
2011 |
€351,569 |
|
2012 |
€165,915 |
|
2013 |
€113,370 |
575. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health the total external public relations costs incurred by his Department in 2011, 2012, 2013 and estimated in 2014. [17374/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Press and Communications Office of my Department liaise with the media on behalf of the Department as well as all Ministers and do not use the services of a PR company. My Department has not incurred any PR costs since March 2011 to date. It is not possible to estimate PR costs for the rest of 2014 at this stage.
576. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for Health the reason a medical card has been put on hold in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17384/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members.
577. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the necessary resources to a school (details supplied) in County Kerry as this facility caters for more than 60 pupils who are assessed as moderate to profound categories and urgently require the reinstatement of speech therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, as all these vital services for these children have been removed within the past six months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17390/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has recognised the need to increase the level of consistency and standardisation in the way services for children with disabilities are delivered. It is currently engaged in a reconfiguration of existing therapy resources to multi-disciplinary geographic based teams for children as part of its National Programme on Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People (0-18 years). The aim of the Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People Programme is to achieve a national, unified approach to delivering disability health services so that there is a clear pathway to services for all children, regardless of where they live, what school they go to or the nature of their disability. The Programme is organised at national, regional and local level and includes representatives from the health and education sectors, non-statutory service providers and parents. An additional €4 million has been specifically allocated in 2014 to drive implementation of the Programme. This equates to approximately 80 therapy posts. My Department has asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy in respect of the specific local operational issue that he has raised.
578. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Health if a lease regarding the Health Service Executive west (details supplied) was renewed upon its expiry in June 2013; if the terms of the lease were renegotiated regarding rent and service arrangements; if he will outline those details; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17396/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraManagement of the healthcare property estate is a service matter. Therefore your question has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
579. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the necessary funding and resources in 2014 for the Coolgrane training centre and Cherryfield facility in Killarney, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17397/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
580. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if a medical card renewal form can be sent to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17412/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members.
581. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the public health (standardised packaging of tobacco) Bill (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17445/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, I received Government approval on 19 November 2013 to proceed with drafting the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2013. Standardised packaging, also known as plain or generic packaging, means that all forms of branding – trademarks, logos, colours and graphics – would be removed from retail tobacco packaging, except for the brand and variant names, which would be presented in a uniform typeface for all brands on the market. All packs would be in a plain neutral colour, except for the mandatory health warnings and the tax stamp. As the Deputy has mentioned, the General Scheme of the Bill was referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children after its publication in December 2013. The Committee was requested to review the Scheme and report to me on its findings. The Committee issued a call for submissions on the Scheme and held a series of public hearings on the matter which concluded on 13 February 2014. Following its deliberations, the Committee published its report on the 3 April 2014. The Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill has been scheduled for inclusion on the legislative programme for Spring/Summer 2014. I can confirm that a transitional period will be provided for in the legislation, for administrative matters and to permit the manufacture of compliant products. The specific transitional timeframes will be determined during the final drafting process.
582. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the transportation of the new EU tobacco products directive into Irish law (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17446/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe new Tobacco Products Directive has been approved and signed by both the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. The new Directive will not come into force until it has been published in the Official Journal of the EU for a specified period. Once in force Member States have two years in which to transpose the provisions of the Directive into their domestic legislation. It is a matter for each Member State to determine how and when the Directive is transposed during that two year period. In relation to the introduction of standardised packaging the revised Directive does not go so far as to introduce standardised packaging on an EU-wide basis, however, it expressly allows Member States to introduce further requirements in relation to standardised packaging.
583. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health the reason a 16 year old Down's syndrome patient (details supplied) with severe Hallux Valgus deformity of their feet, who was recently transferred from Crumlin Hospital to Tallaght Hospital on age grounds was sent to the Beacon Clinic in January 2014 for outsourced treatment has now been told that, despite the seriousness of their condition, the surgery cannot be performed as the outsourcing of long-term patients has been discontinued; and the reason they are back on the waiting list for an appointment to be assessed again, having been assessed already; and when this assessment will take place. [17453/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular patient query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service executive to respond to him directly.
584. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 22, who is mentally and physically disabled and suffers from scoliosis, spina bifida and epilepsy and is totally dependent on their elderly parents for full-time care has not been granted a stair lift, a shower room, an in-transit wheelchair and a body suite by the Health Service Executive; and if he will intervene in this case to ensure the person in question receives the level of care and support from the HSE that is commensurate with their medical and physical needs. [17454/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
585. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the medical and social factors that present on applications for medical cards that are considered when deciding whether to approve a medical card on grounds of undue hardship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17493/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe medical card system is founded on the undue hardship test and the Health Act 1970 provides for medical cards on the basis of means. Eligibility for a medical card is assessed first and, if unsuccessful, there is an automatic assessment for a GP visit card. If an application is assessed to be ineligible on the basis of means for a medical card/GP visit card and the application also includes other medical, social or financial details that do not form part of the means assessment, the application will then be considered on discretionary grounds. This provides for consideration for a grant of a card under the "undue hardship" (medical card) and "unduly burdensome" (GP visit card) provisions of the medical card scheme of assessment. Undue hardship can only be ascertained through an assessment of financial means, with the extra discretionary effect where somebody's condition or illness is affecting their financial situation. The HSE's National Assessment Guidelines provide guidance to a decision maker as to the relevant factors to have regard to, in making an assessment as to whether the undue hardship/undue burden provisions apply to the circumstances presented on an application. In particular, the guidelines state that the ‘exercise of discretion by the HSE, in favour of the applicant, should be considered where meeting the costs of services covered by a medical card or a GP visit card compromises the applicant's or his/her family's ability to meet the essential costs associated with: maintenance of employment; provision of reasonable housing; provision of appropriate nurturing and care for children or dependants; provision of adequate heating, nutrition and clothing, or coping with exceptional personal and financial burdens arising from medical or social circumstances.
In conducting this assessment, the Guidelines state that the following issues be taken account of on an application: illness or medical circumstances which results in financial hardship; the cost of providing general medical and surgical services; the cost associated with the provision of medical, nursing and dental treatment; the cost of physiotherapy and speech and language therapy; transport cost to hospitals and clinics; addictions such as drink, drugs and gambling; poor money management; social deprivation, including poor home management and the cost of medical aids and appliances. The HSE will give equal consideration to each of the above factors that present on an application in deciding whether to approve that application for grant of a medical card on grounds of undue hardship/undue burden. The decision maker may make appropriate inquires or seek advice from other sources to assist with coming to a decision on undue hardship/undue burden and these sources may include the Applicant's Doctor(s); the HSE's Medical Officers; the Public Health Nurse; the Community Welfare Officer; Social Worker; Therapy Services and/or the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS).
