Friday 22 June 2001
Written Answers to Questions (Continued)

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) what assessment she has made of the cancer research campaign, 'Targets for the 21st Century’ and (b) which of the targets could reasonably be adopted immediately by her Department.

(AQW 3277/00)

Ms de Brún: The Cancer Research Campaign’s document "Targets for the 21st Century" will help to emphasise the continuing need for action to prevent cancer and the importance of the care and cure of people with cancer. Many of the targets, such as those on taxation, are outside the remit of my Department whilst action is already being taken on others to help prevent cancer, provide high quality cancer services and improve the survival rates for people with cancer. The document ‘Priorities for Action’ also sets out my planning priorities and objectives, including those on cancer prevention and cancer services, for the Health and Personal Social Services in 2001-02.

Cuideoidh cáipéis an Fheachtais ar Thaighde Ailse 'Sprioc don 21ú Céad’ leis an bhéim a chur ar an ghá leanúnach do ghníomhaíocht chun cosc a chur ar ailse agus ar thábhacht chúram agus leigheas daoine le hailse. Ní bhaineann cuid mhór de na spriocanna, amhail cánachas, le húdarás mo Roinne ach tá ghníomhaíocht á déanamh cheana féin ar spriocanna eile le cosc a chur ar ailse, seirbhísí ardcháilíochta ailse a sholáthar agus le rátaí marthanais do dhaoine le hailse a fheabhsú. Leagann an cháipéis ‘Tosaíochtaí le hAghaidh ghníomhaíocht’ mo thosaíochtaí agus chuspóirí pleanála amach fosta do na Seirbhísí Sláinte agus Sóisialta Pearsanta i 2001/02, iad siúd faoi chosc ar ailse agus faoi sheirbhísí ailse san áireamh.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) what resources are available beyond the current financial year to implement her action plan to reduce waiting lists, (b) what initiatives her Department has encouraged Boards to take in tackling waiting lists and (c) whether all Boards have submitted waiting list action plans and how the Department proposes to evaluate them.

(AQW 3278/00)

(a) For 2002-2003, my Department, in common with all others, has at this stage only an indicative allocation of its resources. The normal budgetary process for 2002-3, which is now getting under way, will determine precisely what the Department’s overall provision is to be. In light of that, and of the balance of pressures across the HPSS, I shall then decide the level of funding that can be afforded to each priority area of the service.

(b) The Framework for Action on Waiting Lists, which I issued last September, contained a comprehensive range of clinical, managerial and efficiency measures to tackle waiting lists.

(c) All Boards have submitted waiting list action plans. These are being considered in the context of the Boards’ Service Investment Plans for 2001-02.

(a) Cosúil leis na Ranna eile, níl ach comhartha do mo Roinn ar dháileadh a hacmhainní do 2002-03 faoi láthair. Socróidh an gnáthphróiseas buiséadach do 2002/3, atá ag dul ar aghaidh anois, go díreach ar sholáthar iomlán na Roinne. Mar gheall ar sin agus ar chothrom na mbrúnna ar fud na SSSP, cinnfidh mé ansin ar leibhéal an mhaoinithe atá ar acmhainn a dháileadh ar gach réimse tosaíochta den tseirbhís.

(b) Istigh sa’ Chreatlach le hAghaidh Gníomhaíochta ar Liostaí Feithimh, a d’eisigh mé i mí Mheán Fómhair anuraidh, bhí réimse cuimsitheach beart cliniciúil, bainistíochta agus tíosach le tabhairt faoi liostaí feithimh.

(c) Chuir gach uile Bhord gníomhphleananna ar liostaí feithimh isteach. Tá machnamh á dhéanamh orthu i gcomhthéacs Pleananna Infheistíochta Seirbhísí na mBord do 2001/2002.

Mr Shannon asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety whether the new arthritis drug Remicade is available within the EHSSB and how much funding is required to provide the drug.

(AQW 3280/00)

Ms de Brún: Remicade is one of two new biologic drug therapies used to treat severe inflammatory arthritis and there are currently service users within the EHSSB area receiving these drugs.

The annual cost of Remicade is in the region of £8,500 per patient. Costs vary depending on whether the treatment is initial or ongoing.

Is drúga é Remicade de dhá theiripe bhitheolaíochta a úsáidtear le géar-airtríteas athlastaithe a chóireáil agus tá úsáideoirí seirbhísí sa BSSSO atá ag fáil na ndrúgaí seo faoi láthair.

Tá costas bliaintiúil Remicade thart faoi £8,500 an othar. Bíonn éagsúlacht costas ann ag brath ar cé acu cóireál tosaigh nó cóireál leanúnach a bhíonn ann.

Mr Shannon asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the funding made available for the treatment of arthritis in the EHSSB for the years 1999-2000 and 2000-01.

