Michael Healy-Rae
Question:430. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when rehabilitation will be offered to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31839/23]
View answerHospital Services
Questions (430)
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.
Departmental Funding
Questions (431)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:431. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate the budget allocated to each hospital in the Dublin Midland Hospital Group in each of the years 2019 to 2023, in tabular form. [31848/23]
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.
Community Care
Questions (432)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:432. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the health infrastructure projects currently underway in CHO6; the projects completed since June 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31849/23]
View answerWritten answers
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
Departmental Policies
Questions (433)
Cathal Crowe
Question:433. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the main policy achievements of his Department since 27 June 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31864/23]
View answerWritten answers
The information requested by the Deputy is being collated by Department officials and a deferred reply will be submitted within ten working days.
Health Services
Questions (434)
Kathleen Funchion
Question:434. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that some private optician companies and businesses are repeatedly upselling their goods and services to eye patients when they present for their free eye tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31873/23]
View answerWritten answers
Sight testing, eye examinations and optical appliances are provided to medical card holders by ophthalmologists, optometrists and dispensing opticians through the Community Ophthalmic Services Scheme (COSS). The reimbursement of the cost of eye tests and glasses is administered by the HSE Primary Care Reimbursement Service.
Eligible adults will normally be allowed an eye examination and spectacles once every two years if required. They will be supplied with one pair of reading and one pair of distance spectacles (if a separate prescription for distance and near vision is required) or one pair of bifocal spectacles once every two years from the date of initial approval.
More frequent examinations will only be considered by the approving officer where the application is accompanied by a note from the Medical Practitioner or optometrist. Sufficient detail must be provided, outlining a full description in each individual case. In the case of loss or damage, one additional pair may be provided in any 12-month period. Where a patient is examined and referred by the Optometrist to a contracted Ophthalmologist, both examinations are payable under the Scheme.
The Scheme is underpinned by patient choice of service provider. In all cases, patients must apply to their Local Health Office for authorisation for service from any Ophthalmologist/Optometrist/ Dispensing Optician contracted to the HSE.
There is no provision under the Scheme for the charging of additional fees to patients. Any inappropriate charges by contracted healthcare providers should be reported to the HSE for investigation.
Departmental Funding
Questions (435)
Cathal Crowe
Question:435. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the budget allocated to each hospital in the University of Limerick Hospital Group in each year of the years 2019 to 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31874/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Community Care
Questions (436)
Cathal Crowe
Question:436. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the health infrastructure projects currently underway in CHO3; the projects completed since June 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31875/23]
View answerWritten answers
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
Question No. 437 answered with Question No. 418.
Question No. 438 answered with Question No. 418.
Departmental Advertising
Questions (439)
Denis Naughten
Question:439. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the total advertising budget allocated by his Department and agencies related to the Covid-19 pandemic; the funding provided directly to RTÉ; if he has sought and secured an assurance that none of this funding was rebated via the RTÉ advertising barter account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31885/23]
View answerWritten answers
Dear Deputy Naughten,
I refer to your Parliamentary Question of Monday 26 June 2023 (Reference: 31885/23).
‘To ask the Minister for Health the total advertising budget allocated by his Department and agencies related to the Covid-19 pandemic; the funding provided directly to RTÉ; if he has sought and secured an assurance that none of this funding was rebated via the RTÉ advertising barter account; and if he will make a statement on the matter.’
I can confirm that for the Department of Health no funding was rebated via the RTÉ advertising barter account.
A response to the Deputy's other questions will require collection of information from contractors working for the Department of Health plus 19 other bodies falling under the aegis of the Department of Health. My officials will collate this information and share with the Deputy as soon as is possible.
Kind regards
Stephen Donnelly, T.D.
Minister for Health
Abortion Services
Questions (440)
Violet-Anne Wynne
Question:440. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if he will maintain a publicly available register of all general practitioners who object to providing services under the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31899/23]
View answerWritten answers
Following the enactment of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, the Government decided to provide termination of pregnancy services within existing mainstream health services. This was done both to embed the provision of termination of pregnancy into primary, community and acute services, and to ensure that services could be provided to those needing them in relative anonymity. Therefore, there is no publicly available complete list of healthcare providers either providing or not providing the services.
Hospital Investigations
Questions (441)
Violet-Anne Wynne
Question:441. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if he will comment on the recent HIQA report with respect to University Hospital Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31902/23]
View answerWritten answers
In February 2023, HIQA inspected University Hospital Limerick (UHL) to assess compliance with 11 national standards and to assess progress in addressing issues identified by HIQA in March 2022.
