Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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685. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 637 of 14 May, 2013, if he will provide his Department's estimate of the number of persons who suffer from asthma here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24343/13]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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699. To ask the Minister for Health if the National Asthma Programme will be included in the 2014 Health Service Executive service plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24481/13]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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700. To ask the Minister for Health the number of asthma patients that have been enrolled in the National Asthma Programme. [24482/13]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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702. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide the most recent figure of the number of asthma patients who are included in the general medical services scheme [24484/13]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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703. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide the most recent figure of the number of asthma patients eligible for the drugs payment scheme [24485/13]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 685, 699, 700, 702 and 703 together.

The National Clinical Programme for Asthma, which commenced in 2011, is one of a number of chronic disease programmes established in the HSE’s Clinical Care Directorate aimed at bringing a systematic approach to changes in how services for patients are delivered.

The HSE’s 2013 National Service Plan is a high level document which is underpinned by a detailed operational plan and four regional plans. Whereas the National Clinical Programme for Asthma is not mentioned in the National Service Plan, it is included in the Operational Plan. Implementation of the programme is ongoing and will continue in 2014. To date, different work streams of the National Clinical Programme for Asthma have resulted in the following initiatives:

- The preparation of a Model of Care – this is currently in development.

- The establishment of Asthma Check (Chronic Disease Watch Asthma – structured review) – this has been submitted to the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) for review.

- The preparation of Acute Emergency Asthma Guidelines for Adults - this has been submitted to the National Clinical Effectiveness Committee (NCEC) for review and feedback.

- The preparation of Acute Emergency Asthma Guidelines for Paediatrics – these have been completed.

- Asthma Control in General Practice – these guidelines have been signed off by ICGP and are being implemented.

- Asthma Educational Programme – this is available online at www. hseland.ie.

- Practical workshops have been delivered locally by Clinical Nurse Specialists to nurses in Primary and Secondary Care.

Nurses and other health professionals have been enrolled in an asthma education module. This education module is based on the National Asthma guidelines. This supports healthcare staff in the delivery of evidenced based care and education for patients. In partnership with the Asthma Society, patient information documents have been developed to support this initiative.

Patients are not enrolled in the National Clinical Programme for Asthma. Furthermore, at present, a register on asthma prevalence does not exist. Therefore, data on the numbers of persons currently suffering from asthma is not available. However, survey-based data is available from the Central Statistics Office's (CSO’s) Quarterly National Household Survey 2010 Health Module. According to this survey, 7% of adults indicated that at some point in their lives they had been diagnosed with asthma.

It is not possible to provide the Deputies with information on the number of asthma patients who are included in the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme or the Drug Payments Scheme (DPS). The HSE Primary Care Reimbursement Service does not collect information regarding an applicant's illness.