(AQW 3282/00)

Ms de Brún: There is no specific allocation within the health and personal social services budget for the treatment of arthritis. However, in 2000-01 the EHSSB provided Green Park Health Care Trust with £108,433 for rheumatological drugs such as Remicade and Enbrel. No such funding was provided for 1999-2000 as the drugs were not marketed until 2000.

Níl dáileadh ar leith sa bhuiséad sláinte agus seirbhísí sóisialta pearsanta do chóireál airtrítis. I 2000-01, áfach, sholáthair an BSSSO £108,433 d’Iontaobhas na Páirce Glaise do dhrúgaí réamatóideach amhail Remicade agus Enbrel. Níor cuireadh maoiniú de chineál ar bith do 1999-2000 mar ní raibh margaíocht déanta ar na drúgaí go dtí 2000.

Mr Shannon asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the number of people in the EHSSB area suffering from arthritis in the years 1999-2000 and 2000-01.

(AQW 3283/00)

Ms de Brún: The information requested is not available.

Níl an t-eolas a iarradh ar fáil.

Dr Birnie asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to give her assessment of the likely success of the Connecting with Young People conference, to be held on 12 and 13 June in attracting participation from young people given that the registration fee is £175 and the concessionary fee is £90.

(AQW 3284/00)

Ms de Brún: I understand that while the conference is aimed at policy makers and public sector providers, a number of young people, as well as organisations working with young people, have been involved in the planning, and will be participating in the conference. All young people are attending free of charge.

Tuigim cé go bhfuil an chomhdháil dírithe ar an lucht déanta polasaithe agus ar sholáthraithe ón earnáil phríobháideach, bhí baint ag líon de dhaoine óga, chomh maith le heagraíochtaí ag obair le daoine óga leis an phleanáil, agus beidh siad ag glacadh páirte sa chomhdháil. Tá gach uile dhuine óg ag freastal uirthi saor in aisce.

Ms Ramsey asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail what performance targets have been set for the Northern Ireland Health and Social Services Estates Agency for 2001-02.

(AQW 3285/00)

Ms de Brún: The targets, which have been set for 2001-02, are based on the corporate aims and objectives of the Agency as set out in Section 5 of its Corporate and Business Plan. A copy of the Corporate and Business Plan will be placed in the library.

The targets are as follows:

• The following percentage of external clients to regard the quality of the Agency’s services as satisfactory or better:-

Client Support/Project Management - 85%

Specialist Engineering Services - 80%

Trust Consultancy Support - 80%

• Complete seven Firecode audits on HSS Trusts by 31 March 2002.
• Advise on 65% of capital investment business case submissions within 20 working days. (Subject to a maximum of 24 business cases per annum).
• Initiate with the Department, a review of the strategy for the disposal of surplus estate in relation to both the HSS Trust lands and the Department’s Retained Estate and respond speedily and effectively to any recommendation from the forthcoming Northern Ireland Audit Office Report with a view to optimising and quantifying the resources to be released over the next five years.
• Project manage the disposal of Retained Estate properties and realise £2·15 million in addition to the resources planned to be released from sales deferred from 2000-01.
• Complete testing and issue Test Reports to the Authorised Person in respect of 145 sterilizers and washer disinfectors by 31 March 2002.
• Respond to requests indicating a proposed programme for medical devices services within 10 working days of a receipt of written request.

• Ensure that the Agency lives within its running cost allocation and demonstrates that its full costs are recovered, on a notional basis, through Service Level Agreements with clients.

Tá na spriocanna a leagadh síos do 2001/2002 bunaithe ar aidhmeanna agus ar chuspóirí corparáideacha na Gníomhaireachta leagtha amach i Mír 5 dá Plean Corparáideach agus Gnó. Cuirfear cóip den Phlean Chorparáideach agus Ghnó sa leabharlann.

Seo a leanas na spriocanna:

• Cuireann an céatadán seo a leanas de chliaint eachtracha in iúl go bhfuil cáilíocht sheirbhísí na Gníomhaireachta sásúil nó níos fearr:-

