Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman and will try to be very brief. I want to ask some supplementary questions. In respect of question No. 23 and the money follows the patient model, how will this work in terms of non-elective and emergency activity? It will be more difficult to predict what is emergency and non-elective. How will that element of funding be adjudicated on and costed? Will the Minister confirm that the money will actually follow the patient? I raised this issue on a number of occasions. In the past two to three years, the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar has received a reduction in its annual budget despite the fact that its activity has increased.

In respect of question No. 38 about dermatology services in the midlands, I note that plans are being developed for the provision of this service in the region. When will those plans be published? Can the Minister indicate whether he would be willing to consider re-establishing a full-time consultant position within the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar because there was a full-time consultant for this service from 2007 to the end of 2010? This service is now being shared with St. James's Hospital. At the end of last year, urgent cases are taking eight to nine weeks to be seen. There were 1,052 routine cases at the end of December 2013 and a waiting list of two years and four months in the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar. Patients from this area are being asked to visit a consultant in St. James's Hospital who comes down to Mullingar two days a week. Will the Minister explore the possibility of re-instating that consultant on a full-time basis in the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar?

In respect of question No. 22 and funding for maternity hospitals, I do not expect the Minister to have this information today but perhaps he could furnish me with the ratio of maternity staff to patients for the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar? According to my information, it is not comparable to similar maternity hospitals. Again, the Minister talks about carrying out a plan and strategy. When will he furnish the project plan for this strategy and can he indicate a clear timeframe? He talks about review and evaluation of current services. Will there be a review of the viability of some maternity hospitals or units? If so, what criteria will be used?

In respect of discretionary medical cards, I am sorry I missed some of the meeting. I acknowledge there is a reduction in the targeted savings but there still appears to be a targeted approach to decline medical cards to achieve savings. I, and I am sure other members, deal with a variety of constituents and they have to fight so hard to obtain a discretionary medical card which they had up to now. Their circumstances have not changed and in some instances have deteriorated and they still find it extraordinarily difficult to get their medical card so I would welcome the Minister's opinion on that.