Results 4,301-4,320 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: It published a document in 2001 or 2002.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: It then abandoned the health agenda completely and handed it over to Ms Mary Harney lock, stock and barrel.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: We are now welcoming Deputy Kelleher back into the debate about the future of our health services. However, he makes no contribution other than to come in here and present himself as - it would appear - a representative of the GPs. I understood the GPs had a representative body, but Deputy Kelleher now seems to have appointed himself as their representative. Of course the GPs are important...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: With some credibility.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: An enormous amount is happening in primary care. A huge amount of change is happening and much more needs to happen. The doctors and other professionals who carry out a service are central to that. I do not know what the Deputy means by saying that referral times are down to two or three minutes - perhaps he means consultations.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: He is suggesting that consultations may be as short as two or three minutes. In my job, I engage with doctors all the time, as does the Minister for Health. We are very well aware of what is happening on the ground in the services. It is simply not credible to suggest that we can address this enormous challenge for the health services overnight. We are introducing these changes and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: It is a vital element of what we need to do. I appeal to him because we will never change our health services by constantly politicising it in this Chamber. For this generation and the next generation we need a completely new health service. Throwing this kind of brickbat back and forth is not achieving anything.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Medical Card Eligibility (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: Under the Health Act 2008, automatic entitlement to a medical card for persons aged 70 and over ended on 31 December 2008. Under the arrangements effected by the Act, a revised system of assessment for eligibility was introduced for those 70 years of age and over, based on the significantly higher gross income limits rather than the standard net income thresholds. This advantageous...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Medical Card Eligibility (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: This was a particular scheme introduced some time ago for the over 70s, as the Deputy will be aware and it is tailored to that age group. As I indicated in my reply, given that it is predicated on gross income, the arrangement facilitates a much greater share of that group of people being able to qualify for a medical card compared with the population as a whole. While I do not have the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: The key measures that will be implemented in primary care over the remainder of the Government's term in office are the introduction of a universal general practitioner service that is free at the point of access; the introduction of a new GP contract; the phased roll-out of chronic disease management programmes; the development of the primary care workforce to facilitate the universal GP...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Prescription Charges (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: As announced in Budget 2014, it has become necessary to increase the prescription charge due to the very difficult and challenging economic environment which requires the Government to achieve additional savings in health expenditure with €666 million of savings targeted in 2014. The increase in prescription charges will account for €43 million of this target. The Government is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres Expenditure (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: The HSE’s National Service Plan for 2013 sets out the funding allocations for this year by care group programme. It includes provision of €2,562 million in respect of the Primary Care Reimbursement Service and €400 million for Primary Care services. This is an increase of 1.7% and 7.6% respectively on the 2012 figures. Successful transformation of our health services...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: As part of the Budget 2013 savings measures, payments on a home improvement loan and a €50 per week allowance for a car were excluded from the standard means test assessment. These changes took effect from April last. For clarity, the exclusion from travel to work costs relates to removing the weekly amount of €50 allowed to cover standing charges, such as depreciation or...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: The Government is committed to introducing, on a phased basis, a universal GP service within its term of office, as set out in the Programme for Government and the Future Health strategy framework. As announced in the Budget, it has been decided to commence the roll-out of a universal GP service by providing all children aged 5 and under with access to a GP service without fees. This will...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services Provision (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: Funding for the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) has been capped at the 2008 level of €63million. There are no immediate plans to reverse the changes to the Scheme in the current budgetary climate. The HSE prioritises for treatment patients with special needs, high risk patients and those who have greater clinical needs and will continue to monitor the operation of the DTSS to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Prices (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 29 together. The prices of drugs vary between countries for a number of reasons, including different prices set by manufacturers, different wholesale and pharmacy mark-ups, different dispensing fees and different rates of VAT. The State has introduced a series of reforms in recent years to reduce pharmaceutical prices and expenditure. These have...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: Under Section 45 of the Health Act 1970, as amended, persons who are unable, without due hardship, to arrange a general practitioner service for themselves or their family qualify for a medical card. There is no automatic entitlement to a medical card for persons with a specific illness or disability. Under this legislation, the determination of eligibility for a medical card is the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Reviews (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: The figure for probity savings for medical cards was determined by the Government in the context of the overall framing of Budget 2014. The savings will be achieved through identifying any medical card or GP visit card holder who is not entitled to such eligibility in line with the legislation governing the schemes. Under the relevant legislation, a medical card is approved either on foot...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Data (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: The HSE already has a system in place with regard to notifications of the death of medical card holders. In 2012, the HSE introduced data sharing with the Death Events Publication Service (DEPS) operated by the General Register Office (GRO). Death events notifications (DEPS) are received by the HSE from the GRO on a weekly basis and loaded to the PCRS payment systems. Medical card...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: The 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...