Tacaíocht do Chliaint/Bainistíocht Scéime - 85%

Seirbhísí Sainiúla Innealtóireachta - 80%

Tacaíocht Chomhairleach Iontaobhais - 80%

• Seacht n-iniúchadh Cóid Dóiteáin ar Iontaobhais SSS a chríochnú faoin 31 Márta 2002.
• Comhairle a thabhairt ar 65% de mholtaí do chásanna gnó infheistíochta caipitil laistigh de 20 lá oibre. (Faoi réir uasmhéid de 24 cás gnó in aghaidh na bliana).
• Tús a chur, i gcomhar leis an Roinn, le hathbhreithniú ar an straitéis le fáil réidh le heastáit bhreise maidir le tailte an Iontaobhais SSS agus le hEastáit Choinneáilte na Roinne araon, agus le freagairt go gasta agus go héifeachtach ar mholadh ar bith ó Thuairisc Oifig Iniúchta Thuaisceart Éireann atá le teacht de gheall ar úsáid is fearr agus cainníochtú na n-acmhainní atá le cur ar fáil le linn na gcúig bliana seo chugainn.
• An scéim le fáil réidh le háitribh Eastát Coinneáilte a stiúradh agus £2.15m a réadú mar bharr ar na hacmhainní atá sé ar intinn a chur ar fáil ó dhíolacháin a coinníodh siar ó 2000-01.
• Trialacha a chríochnú agus Tuairiscí Trialach maidir le 145 steirileoir agus dífhabhtán leicneán a sheoladh chuig an Duine Údarásaithe faoin 31 Márta 2002.
• Freagairt ar iarratais ag moladh cláir do sheirbhísí gaireas leighis laistigh de 10 lá oibre má fhaightear iarratas scríofa.

• Ag cinntiú go gcloíonn an Ghníomhaireacht laistigh dá dáileadh costas reachtúil agus go léiríonn sí go bhfuil a costais iomlána faighte ar ais, ar bhonn nóiseanúla, trína h-Aontais Leibhéal Seirbhísí le cliaint.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail what action has been taken as set out in ‘Facing the Future’ namely (a) to reduce the non-recurrent nature of additional funding; (b) to reduce the level of bed occupancy in intensive care units and high-dependence units; (c) to increase the recruitment of nursing staff and the retention of nurses; (d) to increase the number of community care packages; and (e) to reduce the number of staff absent through illness.

(AQW 3294/00)

(a) As part of the Spending Review settlement for the present financial year, an additional £31 million was secured to fund on a permanent basis those services which hitherto had relied on non-recurrent funding.

(b) In line with the recommendations contained in ‘Facing the Future’, an additional 10 intensive care beds and 11 high-dependency beds have been brought on-stream, thereby increasing capacity in these key services.

(c) A number of initiatives have been taken to enhance the supply of qualified nurses, including free training for nurses and midwives rejoining the HPSS, as well as an expansion in the number of available student nurse places.

(d) An additional £2 million has been allocated in the current year to increase by 230 the number of community care packages to be provided.

(e) ‘Facing the Future’ suggested that further research was needed on whether routine vaccination of staff would help to reduce staff sickness levels. My Department has undertaken this research and is satisfied that it would. Accordingly, in August 2000 my Department recommended that influenza immunisation should be routinely offered to all front-line staff working within the HPSS.

(a) Mar chuid de shocrú an Athbhreithnithe ar Chaiteachas don bhliain reatha airgeadais seo, fuarthas £31 milliún breise leis na seirbhísí sin, a bhí orthu brath ar mhaoiniú neamhbhuan roimhe sin, a mhaoiniú ar bhonn buain.

(b) De réir na moltaí i ‘Ag Tabhairt Aghaidhe ar an Todhchaí’, fuarthas 10 leaba breise dianchúraim agus 11 leaba breise ardspleáchais, ar an dóigh sin, ag méadú toillte sna heochairsheirbhísí seo.

(c) Rinneadh roinnt beart le cur le soláthar altraí cáilithe, oiliúint shaor d’altraí agus do mhná cabhrach ag dul sna SSSP, chomh maith le méadú i líon na n-áiteanna ar fáil d’ábhar altraí, san áireamh.

(d) Dáileadh £2 milliún breise i mbliana le líon na bpacáistí cúram pobail atá le soláthar a mhéadú faoi 230.

(e) Chuir ‘Ag Tabhairt Aghaidhe ar an Todhchaí’ in iúl go raibh tuilleadh taighde de dhíth le fáilamach an gcuideodh gnáthvacsaíniú na foirne le leibhéil tinnis na foirne a laghdú, nó nach gcuideodh. Thug mo Roinn faoin taighde seo agus tá sí sásta go gcuideodh sé leis. Mar sin de, i mí Lúnasa 2000 mhol mo Roinn go dtairgfí imdhíonadh ulpóige go rialta don fhoireann thosach uile ag obair laistigh de na SSSP.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) what steps have been taken to ensure primary care practitioners are fully involved in addressing the waiting list problem, and how this is measured; (b) what targets have been set which address the waiting list problems in 2000-01 and beyond; and (c) to confirm if all Boards have developed waiting list action plans and how the Department measures their implementation.

(AQW 3295/00)

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the number of patients awaiting discharge from each hospital into nursing/residential homes (a) by illness and (b) by age.

(AQW 3298/00)

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