HIQA found UHL to be partially or substantially compliant in most standards, with non-compliance in two national standards. HIQA found that where service users’ dignity, privacy and autonomy should be respected and promoted the emergency department (ED) was non-compliant. UHL was also non-compliant with standards relating to the physical environment. It should be noted that, HIQA found that the majority of initiatives arising from the increased support and resourcing of UHL were in the process of being implemented. While there is more to be done in UHL, particularly in relation to the ED, I am glad to see that there have been improvements since HIQA's previous inspection in March last year. The HSE, including UHL and UL Hospital Group, prepared a Compliance Plan to address HIQA’s findings and this Plan is being implemented. I am confident that the measures set out in the Compliance Plan will help to address the issues raised in HIQA’s report. The significant support provided to UHL, and the considerable additional investment in recent years, has played a major part in the improvements noted by HIQA. For example, since HIQA’s last inspection, there has been significant recruitment into the ED both in terms of doctors and nurses, which has facilitated additional rostering for consultants in emergency medicine as well as ensuring improvements in safe staffing levels in the ED.In addition, 150 additional beds have been brought online in the UL Hospital Group since January 2020, 98 of which have been in UHL. In addition to the national Winter Plan, there were bespoke site-level plans, including for Limerick. The local plans focused on local needs and build on integration between the community and acute hospital services. Work on a new 96-bed inpatient block for UHL commenced in October 2022 and the Government is also committed to the delivery of a second 96-bed inpatient block at UHL. There has also been investment in other hospitals within the UL Hospital Group, which is helping to alleviate the pressure in UHL’s ED. This includes investment in the new €2m purpose-built Injury Unit at Ennis Hospital, which opened last year and more recent investment in the Medical Assessment Units (MAUs) in Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s Hospital to enable them to operate 7-days per week. The MAU pathway for 112/999 patients commenced at both Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals earlier this year, which allows stable medical patients meeting agreed clinical criteria to be treated in a Model 2 hospital. It is envisaged that this pathway will be operational in St John’s Hospital in the near future.In addition, complementary to the development of the new Elective Hospitals, Limerick has been included as one of five regional scheduled care hubs, and the HSE national working group is tasked with identifying a site for rapid delivery of a surgical care hub in the Limerick region.
I assure the Deputy that the issues raised in the HIQA report, while concerning, are being addressed. The Department will continue to work with the HSE to ensure the necessary support is in place for the improvement of services for all patients in the Midwest region.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (442)
Claire Kerrane
Question:442. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for an appointment with a consultant in University Hospital Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31914/23]
View answerWritten answers
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. 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. On the 7th March, I published the 2023 Waiting List Action Plan, which is the next stage of a new multi-annual approach to sustainably reduce and reform hospital waiting lists, and builds on the foundational work done through the short-term Waiting List Action Plan between September and December 2021, which was followed by the first full year Waiting List Action Plan for 2022, both having reversed the annual trend of rising waiting lists.
The 2023 Plan sets out the priorities to continue to address waiting lists this year. The 30 actions in the Plan, which are governed by the Waiting List Task Force, focus on delivering capacity, reforming scheduled care and enabling scheduled care reform.
For 2023, funding totalling €443 million is being allocated to tackle Waiting Lists with €363 million of this being allocated to the 2023 Waiting List Action Plan, to implement longer term reforms and provide additional public and private activity to clear backlogs exacerbated during the pandemic. This will reduce hospital waiting lists by 10% in 2023 as well as continuing to significantly reduce waiting times in line with Sláintecare recommendations. The remaining €80 million of the €443 million is being targeted at various measures to alleviate community/primary care waiting lists.
With this ambitious 2023 Waiting List Action Plan, my Department, the HSE and the NTPF are taking the next steps in the multi-annual approach towards achieving our vision of a world-class public healthcare system in which everyone has timely and transparent access to high-quality scheduled care, where and when they need it, in line with Sláintecare reforms.
The information requested by the Deputy concerning the waiting time for an appointment with a consultant in Sligo University Hospital, is outlined in the attached document. The NTPF has advised that the health system does not collect the data necessary to calculate 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 currently on the waiting list and the average time that these patients have been waiting is provided here.
Medical Cards
Questions (443)
Bernard Durkan
Question:443. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if a decision to refuse a medical card in the case of a person (details supplied) might be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31965/23]
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.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Questions (444)
Róisín Shortall
Question:444. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health to report on the action which has been taken on foot of the recommendations of the Final Report of the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response; if he will specifically address the recommendation for a review into the impact of nursing home privatisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31982/23]
View answerWritten answers
The Deputy is advised that I fully acknowledge the important work carried out by the Special Committee on COVID-19 Response and the recommendations published in the Committee’s final report on 8th October 2020. Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to evolve, presenting new challenges, and requiring an adaptive and agile response. Over the course of the pandemic, we adapted our responses in line with new evidence and greater national and international understanding of COVID-19. This is evidenced through the publication of “Ireland’s National Action Plan in response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus)”, “Roadmap for Reopening Society & Business”, “Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021 Plan for Living with COVID-19”, “COVID-19 Resilience & Recovery 2021 The Path Ahead", and "COVID-19 Reframing the challenge, Continuing our recovery and reconnecting”.
With respect to the recommendation for a review into the impact of nursing home privatisation, the Minister with responsibility for Mental Health and Older Persons, Mary Butler T.D., acknowledges that the nursing home sector has evolved over the last 30 years from a predominantly State led service to a situation today where approximately 80% of nursing home services are provided by the private sector. The Minister is aware of the investment trends in the Irish residential care market, the growing consolidation of the sector, and the complex investment and ownership structures that now exist. The Minister is equally aware of the potential risks and unintended consequences associated with the level of care services currently being provided by the private sector.
While it is the Government’s overarching policy to provide a greater level and volume of care in the community and to support older people to live at home for longer, it is recognised that nursing home care will continue to be an important part of the continuum of care into the future. It is therefore important that all aspects of the nursing home sector are scrutinised over the coming years to ensure that service delivery and configuration meet the needs of service users in a sustainable and safe manner. In this context, the issue of provider configuration and the extent of private provision may need to be addressed further in public policy and, where appropriate, legislation.
COVID-19 has highlighted the important need to move to new models of care for older people. This will involve short and long-term reform across Government in order to provide new housing models, new ‘home-first’ care models, and where long-term care is needed, ensure that it is provided with innovative designs that can meet infection prevention and control requirements and provide an appropriate home for those who need this type of care. For those who avail of long-term residential care, it is also critical that public investment in this infrastructure is maintained at a level that enables the appropriate standards to be met and that public residential care capacity is increased in the coming years.