Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue and for giving me, on behalf of the Minister for Health, the opportunity to clarify the position on the provision of wigs and hairpieces by the Health Service Executive under community-funded schemes. The HSE provides many aids and appliances through its community services and it endeavours to meet needs in an equitable way within available resources and given the many demands. The provision of wigs and hairpieces by the HSE to patients who are being, or have been, treated for cancer or other illnesses is operated by means of a grant or voucher system administered by the community healthcare organisations. Patients can select their preferred wig or hairpiece and the HSE refunds the service user or the service provider up to the value of the voucher issued.

The HSE established a community-funded schemes service improvement programme to standardise the HSE provision of aids, appliances and related items in order that, irrespective of where someone lives, he or she will have access to the same items as people in other parts of the country. The HSE established an expert group for post-mastectomy products, wigs and hairpieces whose work includes a review of the provision of wigs and hairpieces. The expert group is a sub-group of the aids and appliances work stream of the community-funded schemes service improvement programme. The expert group comprises clinicians and operational staff. It engaged in consultation with service users, including participation in focus groups. It noted significant variations in what is currently provided, including in regard to current allowances for wigs and hairpieces.

The expert group made initial proposals in 2019 for the development of guidelines by the Health Service Executive to standardise the grants paid. The work of the expert group was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic because clinical staff were redeployed to deal with the demands of the public health crisis. However, in 2021, the expert group furnished a draft summary of proposed national guidelines for the provision of wigs and hairpieces and of post-mastectomy products. The finalisation and implementation of these guidelines in 2022 should address the inequity of provision on a geographic basis, which has been a problem for many years. In addition, the standardised provision that has been recommended should ensure the approval process and the associated administration will be simpler to operate.

The HSE recognises that the Covid-19 pandemic has created added difficulty for cancer patients, including through the absence of a facility for wig fittings. To address this difficulty, the HSE put in place a temporary measure whereby each patient affected by the absence of wig fittings is provided with additional funding of €80 to facilitate the purchase of up to two items of headwear. I commend the HSE on introducing additional measures to support cancer patients. It is essential that such patients are not subjected to any additional worry or stress at what is a very difficult time for them. I wish to see the implementation of the new national guidelines for the provision of wigs and hairpieces as quickly as possible.

I again thank the Senator for raising the issue. It looks as though much work is ongoing and I hope the issue will be dealt with as quickly as possible.