Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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120. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department, or the Health Service Executive, has carried out, or have plans to carry out, a feasibility study into the possibility of setting up additional test-scan centres at a primary care level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6175/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The 2015 National Service plan commits the HSE to extend ultrasound access to additional primary care sites on a prioritised basis. This is a first step in a programme to extend the availability of diagnostics to support the management of patients in general practice. €0.7 million is being made available for this purpose in 2015.

The pilot will provide GPs direct access to ultrasound, at approximately eight primary care sites, across the South and West, from early 2015. This will be an outsourced initiative that will run for an initial 12 month period. The tender evaluation process is near conclusion. It is due to be awarded in February and the sites will be rolled out over a 3-12 week period thereafter.

The initial prioritised areas were identified as those of greatest need from the HSE's and Irish College of General Practitioners' Radiology Reports. Subject to the procurement exercise, the following numbers of ultrasounds are targeted:

Cork – 4,250

Kerry – 1,500

Galway – 2,250

Mayo – 1,750

Roscommon – 750

Sligo/Leitrim – 1,250

Donegal – 2,250

Limerick – 2,000.

GPs will be able to electronically refer patients, to the preferred provider. The preferred provider will see urgent patients within 5 working days and non-urgent patients within 10 working days. An ultrasonographer will conduct the ultrasound and a radiologist will report on each examination. The pilot will aim to clear any existing hospital waiting lists for GP referrals to ultrasound.

The pilot will help inform the HSE’s future planning in the context of the provision of ultrasound scans in Primary Care.