Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 204: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the procedure for centralised processing of medical card applications; if her attention has been drawn to the delays that have emerged in dealing with such applications for the over 70s, which have resulted in applicants being left without medical card cover for months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41413/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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Up to the start of this year, medical card and GP visit card applications were processed in the Health Service Executive's (HSE's) 32 local health areas. Under the HSE's 2009 Service Plan, the processing of all medical card and GP visit card applications will transfer to the HSE's Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) in Dublin. The initial phase of the centralisation process commenced in January 2009 with the PCRS processing all medical card applications for persons aged 70 or over. The second phase commenced in September 2009 with the transfer of the case load from two local health offices in Dublin City to the PCRS. The phased implementation will allow the situation to be continuously monitored and, if required, modified to address any issues arising. The PCRS has processed over 55,000 medical card applications since the start of 2009.

The HSE has informed my Department that the transfer of the case load from the two local health offices included a backlog of some 6,500 open cases which are being dealt with as a matter of urgency by the PCRS, and as a result, resources which would have been deployed in customer relations and phone answering have been assigned to deal with this backlog. The HSE is arranging that additional resources are deployed to respond to phone queries, the majority of which relate to the outstanding applications.

The Executive has advised my Department that there are no plans to close any of the local health offices and these offices will continue to deal with queries of a general nature about the medical card scheme and will provide any assistance needed with the application process. The HSE has recently put in place a national on-line system to allow local health offices track the current status of applications in the PCRS. The centralising of the medical card application process is facilitating a number of enhancements to the level of customer service associated with these applications. The HSE has indicated that later this month a facility will be available where a person can view the status of their medical card application online and if a mobile phone number is supplied with an application, updates by SMS will be delivered to the applicant's phone.

I fully support the HSE's decision to centralise the medical card and GP visit card application and review process to one location. The HSE has advised that when fully implemented, this measure will ensure: - improved turnaround time for the processing of applications (under the new arrangements, the Executive will be aiming for a turnaround time of 15 days or less for all medical card applications, and emergency applications will be dealt with immediately with a card issuing within 24 hours); - equitable application of eligibility across the country; - consistency of service provision to customers; - clearer lines of governance and accountability; and - improved unified data. The HSE has also indicated that this project, while realising health sector efficiencies and savings, will not have an adverse affect on patient care or the quality of service provided. Applications from people whose income exceeds the income guidelines but have a case to be considered on medical or hardship grounds will also be processed by the PCRS.

This project is an example of the type of innovation signalled in the Transforming Public Services Programme announced by the Taoiseach last November. It demonstrates how improved services can be delivered within the more limited resources available in a way which meets the needs of citizens in a modern society.