Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Leyden for the opportunity to address the House on this matter.

First, it is important to point out that it is not appropriate for me to comment on any individual or specific case. However, I have been advised that this issue has been resolved favourably for the people involved. I cannot go into any more detail in that regard.

Regarding charges for attendance at emergency departments, there is a statutory fee of €100. This fee is payable by patients who do not have a medical card and who attend an emergency department without a referral letter from a GP. The fee is, of course, applicable to a patient's first visit as part of an episode of care but patients with medical cards do not have pay this fee. It is important to remember that this fee for presenting at and emergency department is the only outpatient charge currently payable in our public hospital system.

Expanding and utilising primary care services to best effect is a core element of an integrated approach to alleviating pressures on our emergency departments. There are now 13 community intervention teams in place and in the first half of 2016, these have reduced hospital bed requirements by approximately 73 beds per day. A total of 92 primary care centres have opened with a further 39 at the preliminary stages of development. A project to increase access to diagnostic services in GP surgeries is currently delivering approximately 1,300 ultrasound scans per month while the GP minor surgery pilot project has delivered just over 4,200 procedures since commencement. Also, in the first half of 2016 usage of out of hours GP services increased by 14% over 2015. In September the HSE published the winter initiative 2016-17 which provides €40 million of additional funding for winter preparedness. Under this initiative, community intervention team services are being expanded in four regions and the availability of aids and appliances in primary care has been increased to facilitate patients being discharged from hospital back to their own homes. The Department of Health continues to work with the HSE to develop and expand primary care services but also to ensure that these services work effectively in order to reduce the necessity for patients to attend emergency departments.

Without going into the details of the particular case referred to by the Senator, we must make sure that when doctors or nurses on call feel that they can fast track a patient to the appropriate care, that is taken into account and the charges are not applied. Again, I would stress that I am advised that this matter has been resolved favourably for those involved.